29. Grand Piano
Perennial Garden Club, Garden Club of America
Sally Simms and Jill Deterding Young
2025 installation - Ballroom
The Inspiration
Original to the room, this Model A grand piano way made by Steinway & Sons of New York in 1898. The custom gilded mahogany and tulip wood case was made to match other furniture in the Ballroom.
The Flowers
Florist’s inspiration: This 1924 George Gershwin composition would almost certainly have been played on the late 19th century Steinway piano in this ballroom where the Andersons entertained Washington’s political and social elite. Our floral Rhapsody highlights flowers from the countries where Larz Anderson held diplomatic posts—Italy, England, Belgium and Japan. We also include flowers from South America echoing the exotic travel memories Isabel wrote about in her book “Circling South America.” Roses, orchids, chrysanthemums, protea, St. John’s Wort and dahlias and abundant greenery create a dramatic homage to a world of service and joy.
Recipe: Roses, Orchids, Chrysanthemums, Protea, St. John’s Wort, Dahlia, greenery
THE DESIGNER
Sally Simms and Jill Deterding Young
Perennial Garden Club, Garden Club of America
The Perennial Garden Club of Washington, DC was founded in 1950 and admitted to the Garden Club of America in 1960. A devotion to the art and beauty of flowers and a dedication to horticulture, conservation and preservation have inspired an ongoing commonality of purpose. Perennial members work together to have an impact on their city. The Perennial Garden Club has been involved in landscaping projects large and small over the last 74 years, including Decatur House, a National Trust property, the entrance garden of Blair House, and the restoration of the gardens at the historic Woodrow Wilson House. Other projects have included the therapeutic gardens at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, nine Habitat for Humanity gardens, and installing plants along the banks of the Anacostia River, adding oxygen to the waters and a habitat for fish and birds. In 2012, PGC was awarded GCA’s Founders Fund Award for “Growing Minds and Spirits”, an urban educational landscape project at the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys (BWS) located in a chronically underserved area east of the Anacostia River. In 2020, working with the Georgetown Garden Club, they published “Going Native”, a booklet to encourage people to add native plants to their gardens to attract pollinators and reduce the need for fertilizers and extra watering. In 2022, they published the Olmsted Island Initiative, a folio of all the native plants on the Olmsted Island in Great Falls National Park. Currently, PGC's local work includes partnering with McLean Trees Foundation to remove invasives and save trees in Lewinsville Park, and annual grants to local nonprofits, including the Washington Youth Garden and The C&O Canal Trust. Our members are a mix of ages and experience and love being involved in the community and getting our hands dirty.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
Anna Schmidt Photography
An internationally-recognized wedding photographer known for capturing the vibrant spirit of extraordinary celebrations and multi-day fusion weddings, Anna Schmidt creates dynamic and enduring images of uncompromising quality and classic style. Each love story and event is unique, deeply rooted in culture, ritual, history, and identity.
With a genuine interest in people and an intimate approach, Anna provides artistic vision with a tailored, stress-free experience that allows her couples to feel at ease and fully enjoy every moment of their weekend festivities. She focuses on photographing expertly designed and coordinated luxury and ultra-luxury weddings for a diverse set of clientele and accepts only a select number of clients annually to provide exceptional service.
Anna proudly serves couples of all races and cultural backgrounds, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identities. And although her influence draws from fine art, fashion, cinema, and destinations across the globe, her most significant source of inspiration will always be the people she has the pleasure of photographing and the stories that become their legacies.
