I’ve yet to hear back from Shreveport’s Eric Brock. However, the Brock with which I connected and left voice mails may not be the author/preservation advocate Eric Brock I’m seeking. As mentioned in the About section of the blog, posts are expected to be a mix of both discoveries and hurdles.
In the meantime, I have updated the ExploringHodgesGardens Flickr page, and I would encourage you to check it out. The above photo is taken from near a large Ginkgo biloba tree on the middle level of the main garden area. I think it captures a good example of an important element of the main design philosophy employed throughout the Garden, which celebrated existing topographic and drainage patterns to create a rich garden experience. While the above pool is a 1950s constructed element, it widens and sits realistically below the above slope, which was an element of the early site’s existing conditions.
On the Exploring Hodges Gardens Flickr page, site visit photos are categorized into different sets. Currently, the sets are arranged by location, and cover the following Hodges Gardens subjects: Visitor Center Facilities, Garden Areas, Administrative Area, Historic Greenhouse Facility, and House Island. The photos are not necessarily works of art, but rather, are intended to document and present current conditions. I plan to add more photos and to think of the Flickr page as a Hodges Gardens landscape features collection. In addition to viewing by individual sets/subjects, it’s also enjoyable to employ the slideshow option. Just look for the Slideshow button near the Share option on the exploringhodgesgardens photostream. That’s http://www.flickr.com/photos/exploringhodgesgardens/.