UK Landscape Architect Alistair Baldwin returns to NH

Landscape Architect Alistair Baldwin

Special to the News

The Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation will host celebrated UK landscape architect Alistair Baldwin for a public presentation on Friday, April 24, at 3 p.m. at the Working Men’s Institute.

Baldwin will present the finalized design for the George & Peggy Rapp Memorial Garden, located on the grounds of The Poet’s House. The project is designed as a permanent civic landscape to support the Foundation’s residency programming, public lectures, and community events.

The Rapp Memorial Garden stands as a tribute to the lifelong devotion of Dr. George and Peggy Rapp to New Harmony. This garden will honor the enduring legacy of Rapp’s, who revitalized New Harmony as a premier national arts destination. Together, they established the Hoosier Salon gallery and co-founded the “First Brush of Spring.” A charter member of the New Harmony Garden Club, Peggy’s passion for beauty and their shared devotion to this community continue to bloom in every corner of the town.

This marks Baldwin’s second visit to New Harmony. In March 2024, he and his team conducted a town-wide study—supported by the Efroymson Family Fund, One New Harmony, and the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation—that produced conceptual drawings for various public and private spaces throughout the community. While the initial study was broad in scope, the Foundation is now moving forward to bring Baldwin’s specific vision for the Poet’s House Garden to life.

A Global Perspective on Local Heritage Alistair Baldwin’s design sensibility was shaped by a childhood spent in great cities like Damascus, Beirut, Bilbao, Seville, and Rome. These experiences give him an indelible appreciation for how trees and plants can define a place through their colors, textures, and scents.

After completing degrees in landscape architecture in Leeds, Baldwin spent thirteen years teaching the subject before moving to a design firm in Yorkshire. There, he spearheaded high-profile projects for Lord Rothschild and the Royal Parks. In 2012, he opened his own practice, AWB Associates, specializing in the design of timeless, elegant gardens rooted in their place.

His work is frequently featured in international publications such as Gardens Illustrated, and he is a multi-time medalist at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where he notably won the People’s Choice Award for Best Artisan Garden. His approach to the Poet’s House Garden combines well-crafted details and planting schemes designed to weather transient fashions and improve with age.

Event Details:

• What: Presentation by Alistair Baldwin: The George & Peggy Rapp Memorial Garden.

• When: Friday, April 24, 2026, at 3 p.m.

• Where: Working Men’s Institute, 407 W. Tavern Street, New Harmony, IN.

• Admission: Free and open to the public.

This presentation is supported by the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation. For more information, please visit robertleeblafferfoundation.org.