BSLA Fieldbook BSLA 2015 Spring Fieldbook | Page 79

applying sound design and how to achieve
practical contextual solutions. While
the director and I often had different
objectives, and sometimes there
was a serious compromise of time
and content for the landscape
part of the projects, I was
constantly in awe of the way
the show was produced and
directed, and the raw tangibility
of it all.
Some of the taping experiences
were truly frustrating, as the routine
was to do a continuous run for a segment,
without any cutting and pasting—thus
there were often many retakes, as there
might be a blip at the end that would make
it necessary to do it all over again, or a
technical error, or it could be better, and the
director insisted it be done in exactly the
same dialogue and motions as before—so the
pressure was intense. And there were often
time constraints where we were squeezed
to several minute segments when they
deserved much more—I recall where we did
no less than 12 takes in the rain in France
at Monet’s Garden at his house at Giverny
in the early summer, and then later in the
day we did a complex shoot in the lily pond
garden for about 15 minutes in just one take.
That same year the MFA had a winter
blockbuster exhibition show of Monet’s
series paintings, and I was invited to give
a presentation of my experience in the
garden. My wife surprised me with a
trip to Giverny in the fall so I only had to
borrow slides of spring from a friend. I
prepared a handout with measured sketches
of most of the garden trelliage, arbors,
fences, and other armatures for supporting
plants— fascinating structures fabricated
from simple standard steel angles and
straps— and also a sketch of the celebrated
turquoise foot bridge in the lily garden. The
presentation was taken to several other
museums in New England.

I have subsequently have done several Ask
This Old House shows and we did a
2008 show in Weston for a home
in a wetland, where we were
able to introduce rainwater
collection systems (cistern,
rain garden, and rain
barrels), porous pavements,
and all native masonry and
planting materials.
The plan was to give Wes
Wirth, my son , a handoff
baton to the next generation. The
segment was supposed to happen on
air, however the day got longer, I got soaked,
and I had to leave for Maine, so Wes did the
presentation solo. There was so much content
remaining to cover for the house that the followup landscape segments were sorely compromised,
and that was disappointing since I thought it
was one of the best of all our projects . Our office
operates today with Wesley Wirth, my son, as a
primary principal. He is also rigorously turning
the “barn” property into a permaculture model,
and been promoting impressive large scale
environmental message sculpture. I now live and
work in Maine, but visit Sherborn frequently
working on MA projects while restoring an
historic stone schoolhouse that is almost
completed after many years of hand crafting
the interior. We created a small subdivision
of six incredible neighboring lots that can be
seen on stonehousehill.com. Three remain for
discerning landscape architects and friends, and
we welcome visitors.
The experience with WGBH was one that was
meaningful and fulfilling personally, and for
our business, and hopefully served our LA
profession as well.

Started Out Born and raised in Pennsylvania
Education BS, Rutgers University; MLA, University of Michigan
Now Thomas Wirth Associates, Inc. MA and ME
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook

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