The Formal Garden

Designed by Hume Logan, Jr., the Formal Garden at Whitehall was first realized in the early 1970s. The garden is characterized by its Florentine influence, featuring reproductions of Italian statuary from Logans personal collection and wrought iron trellises manufactured by the Logan Company, the family business that specialized in fencing and steel products.

The area is neatly divided into rooms created by borders of taxus hedgerows and arborvitae, a kind of evergreen from the cypress family. A carefully tended herbaceous border anchors the garden just outside the hedgerow, featuring exotic tree peonies and lovely butterfly bushes that entice numerous butterflies to flutter about the garden during the summer and early fall. Climbing clematis archways create an enchanting approach to the Formal Garden and are almost always an immediate favorite feature of our visitors.

In recent months, a number of exciting improvements to the Formal Garden have been planned and implemented, including expansion of the hardscape and pathways so that all areas of the garden are fully accessible. A new terraced area will feature a lush garden filled with a variety of reblooming hydrangeas, surely to soon be a site to behold!

Today, the Formal Garden is a popular and picturesque site for wedding ceremonies and garden parties. Guests to Whitehall are welcome to explore at leisure the quiet pathways and terraced areas, an idyllic return to a more slowly paced life.

Photos Courtesy of Kentucky Homes & Gardens