Many people hold the opinion that a ‘folly’ should
be avoided – the word derives from the Old French ‘folie,’ the same one that
gave us ‘fool’ and ‘foolish,’ and is commonly applied to errors in
judgment – however, some follies fall
into a different category. A folly, in gardens, is a structure that puts its
form (often frivolous) above its function. After the gazebo, the most readily
identified example is probably the artificial ruin – a structure often modeled
after Greek or Roman artifacts, sometimes crafted with signs of “decay.”
Glass lantern slide of Eleutherian Mills. Wilmington, Delaware, circa 1914-1949. Garden Club of Wilmington. |
A “ruin” in Eleutherian Mills. Wilmington, Delaware, 1970. Richard W. Lighty, photographer. |
The creation of follies may have slowed since the eighteenth century, but they are far from forgotten. The Folly Fellowship is a group dedicated to folly preservation in the United Kingdom. On Flickr, a folly photo group has uploaded thousands of images (though traditionalists might take issue with some, which include gazing balls, gnomes and pink plastic flamingos.). A folly may delight, surprise, confuse or amuse, but it is certainly a treasure worth finding!
Jessica Hemphill, Spring intern, 2013
Archives of American Gardens
Not technically a folly, as they're genuinely old, but this makes me think of the Capitol columns at the Arboretum.
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