Cutting Garden

In the terraced gardens at Dumbarton Oaks, the roses are flagging in the heat and the bunnies are busy sampling kale and cabbages. A tall stand of yarrow complements the graceful lines of what is really too grand to be called a garden shed. It is set into a retaining wall of the Cutting Garden allowing it to step down a level. It's easy to get caught up in the idea of flowers in pretty colors, but the structure and architecture of a garden must come first. Even a pre-fab shed from the hardware store, painted in a pleasing color, can improve a garden. But don't expect to find a roof like this one.