As was highlighted in an earlier post, thanks to generosity of several garden supporters, the Reflecting Pool Sundial has returned to the garden. As an experiment I decided to try Microsoft Live Lab’s “Photosynth” tool to create a 3-dimensional representation of the sundial. This software is experimental and requires Internet Explorer. Of course, the real object is already 3-dimensional! We hope you will come and visit the real thing next time you are in the garden.

3D Sundial Image

This past year has been a notable one for the restoration of the garden. One of the most visible changes has been the return of architectural detail to the garden; statuary, cisterns, furniture and metalwork that were either in disrepair or no longer existing have been painstakingly restored or recreated to help us recapture the feel of a historic garden.

The Hippocampus is once again center-stage as a feature of the fountain display in the Reflecting Pool and the newly placed Sundial helps emphasize the half-circle landing on the Reflecting Pool staircase.

A bench, bird bath, gates and cistern provide the formal detail that complements the new plantings of the Box Scroll Garden. Missing finials on the railings were replaced and painted.

The Loggia at the East Terrace has seen the return of the shipbreak furniture, a cistern complete with working water feature and chandelier. The lighting on the Porch of the Dupont Dining Room, across from the Loggia, is also enhanced by the addition of three chandeliers.

The plants outside of the Conservatory are anchored by a pair of newly placed cisterns at either end of the flagstone patio.

An extraordinary amount of time and craftsmanship has gone into the replacement of these features and is a result of the generous support of our donors, the craftsmanship of A. Thayer Smith and Heritage Metalworks, and the efforts of our own Winterthur staff.