Bird Haven Farm, in Conversation
An evening with Jinny Blom and Janet Mavec
At the Garden Museum, an early spring evening was given to the detail of a life in the garden.
Introduced by John Danzer, Jinny Blom and Janet Mavec reflected on Bird Haven Farm - Mavec’s home and garden in rural New Jersey that’s been shaped slowly, attentively, over time.
What emerged was not instruction, but a way of looking. Blom spoke to structure and restraint; Mavec to instinct and accumulation. Between them, a shared understanding: that a garden is something lived with daily and revealed gradually.
Central to its evolution is the influence of Fernando Caruncho. His masterplan brings long axial views that draw the eye outward, paths and hedging aligned to create rhythm and continuity. Open lawns are held within strong edges; planting is deliberately restrained, allowing light, proportion and shadow to do their work.
The conversation carried into supper. Tables set with Bertioli by Thyme sweet pea linens, Frances Palmer vases, and flowers from New Covent Garden Market.
The evening that a reminder that the most compelling gardens are not designed for a moment, but for a lifetime of return.
