Chevy Chase -- Cross Garden

Cross Garden, formerly known as.

Located on three-quarter acres in suburban Maryland was laid out in 1929 by Rose Ishbel Greely (b.1887-d.1969), the first licensed female landscape architect in Washington DC. Three terrace levels were built alongside the house to accommodate the sloping site, surrounded by low stone walls and with stone steps between levels. A pool with a fountain jet was installed at the terminus of level three and cast stone benches were placed along the side walls. Now mature trees growing outside the walls including pin oak, tulip magnolia, elm and overgrown mock orange keep the area shady in summer. Climbing hydrangea, English ivy and moss cover the walls. Azaleas, roses and iris add color to the garden and pachysandra is used as a ground cover inside and outside the walls.

Outside the walled garden the rest of the property has been planted lawn except during the ownership of Dr. Charles Whitman Cross (1854-1949). A retired geologist, Cross designed a rose garden, planting two thousand bushes and hybridizing new roses, including the deep crimson rambler called the "Chevy Chase" rose as well as roses named "Hon. Lady Lindsay"and "Mrs. Whitman Cross." In the late 1920s Dr. and Mrs. Cross founded the local chapter of the American Rose Society known as the Potomac Rose Society.

This garden was originally documented in the 1930s, at that time it was identified as the Cross Garden.

Persons associated with the garden include) Mr. and Mrs. John Weaver (former owners, 1899-1915); Commander and Mrs. Horace Macfarland (former owners, 1915-1924); Dr. and Mrs. Charles Whitman Cross (former owners, 1924-1945); Mr. and Mrs. Charles Glassie (former owners, 1945-1954); Mr. and Mrs. Richard Marsh (former owners, 1954-2013); Arthur Heaton (architect, 1899); Rose Ishbel Greely (landscape architect, 1929).