And Doris found herself - once more - underneath the stars
To REALLY appreciate the stars, View on Black Background
The photo was given to www.SaveDukeGardens.org by Darryl Copeland of Beverly Hills. His story:
“My name is Darryl Copeland and I was a close friend of Doris. I spent three years designing and installing night lighting in the Duke Gardens. My wife and I lived at Duke Farms for five years. We had dinner with [Doris] almost every night when she was at the farm, and we went to Newport almost every weekend to work on the Newport Restoration project. We stayed in touch and remained friends until she died.
My friend Eduardo Tirella and Doris designed the Gardens. Doris loved the gardens and I know she would not approve of changing them in any way. I hope you will take an interest in this, and help save a beautiful landmark.”
Doris Duke created these Gardens to honor the father she adored, who died when she was twelve.
May 25th 2008, they will be closed and gutted by her Trustees: Joan Spero, (President), Nannerl Keohane (Chair), John Mack (Vice Chair), Harry Demopoulos, Anthony Fauci, James Gill, Anne Hawley, Peter Nadosy, William Schlesinger, John H.T. Wilson and John E. Zuccotti.
E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle. It was from there that we emerged, to see— once more— the stars. Dante.
This page has been Dugg. Photographer unknown; the camera information is dummy, to enable an Explore ranking.
See the daytime view . This lovely archival photo of Doris Duke's French Garden at night was Explored on May 22nd. Please use it to increase public awareness of what will be destroyed.
Comments and faves
florabritannica, jocelynfrith, nosha, wesh, and 45 other people added this photo to their favorites.
florabritannica (61 months ago | reply)
Oh, to have been there! So many overlaid patterns – this is breathtaking. It's a crying shame. There's an Irish tradition that if you cut down the blackthorn, the fey/fairies/call them what you will come and put its thorns in your bed at night. Would that Doris could do the same, and those responsible for this destruction would sleep on her Ceiba speciosa spikes forever.
jocelynfrith (61 months ago | reply)
...and WHO will have the temerity to replace this?
wesh (61 months ago | reply)
Magnificent.
Ross-mac (61 months ago | reply)
Every new image, every new word that is added to this collection demonstrates the crass vandalism of those who though selected to perpetuate the work and memory of Doris Duke are intent on trashing it at its very heart. Next month America will be a poorer country than it is today.
GlennCantor (theskepticaloptimist) (61 months ago | reply)
For shame! The very people entrusted to perpetuate this work have betrayed their trust.
cfootedelmann (61 months ago | reply)
Nothing is ever either/or. It is possible aggressively to coach the world on the importance of native species, of the local, the natural, the rural, the unspoiled; and still honor the memory, legacy and brilliance of Doris Duke. Her buildings, her gardens are jewels in New Jersey's crowns, and must not vanish from our region.
nosha (61 months ago | reply)
What an incredible capture - I would have loved to have seen these gardens at night, they are magnificent. This is really a crime.
abbyrosenstein (61 months ago | reply)
It will be so sad to lose these gardens. I've been there several times and enjoyed them very much. The view above with night lighting is amazing.
Mike's Trailhead (61 months ago | reply)
Beautiful Photo. It must have been a Life Experience working with her in these beautiful Gardens.
jfetzko08844 (61 months ago | reply)
One only needs to look a few miles to the East and a few years into the past to find another example of "progress". I am referring to the destruction of the former majestic Pennsylvania Station in New York City. I am reminded of a commuter who commented on the difference between the old Penn Station and the new one which is buried under Madison Square Garden. "In the past when you arrived at Penn Station you arrived in New York feeling like a king and now you feel like a rat." Unfortunately, the destructive act of dismantling Duke Gardens will be lamented twenty, thirty or fifty years from now and of course it will be far too late to do anything about it. I am sure there will be cheese served at the grand opening of the new greenhouse.
ra377 (61 months ago | reply)
What a tragedy!
webmavennj (61 months ago | reply)
How beautiful and a wonderful legacy to Doris and her father. We very much need to preserve this garden. New Jersey is losing so much everyday and this is something that exists and can continue.
Ctmann1 (61 months ago | reply)
WHAT A GORGEOUS PHOTO - I feel like I'm there!!
How inspiring - it reminds me how it feels to be in those gardens...and now to think that it will only be a memory - for shame! and to be done in the name of this sweeeping environmental movement - heresy!
doodoopuppy (61 months ago | reply)
Wow..what a magical view of one of my favorites places. How lucky we are to see this one of a kind shot of Duke Gardens.
Not so lucky, however, because we will never get to see it(day or night) in person ever again.
I am heartbroken by the trustees decision to continue with the position that the
"green" vision they have for Duke Farms must include the destruction of the
Display Gardens. They have the NY Botanical Garden in their backyard, so
perhaps you cannot understand what this place means to us. For some, like
myself, it is a lifetime of memories(the garden is exactly as old as I am).
One of the best memories I have was taking my British Grandmother there when I was a
teenager and brand new driver . Her love for plants was all consuming and watching her enjoy the
gardens was delightful. I'll never forget it.
I would love to understand why they cannot proceed with their plans and leave
the garden intact for those of us who view the greenhouse as the main
attraction at Duke Farms. It is a unique and wonderful
place and once its dismantled it cannot be replaced when the next set of
trustees decides that it was a bad decision.
How can they live with that????
schoCreative (61 months ago | reply)
So sad - I just found out about these gardens and was looking forward to seeing them in the fall when I visit the area. What a sad commentary on the way our society just throws away the past. If this were in Japan it would be treasured for generations. Please realize what you are doing before it is too late!
~jessy~ (61 months ago | reply)
absolutely breath-taking and actually brought tears to my eyes. thank you so much for sharing...
william.bataille (61 months ago | reply)
If they were so worried about the "carbon footprint" of the Gardens they could have made it an example through "remediation". Instead, they have plans to convert Duke Estates to "ecoland". Guess if you can't find a job in Disney World build one in Hillsborough. Wouldn't suprise me if they were choking the ponds on the property with fertilizer, killing the "invasive" plants with herbicides, and hosting deer hunts. Just another example of "green" liberal hypocrisy...
femme_makita (61 months ago | reply)
@william: There are many wonderful and dedicated environmentalists associated with Duke Farms, and I think their other new programs will be great - eg fencing an area the size of Central Park to exclude deer, so we can see what our woods used to look like.
What a Shame that such worthy activities are going to be dragged into the mud by the cruel and unnecessary destruction of Doris Duke's own Gardens. They could have set an example by heating them solely with carbon 'captured' on the property.
Please don't blame the environmentalists. Blame the eleven Trustees named above. The responsibility is their alone.
Christie13 (61 months ago | reply)
What a magical place! I've really been enjoying the photos of Duke Gardens and would loved to have visited some day. What a travesty that the Garden State is losing such a beautiful treasure.
nancyellenb53 (61 months ago | reply)
What a shame that a treasure like this is being needlessly dismantled. It's hard to imagine that Ms Duke envisioned this when she set the Trust up. I'm still very puzzled by why the indoor gardens must be dismantled - why can't people both be "wowed" and educated by the indoor gardens AND participate in the other new programs? Statements like "it costs $400K per year to heat them" are fine - but, what alternatives are there? Could some of the gardens have been maintained? It seems like no middle road was explored. I hereby nominate the "Trustees" for MSNBC's Worst People of the Year....
jeffkracht (61 months ago | reply)
Where is the TRUST in Trustees? I've been sick over this for months. There could have been some compromise so that Ms. Duke's Gardens would coexist with environmental innovations on the property. The Trustees are destroying history - and why? Because some lawyers say they can. DISGUSTING!! We are losing a National Treasure. Please see www.SaveDukeGardens.org
Vivian S. Bedoya (61 months ago | reply)
The indomitable spirit of Doris Duke is in those gardens - they are a product of her energy and creativity. We were fortunate to have enjoyed them before they were destroyed but it is a shame that others will not have the same opportunity...
maxgardener215 (61 months ago | reply)
I'm so happy that I took so many beautiful photographs over the years. While they'll never compare to actually walking through the lovely gardens, at least I have lots of fond memories. The trustees should be very ashamed of themselves. New Jersey is losing a very special place.
femme_makita (61 months ago | reply)
Running www.savedukegardens.org and putting together the flickr group SaveDukeGardens, there have been times when I thought that if I saw yet another photo of the French Garden from this vantage point, I would scream.
But when Darryl Copeland sent me this picture, just out of the blue, I have to say it brought tears to my eyes.
And the amazing thing is, the public were allowed in on these night tours. (See the next photo of the Persian garden for a lovely memoir of how wonderful these were).
marerobins@yahoo.com (61 months ago | reply)
Enchanting. You are instantly back in time, in a fairy world. Nothing like this will be created again in our lifetime. There will be gardens -- stylish, and posh -- but nothing like this lovely display. Someday the trustees will regret their actions -- too late.
florabritannica (61 months ago | reply)
If this collection of photographs don't save the gardens, they will serve one other valuable purpose. When the wheel turns again, and future trustees come to reinstate the gardens, wondering WHAT possessed their predecessors, they will be overjoyed to have such a rich fund of evidence for their reconstruction. So many once-great gardens left to decline because they were no longer "relevant" have been restored and revived in recent working on just such records – it seems unbelievable to see the other end of the story happening.
Tattooed JJ (61 months ago | reply)
This is indeed such a shame beyond my comprehension
nrmorris9 (61 months ago | reply)
This must have been a beautiful place indeed when Doris Duke cared for it. Darryl Copeland's letter was an important addition to the record and deeply touching. Perhaps because the Trustees are unconnected to the site, they don't realize how much open space and meadowland is already protected and ecologically maintained by the state in central NJ. The display gardens as they exist, even though they may now suffer from lack of care, are irreplaceable. The comments and photographs on this site show how beautiful the gardens can be and how much they will be missed.
justmecpb (61 months ago | reply)
Such a beautiful picture! It is truly a shame that the "Trustees" have used the excellent idea of promoting environmental responsibility as an excuse to eliminate these wonderful display gardens. Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater!
_Skotta_ (61 months ago | reply)
Looks lovely, hopefully it will stay. I would love to have the change to visit it.
hazer2006 (61 months ago | reply)
Super Photo, very sad about the gardens
femme_makita (61 months ago | reply)
Someone told me that James Buchanan Duke, on his dying bed, told his 12-year old daughter Doris that people would only want her for her money.
How sad that the very foundation she entrusted with the care and keeping of her legacy seems to be bent on fulfilling his warning.
I cry for her, under the stars.
Bowhaus (61 months ago | reply)
I'm so sorry...what a terrible loss and foolish decision.... at least we can enjoy it here.
gr33ncat [deleted] (61 months ago | reply)
how sad :-(
why does it always seem that the most magical places are always taken away
These Days in French Life (61 months ago | reply)
what a horrible shame, they (the trustees) should be ashamed of themselves for their "wants" to replace a garden with a garden. what a waste of time, money and nature.
how about working on replacing some slums in other parts of the city with gardens (and edible food) for the people too eat, put the money into that instead.
*shaking my head at the travesty*
` ®© ROBERTO CARBONI (61 months ago | reply)
buena captura.te felicito
femme_makita (61 months ago | reply)
This image is now #64 in Explore for May 22nd. Please pass the link to your friends. This is about letting the world know that Eleven Gardens are being deliberately destroyed by Eleven Trustees.
nosha (61 months ago | reply)
Yay! Congrats!
jmven (61 months ago | reply)
Excellent shot
nosha (61 months ago | reply)
Please consider to add your beautiful photo to
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egersdorfer (61 months ago | reply)
this is truly a magnificent photo. the story that goes with it is truly beautiful.
femme_makita (61 months ago | reply)
Thank you - or thank you Mr Copeland. The memoir on the next photo in the stream, of the Persian Garden at night, is equally touching.
AnnuskA - AnnA Theodora (61 months ago | reply)
so beautiful
yet so sad...
femme_makita (61 months ago | reply)
This photo jumped into Explore #24 today...
which must mean people are looking up Duke Gardens in Wikipedia...
And that must mean people are reading the Wall Street Journal article that identified the closure for the outrage that it is!
GlennCantor (theskepticaloptimist) (61 months ago | reply)
The Wall Street Journal article is excellent. I hope it is read by people who can influence the decision-making trustees.
doriscologna (59 months ago | reply)
because my name as a tag!doris
jillhand1 (57 months ago | reply)
I was at Duke Farms recently. It's beautiful but overgrown. The greenhouses are closed, as is the main house. I remember my aunt visited the greenhouses in the 1970s and she described the gorgeous plantings and fountains to me. I wish I had seen them and now it's too late.
The trustees are wrong to destroy this beauty. It could be another Longwood Gardens and bring joy to thousands of visitors. Instead it's going to be a field full of weeds. What were they thinking?