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Green Space

It’s been almost 50 years since Penney and A.C. Hubbard started transforming their two-acre garden in Baltimore into what is now recognized as one of the finest in Maryland.

Walnut Hill began as a family project, and A.C., who graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1959 and its Law School in 1962, and Penney did much of the early planting and design themselves. Their later collaboration with the internationally known Kurt Blumel (a.k.a. the King of Grasses) transformed their garden into a site that has been featured in national and regional magazines and is a destination for prestigious national and regional garden tours. It’s even listed in the Smithsonian Archives of American Gardens.

The Hubbards’ garden is the subject of a new book, “On Walnut Hill: The Evolution of a Garden,” featuring essays and text by garden writer Kathy Hudson and images by award-winning photographer Roger Foley. The book is filled with 270 pages of photographs of the Hubbards’ exquisite gardens, and details their passion and tireless efforts to create the ultimate living landscape.

A.C. is a trustee emeritus of W&L and has retired from his career as an investment management executive. Penney is a retired public school teacher, private school admissions director and community volunteer. You can read more about the project and pre-order the book at onwalnuthill.com.

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