THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GARDENS ASSOCIATION Vol 24, No 4 • 2009

The New Native Plant Garden

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 1 PublicGarden Editor Madeline Quigley American Public Gardens Association (APGA)

Editorial Advisory Board Karl Lauby, Chair, The New York Botanical Garden Nancy Chambers Glass Garden, Rusk Institute Linda Eirhart Winterthur Museum & Country Estate Susan T. Greenstein Growing Minds Consulting James P. Folsom Huntington Botanical Gardens Virginia Hayes Ganna Walska Lotusland Thomas Hecker EcoBotanic Designs Sarah King Botanical Garden of the Ozarks Carol Line Fernwood Sharon Loving Longwood Gardens Janet Marinelli Blue Crocus Publishing + Interpretation David Michener University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum Donald A. Rakow Cornell Plantations Lisa Wagner South Carolina Botanical Garden

Guest Editor Janet Marinelli Blue Crocus Publishing + Interpretation

APGA Board of Directors

PRESIDENT Nicola Ripley Betty Ford Alpine Gardens

VICEPRESIDENT Paul B. Redman Longwood Gardens

PAST PRESIDENT Christopher P. Dunn Harold L. Lyon Arboretum

TREASURER Bill LeFevre Sarah P. Duke Gardens

SECRETARY Barbara W. Faust Smithsonian Institution

DIRECTORS AT LARGE Patrick Larkin Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Caroline Lewis Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Luke Messinger The Dawes Arboretum Wilf Nicholls MUN Botanical Garden David M. Price Bok Tower Gardens Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd Rain Bird Corporation Kenneth J. Shutz Desert Botanical Garden

American Public Gardens Association 351 Longwood Road Kennett Square, PA 19348 610.708.3011, Fax: 610.444.3594 www.publicgardens.org

2 | PUBLIC GARDEN PublicGarden

contentsTHE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GARDENS ASSOCIATION | VOL. 24, NO. 4 • 2009

NATIVE PLANTS IN THE GARDEN 26 5 About This Issue 15 The Santa Barbara Botanic Native Gardens: They’re Not Just Garden Native Plant Japanese DEPARTMENTS Naturalistic Anymore Tea Garden Janet Marinelli Andrew Wyatt 25 Viewpoint Set against a backdrop of California native plants, a Celebrating the Native Plant Diversity 7 The Myth of the Messy, tea garden, complete with an historic Japanese tea That Surrounds Us house, makes cross-cultural connections, while Weak Native Plant Rick Lewandowski promoting the use of natives in diverse landscapes. An examination of the important role public gardens Steve Windhager, PhD play in interpreting native plant diversity and its Encouraging others to embrace these long relationship to global conservation efforts. misunderstood members of the plant world, the 17 Ideas, Design, and Native Plants Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center uses native A. Scott LaFleur plants to complement all types of garden design. Garden in the Woods, a seventy-five-year-old native 26 NAPCC Collection Profile botanic garden in Massachusetts, has a new Idea A Little Piece of China – Ex Situ Style Garden, whose ideas and concepts are being embraced 10 Creating a Native Plant Michael Ecker by garden visitors. Container Garden This year a genetic collection of 320 dawn-redwood Shawn Overstreet (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) at The Dawes Displaying plants that are most successful in the home 19 The Children’s Garden at Arboretum was granted member status by the NAPCC. landscape, the container garden “rooms” of the the Lady Bird Johnson Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden seek to delight, Wildflower Center 28 Colors of Success: Paradise educate, and inspire visitors. Andrea DeLong-Amaya Found: A stunning new interactive children’s garden will A New Tropical Garden Naples 12 Native Plant Gardens at incorporate native plants and connect visitors of all Botanical Garden Shaw Nature Reserve ages with the natural heritage of Texas. Vivienne Dobbs Kara Roggenkamp and Scott Woodbury In November 2009, fifteen years after the first “seeds” Displaying more than eight hundred Missouri native 22 A New Native Plant Garden at for a botanical garden were planted in Naples, Florida, plant species, this renowned twenty-five-hundred-acre The New York Botanical Garden a 170-acre mosaic of new gardens and natural areas reserve shares its rich experiences in managing natural opened to the public. Naples Botanical Garden and restored landscapes and plant collections. Todd Forrest The recent surge of interest in the environment and directors, past and present, share their road to success. sustainability has created the perfect opportunity to create a new kind of native plant garden. 30 Technology Finding New Ways to Reach New Audiences in a Shifting Media Climate 12 Penn French With a burgeoning attendance of nearly eight hundred thousand visitors a year, The Morton Arboretum takes a highly strategic marketing approach, reaching new audiences by making old media work better and shifting resources to new digital media.

32 Advertisers Index 2009 Index is available at 7 22 www.publicgardens.org.

Cover: The new Native Plant Garden at NYBG will feature rare and unusual taxa, including Helonias bullata.

Volume 24, Number 4, 2009. Public Garden (ISSN 0885-3894) is published quarterly by the American Public Gardens Association (APGA), 351 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348. ©2009, American Public Gardens Association. All rights reserved. Public Garden is indexed in The Bibliography of Agriculture. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of APGA. Public Garden welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited material. APGA The American Public Gardens Association serves North American public gardens and horticultural organizations by promoting professional development through its publications and meetings; advocating the interests of public gardens in political, corporate, foundation, and community arenas; and encouraging gardens to adhere to professional standards in their programs and operations. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription is automatic for APGA members. For membership rates, call 610-708-3014. Non-member subscriptions are $40 a year. Residents of Canada and other countries, add $10. CHANGE OF ADDRESS Send new address, zip code, moving date, and old address label to APGA, 351 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348. ADVERTISERS For information about advertising, contact Madeline Quigley, Director of Marketing, APGA, 610-708-3011 or [email protected].

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 3 4 | PUBLIC GARDEN ABOUTTHISISSUE

Native Gardens: They’re Not Just Naturalistic Anymore JANET MARINELLI

ow do you create a native plant the way to make a native garden more garden that even neatniks can appealing to the typical homeowner is to Hlove? For public gardens, this has “frame” it with more familiar landscape been a vexing question. elements. Mown edges, massed plantings, The native plant gardens at public and the like help people feel at home with gardens have typically been samples of one native plants. or more native plant communities re- As a result, more formal native created mostly for the purposes of science gardens are appearing at public gardens education. Even if they were created across the country. A number of intentionally as “gardens,”they’ve almost spectacular examples are profiled in this always been naturalistic in design. To the issue. The Idea Garden at Garden in the general public, these naturalistic gardens Woods is centered around a Carex often seem “messy,”so it’s been difficult for pennsylvanica “lawn” and includes a stone most visitors to understand how native patio, cobblestone edging, and even plants can be used to create the kind of pitcher plants in hanging baskets. The manicured and traditional-looking Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw landscape that is the norm in their Nature Reserve, the sister institution of neighborhoods. Missouri Botanical Garden, incorporates For horticulturists and designers architectural elements such as gazebos scratching their heads over how to create and other small garden structures, tidy native gardens that visitors want to run paths, and maintained edges, making it home and replicate, the work of clear to the public that this is a designed researchers such as Joan Nassauer at the landscape, different from the natural University of Michigan, who focuses on the landscapes beyond. relationship between human preferences, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s particularly aesthetic preferences, and Japanese Tea Garden, which was created environmental health, has proved using California native plants, serves two invaluable. Nassauer has demonstrated that integral parts of the Garden’s mission:

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 5 ABOUTTHISISSUE

promoting the use of native plants in a variety of landscape styles, and providing a connection to culturally diverse communities. Rancho Santa Ana’s California Native Plant Container Garden, which opened to the public in 2006 and currently consists of sixty-six taxa in fifty- nine containers in several outdoor “rooms” occupying a quarter acre, is one of the botanic garden’s most popular attractions. of many styles. Using large swathes of a books on sustainable landscape design. Of In late 2011 or early 2012, the Lady Bird single species can actually make it easier for her book, Stalking the Wild Amaranth: Johnson Wildflower Center will open a new pollinators to find the plants. In short, the Gardening in the Age of Extinction, children’s garden that invites adventure and new native gardens are a boon to people Horticulture magazine wrote, “Not since playful exploration in more than four acres and wildlife alike. Voltaire has anyone so eloquently pro- of artfully arranged native plants. A three- claimed the wisdom and necessity of culti- and-a-half-acre garden showcasing the Janet Marinelli is the principal of Blue vating our own gardens.” Janet has won beauty and diversity of native plants and Crocus Consulting, which helps public gar- numerous awards, including an American contemporary design will open at The New dens find lively new ways to engage visitors Gardener award from the American York Botanical Garden in 2012. in conversations about sustainability Horticultural Society for making “a signifi- Steve Windhager, the Wildflower through interpretation, publications, and cant contribution to horticulture.” You can Center’s director of landscape restoration, program planning. The former director of reach her at [email protected]. points to studies showing it’s possible to publishing at Brooklyn Botanic Garden for have high-quality wildlife habitat in gardens sixteen years, she is the author of several

6 | PUBLIC GARDEN The Myth of the Messy, Weak Native Plant

Sculptures of spiders an giant pollen grains bring a sense of whimsy to the garden areas at the Mueller redevelopment.

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Masses of native plants such as this red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) make a dramatic statement at the Mueller redevelopment.

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The Myth of the Messy, Weak Native Plant STEVE WINDHAGER, PHD

eaded into work several years they were familiar with, they could not have remained a niche market, with ago, I found myself following a recognize spaces with a naturalistic minimal expansion into the general Hgroup of visiting members from design style as anything other than wild. horticultural trade. the Houston Garden Club into the Lady Over the years I have thought a lot The bias against native plants extends to Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. As they about that experience and how we native claims about performance, weed resistance, passed along the front entry walk and plant enthusiasts try to promote native and hardiness that are not based on reality, into the courtyard, I heard many plant use in horticulture. By and large, but instead on the history of how we have exclamations over the architecture, the because many of us come to our love of used these species. Much native plant use beauty of the Center, and interest in native plants from a passion for wild has focused on long-lived perennial species specific plant species. I continued spaces, our garden designs tend to of native grasses that are often quite slow to following the group to better understand resemble nature. Many wonderful botanic establish. Therefore, many assume that all how they experienced the Center’s native gardens around North America have done native plants are slow to establish. Similarly, plant gardens. We passed the Hill the same, developing prairie, woodland, because plantings of some species are easily Country Stream, a meadow, then a small and wetland gardens while continuing to invaded by non-native weeds, many assume woodland garden, and finally entered rely on plants from other parts of the that all native plants are uncompetitive into our demonstration gardens when I world for more formal gardens. In this way, weaklings, ill-suited to harsh environments. heard the visitors remark, “Oh, HERE are I believe we native plant enthusiasts have Our research on roadsides calls both of the gardens.” In my mind, they had spent been our own worst enemies. This these myths into question. the last fifteen minutes walking through naturalistic style has become so associated When we asked our Department of gardened spaces. But these spaces, at least with native plants that many people feel Transportation why they used non-native to this audience, were not perceived as natives will not work in other design styles, plants to revegetate the roadsides, they told being part of a horticultural landscape. I as if the plants that come from the local us that the native plants grew too slowly. believe that most appreciated the beauty environment are less appropriate to a more We took this as a challenge and compared of what they had seen, but because the formal style than those from southeastern their standard revegetation seed mix to a style of gardening was so unlike what Asia. Partly because of that, native plants mixture of native grass species that were all

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 7 Native prairie plants form a more organized The Myth of the Messy, Weak Native Plant sensory garden as part of the public park at the Mueller redevelopment, designed in partnership with RVi Planning + Landscape Architecture.

PHOTOCOURTESYOFMARKAUSTIN commercially available and to another mix that included commercially available species as well as a number of native grasses not yet commercially available. The commercially available native seed mix had 150 percent greater vegetative cover than the standard mix at thirty, sixty, and ninety days. The native mix that included species not yet commercially available had 450 percent greater vegetative cover. Clearly, if you use the right native species, you can get quick cover. native plants remain in the minority have to look like habitat. Douglas Tallamy Similarly, when the Texas bluebonnet because they are still perceived to be from the University of Delaware has shown (Lupinus texensis) was being overrun by a “messy.”Although visitors often leave the that native plants used in a typical non-native mustard (Rapistrum rugosum) Wildflower Center with the impression suburban landscape have greater wildlife on our roadsides, we tested whether that it is a beautiful place, too many think use—by both insect and bird species— competition could do what herbicide that the beauty, and the native plants that than do similar landscapes composed of could not. While herbicides were effective made it beautiful, would be inappropriate non-native plants. at controlling Rapistrum in the short term, in their home landscape because of the Recently we worked on a prairie the native wildflowers were also affected. naturalistic design style. restoration project as part of the Also, the non-native mustard can quickly But this assumption that native plants redevelopment of a former airport in become herbicide resistant, requiring can only be used in naturalistic designs is Austin, and the homeowners became so frequent shifts in chemical use to control utterly false, as the native gardens profiled excited about it that they wanted to use it. We noticed that where the native in this issue attest. Our own Homeowner these same native species in their wildflower Indian blanket (Gaillardia Inspiration Gardens incorporate a classic landscapes. We showed them how to do pulchella) occurred, there was no problem formal garden and a traditional residential this in a way that would fit in with the with the non-native mustard, and there yard using Texas natives, and we are in the suburban character of the development. In continued to be good populations of process of redeveloping and adding new parkland areas we created large swaths of bluebonnets. We over-seeded areas with gardens featuring a variety of design styles. single species displays, so that each species high populations of the mustard with And studies have shown that you can made a more powerful statement, but the Indian blanket and were able to reduce have high-quality wildlife habitat in garden as a whole still contained over mustard plant biomass and seed set gardens of many different styles. It doesn’t thirty species. Using large swaths of a without adversely affecting native species. We also looked at native plants in another challenging environment: green roofs with only four inches of growing 100 media. While many green roofs feature TxDOT mix A. Spring Sowing non-native sedum species, we wanted to Commercial mix )

try native plants in this difficult 2 80 Non-commercial mix a environment. Our initial efforts failed because we selected the wrong type of plants. Since we wanted plants that could 60 a endure the hot and dry periods on green roofs, we initially had selected extremely drought-tolerant plants, and with the first 40 a rainfall and the development of prolonged b b saturated soil conditions, many species b rotted out. When we tried this again, we 20 Total seedlings density (m b put native species from ephemeral creek b b environments (of which there are a lot in Texas), and we had high levels of success. 0 And yet despite the statistics, despite 21 30 60 what I feel is rather compelling evidence, Native grass seedlings density was significantly greater than the standard non-native seed mix typically used by Texas Department of Transportation. 8 | PUBLIC GARDEN single species in this way actually makes it gardens regardless of design style. And easier for pollinators to find the plants. they provide conservation-friendly beauty These plants are also still building soil, and a regional sense of place without sequestering carbon, and often providing contributing to invasive species problems. habitat or food sources for a wide range of wildlife. The homeowners’ association Steve Windhager is the director of landscape loved it, and now it is pretty common to restoration and the Sustainable Sites see a variety of native plants arranged in Initiative at the Lady Bird Johnson formal beds in the front yards of many of Wildflower Center, an organized research the homes. While one yard might only unit of The University of Texas at Austin. You include four or five species, this multiplied can contact him at [email protected]. on the scale of a residential block can result in much higher levels of diversity. The individual homeowner gardens are part of the larger prairie restoration References project because their plants are exchanging i Tinsley, J., M.T. Simmons, and S. Windhager. pollen, providing nectar sources, and 2006. The establishment success of native ver- generally expanding the populations of the sus non-native seed mixes on a revegetated prairie species. roadside in Central Texas. Ecological These examples and the others in this Engineering. 26(3):231-40. ii issue of Public Garden make the case that Simmons M. T. 2005. Bullying the bullies: The selective control of an exotic, invasive, annual native plants complement any type of (Rapistrum rugosum) by over-sowing with a garden design. The challenge for us as competitive native species (Gaillardia horticulturists and designers is to break pulchella). Restoration Ecology. 13(4):609-15. free of the traditional myths surrounding iii Simmons, M.T., B. Gardiner, S. Windhager, native plants and to use them in novel and and M.J. Tinsley. 2008. Green roofs are not cre- ated equal: the hydrologic and thermal exciting ways in our gardens, so that we performance of six different extensive green can inspire others to do the same. roofs and reflective and non-reflective roofs Gardening is still an activity primarily in a sub tropical climate. Urban Ecosystems. 11(4):339-48. inspired by beauty, and the public garden iv Tallamy, D. W. 2007. Bringing Nature Home: community can lead the way in showing How you can sustain wildlife with native plants. how native plants can make beautiful Portland, Oregon: Timber Press.

Green roof research at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

14000

12000

10000

8000

6000

4000 Proportional Growth Index (%) 2000 All F=2.62; P=0.086 Graminoid F=5.67, P=0.007 A Shrub F=1.37; P=0.301 B C Succulent F=0.95; P=0.481 D E Forb F=5.43, P=0.008 F

Native grasses in particular showed much higher grow rates than succulents on all green roof platforms tested. 2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 9 Creating a Native Plant Container Garden

Creating a Native Plant Container Garden

SHAWN OVERSTREET

ine years ago, Rancho Santa Ana idea, combined with RSABG’s explicit permanent arrangements of gnarled grape Botanic Garden (RSABG) was mission to promote California native trunks that now welcome visitors. An Nfaced with the renovation of a plants, led naturally to the concept of a unintended consequence of the smaller, dated home demonstration garden. native plant container garden. The open more formal design dictated by the use of Seizing this opportunity, the Garden space of a container garden would also containers is that the garden has become a chose to reinvent the space as the nicely accommodate its continued use as a welcome counterpoint to the larger California Native Plant Container facility to host special events. Other factors naturalistic plantings that predominate Garden. Since opening to the public in also played a role. For some time RSABG elsewhere at the Botanic Garden. 2006, it has been both a horticultural had been looking for a place to display success and a hit with the public. plants that were otherwise too small, too A Hit at Mother’s Day rare, or too delicate to be planted out on In its new incarnation as the California the grounds amongst the rest of the living The Challenge Native Plant Container Garden, this collection. It was also a goal to have an location continues to be the most popular Built in the early 1960s, RSABG’s area to showcase the research being done of four facility rental venues. Ann Joslin, original Home Demonstration Garden was by the faculty and their doctoral students former director of visitor services and meant to showcase how California native in the Research Department. A container community relations, attributes this to the plants could be used in common home garden suited all of these purposes distinct design that makes it a natural focal landscape situations. Wood fencing was perfectly. Finally, RSABG wanted to point, easy accessibility for the mobility- used extensively to simulate exterior broaden the audience of people to whom impaired, built-in shade (no small residence walls along with shade cloth to growing native plants might appeal. It was consideration in Southern California), and create various levels of light intensity. felt that container plants would appeal to design features specifically for rental use Forty years of exposure to the elements seniors and those living in apartments and such as a screened catering truck parking had led to significant deterioration of these condominiums who may have previously and turnaround area. Seating up to one structures. Brick pavers had become dismissed native plants as inappropriate hundred people, the garden is used for uneven and needed to be reset. In for their situations. weddings, memorial services, luncheons, addition, the clay soil was infested with art exhibits, and occasionally concerts. Its fungal pathogens and few plants survived biggest day of the year is undoubtedly more than a few years before having to be The Garden Today Mother’s Day—the annual Mother’s Day replaced. Despite these facts, the Home Occupying approximately a quarter of Brunch has become so popular that it has Demonstration Garden remained an acre, the Container Garden currently necessitated a second seating to RSABG’s most popular rental facility for consists of sixty-six taxa in fifty-nine accommodate the demand. special events and weddings. Any changes containers. Container shapes vary to it would need to accommodate its considerably, but average around fifteen continued use in that capacity. gallons in size. The garden’s bold structural Educational Role design elements and proximity to a major The Container Garden presents an pathway combine to make it one of the obvious opportunity to educate visitors The Solution most popular destinations for visitors. It about how to grow native plants in pots. The dominant consideration in consists of several “rooms” that create a RSABG offers the community regular renovating the area was the infested soil. feeling of intimacy while still leaving much classes on native plant container gardening The staff was fed up with the constant of the footprint available for table or chair as well as a special class on making your replanting, and “pave it over or use pots” setup for special occasions. The space own “hypertufa” trough containers out of had become a popular sentiment. This inspired a local floral designer to create two perlite, peat moss, and cement. Every

10 | PUBLIC GARDEN (Far Left) The dramatic architec- ture of the Container Garden inspired the striking arrangement of gnarled grape trunks.

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(Left) Local school children explore the Container Garden while on a class trip to RSABG.

PHOTOCOURTESYOF KRISTA VON STETTEN

weekend, volunteer docents staff a too. Populated by fewer plants than other “Discovery Cart” stocked with pots, areas, the Container Garden looks low- potting materials, and plants. They maintenance, but because every plant has demonstrate container gardening very high visibility, it actually ranks among techniques, recommend suitable plants, the areas requiring the highest levels of and answer questions. At other times two horticultural care. It also requires staff with potting benches with interpretive signage specialized skills. Those considering remain on display to explain the building a container garden should be sure techniques for successful container culture to budget with this in mind.” of natives. In addition, the Container Thoughtful consideration should also Garden presents an opportunity to display be given to the amount of hardscape that exhibits focusing on other aspects of the often accompanies a container garden. institution. For example, plants from Hardscape increases reflected light and Early morning sun casts shadows on a boojum tree, two saguaro cacti, and aging Dudleya inflorescences. actual research projects are utilized in a heat and can increase shade requirements rotating exhibit to showcase current in hot climates. This extra shade is also PHOTOCOURTESYOFSHAWNOVERSTREET scientific work being done at RSABG. necessary because the use of containers Another display highlights participation in makes the plant roots much more sensitive Envisioned as a creative way to the Center for Plant Conservation’s to temperature extremes. renovate an outdated part of the garden, National Collection of Endangered Plants. Located in sunny Southern California, the California Native Plant Container plants in the Container Garden need 30 to Garden has become much more. Its Advice for Other Gardens 50 percent more shade than they normally outdoor “rooms” serve as an informal “Growing native plants in containers is would if planted in the ground due to exhibit space for both displays and plants really no different from growing other the extensive use of concrete, bricks, steel, of special merit. Its striking architecture plants in containers—the same rules apply. and wood. and accessibility make it a natural location The best plants for containers are those Using a container garden for classes for setting up an informal learning station. with slow growth habits and good and special occasions can be enhanced by And by functioning as a rental facility architectural form. Fast-growing plants are wise decisions made in the design phase. venue, it serves as the first introduction to less desirable because they require more Lorrae Fuentes, director of education, the Botanic Garden for many who would grooming, fertilization, and watering to advises making sure there are restrooms never otherwise visit. Its smaller, keep them looking good,”says Susan Jett, near any area to be used for classes. In residential scale offers these first-time director of horticulture. Jett advises addition, she advises that there should be visitors and all others a vision of native choosing low-maintenance proven easy-to-set-up seating, a sink with running plants that feels very familiar and performers for most pots.“The real focus water, a convenient demonstration area, comfortable. In so doing, it broadens the of our Container Garden is to inspire our storage for chairs and supplies, and good audience for native plants in general and visitors to consider using native plants in pathway and overhead lighting for night- lowers the psychological barriers to the use smaller residential situations,”she says. time events. Fuentes also cautions that it is of natives in the home landscape. “Therefore, we try to display plants that necessary to maintain good interdepartmental communications to will be most successful in the home Shawn Overstreet ([email protected]) is prevent scheduling conflicts that may arise landscape, rather than showcasing plants the plant records manager at Rancho Santa between facility rental, classroom use, and with more demanding horticultural needs. Ana Botanic Garden. This reduces the labor required on our end, horticultural maintenance.

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 11 Native Plant Gardens at Shaw Nature Reserve

Native Plant Gardens at Shaw Nature Reserve KARA ROGGENKAMP AND SCOTT WOODBURY (Top Left) An accessible concrete path winds through wild sweet william (Phlox divaricata) haw Nature Reserve, a sister During the master planning process it and blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia verna), and institution of the Missouri became apparent that the Reserve’s flowering trees in the upper woodland. Botanical Garden, has twenty-five strength was its beautiful natural areas, but S (Top Right) A copper-roofed garden structure hundred acres of natural and restored its expansiveness made it difficult for provides a focal point and place to sit in landscapes and managed plant visitors, particularly those with limited the upper woodland. collections. At the heart of the Reserve, time or mobility, to experience it fully. A the Whitmire Wildflower Garden offers key recommendation of the Master Plan support of the Whitmires, the Whitmire approximately twenty-five acres of was to develop a core area where visitors Wildflower Garden opened in 1993 and interpreted gardens and landscapes, could be introduced to the variety of the has been growing ever since. including five plant community areas Reserve’s natural beauty, even if they were (woodland, wetland, glade, savanna, and not able to explore the full acreage. prairie) and a home gardening area. Over While the Master Plan was in progress, Design of the Wildflower Garden eight hundred Missouri native plant Director John Behrer was approached by A visit to the Whitmire Garden begins species are on display. Blanton Whitmire, the founder of at the Joseph H. Bascom House, a historic Whitmire Research Laboratories, about brick mansion surrounded by a gently potentially funding a wildflower garden in sloping pastoral landscape of huge oak History of Shaw Nature the core area as a birthday present for his trees and lawns. Working with Reserve Reserve and the Whitmire wife Peg. As discussions with Mr. staff, MTR designed the garden to place Wildflower Garden Whitmire and Reserve staff continued, the more intensive garden areas closest to Shaw Nature Reserve was founded by the concept for the Garden eventually the house. Visitors follow an ADA- the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1925. In expanded to include small-scale accessible pathway into the home its early years, the Reserve was viewed recreations of natural environments from gardening demonstration area, which primarily as a botanical research and all over Missouri, as well as a home includes a native groundcover walk, rain environmental education facility. In the gardening area using native plants in garden, perennial border, patio garden, late 1980s the Reserve decided to various settings. The proposed garden prairie garden, water garden, and commission MTR Landscape Architects to would open new avenues for the Reserve’s woodland garden. assist with developing a Master Plan for educational and interpretive programs. Architectural elements such as small the property. With the enthusiastic and generous garden structures, sculptures, wide tidy

12 | PUBLIC GARDEN paths, and neatly maintained edges indicate seen from one spot, and focal points such edge of a brick terrace. that this is a designed landscape. In the as architectural features, masses of bloom, Most of the plants are available in the upper woodland, an elegant copper-roofed or particularly fine specimen plants draw trade, although some are new plants being gazebo nestles among towering oak trees, you through the landscape. evaluated. One of the most common providing a focal point ahead as visitors The goal of the Whitmire Garden’s misconceptions about native plants is that wind through swaths of blooming planting design is to show a wide variety of they require less maintenance than exotic wildflowers. In another area, a low native plants to present them in a way that ornamentals. Although they may require retaining wall of natural stones along the is appealing to gardeners. These goals can less water, fertilizer and pesticide, in most path’s edge defines a raised bed of sun- be at odds, since one of the easiest ways to cases native gardens still need periodic loving perennials. The exuberance of the make a landscape appear more formal is to upkeep such as mulching, weeding, and miniature prairie garden is held in check by limit the number of different plants on pruning. For this reason, the Reserve sees a rustic fence and a border of low-growing display. One of the key domesticating great promise in one of its newest prairie dropseed grass. These kinds of factors in the planting design is to group demonstration gardens, the native elements serve as what landscape architect plants of the same species together, at groundcover display. This garden and researcher Joan Nassauer has termed times in solid blocks and at other times showcases many species of native “cues to care” that set designed landscapes slightly interwoven with the adjacent alumroots, anemones, and sedges, to apart from wild ones for many people. group. Contrasting textures enliven the name just a few. Each is selected for four- The overall goal of the design is to have planting, with combinations such as the season interest and requires very little the visitor’s eye move purposefully as he coarse-textured prickly pear cactus upkeep yet still has a neat and tidy explores the scene, and to give the sense (Opuntia humifusa) next to fine-textured appearance. Several of the species in this that there is more to see just around the plants such as prairie dropseed (Sporobolus garden are new to horticulture. next bend. The whole garden cannot be heterolepsis). When plantings are more mixed, such as in the woodland garden where seedlings are encouraged to Spreading the Word (Bottom Left) A rustic gazebo overlooks the disperse, frequent repetition of a few Nearly twenty years after the first woodland pond in the Whitmire Garden, with plants with particularly showy blooms, plantings were installed, the Whitmire native hydrangea in the foreground. such as Phlox divaricata and P. paniculata, Wildflower Garden has become the unifies the design. Plants are also displayed outdoor classroom and inspiration for a (Bottom Right) Missouri evening primrose, rose host of native gardening programs and verbena, and prickly pear cactus are three in familiar residential settings, as in the groundcovers in the home landscaping patio garden, where natives are used in partnerships, both for home gardeners and demonstration. containers and as mass plantings along the green professionals.

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 13 Native Plant Gardens at Shaw Nature Reserve

Patio garden with shining bluestar (Amsonia illustris) and rose verbena (Verbena canadensis) and “wetland” containers filled with scouring rush and sedges. St. Louis Sewer District downtown St. Louis. Large plantings of (MSD) to develop prairie dropseed “lawn” are particularly regulations and required successful at both locations. plant lists for “green” The Garden is about to break ground stormwater best on a retrofit of its existing parking lots that management practices will include porous paving and a such as bioretention. As bioretention area, meeting MSD these requirements have landscaping requirements for native plants. become more widely The planting design makes use of grassy- implemented, the region textured plants such as Carex spp., Juncus has seen a rise in the spp., and Iris fulva to give it a neat and demand for certain native unified look. The Garden is developing plants. On one occasion programming for visitors using the parking the Reserve even let a local lot landscape as a demonstration area. grower divide the plants in Shaw Nature Reserve’s greatest influence their patch of copper iris in on the use of native plants in the St. Louis order to get enough plants area may turn out to be through its work for a stormwater project with MSD on developing regulatory installation. requirements for stormwater management facilities, which came about as a result of For the past three years, the Reserve long-term use of Missouri native plants at has held the Native Plant School, a series of Looking to the Future the Whitmire Garden. These requirements intensive workshops with separate What can other public gardens learn are generating demand for native plants. offerings for homeowners and from Shaw Nature Reserve’s experience The Reserve has seen an increased need for professionals. The homeowner series with native plant gardening displays and its expertise and growing attendance at the brings participants to the Whitmire programs? The Whitmire Wildflower Native Plant School. The growth of the Garden for three to nine hours of training Garden has successfully introduced home LEED green building certification, which on such topics as deer-resistant perennials, gardeners to native plants partly because it offers a credit for native landscaping, is also prairie and savanna establishment, and displays them in a wide variety of ways in a likely to drive up demand for native plant small flowering trees and shrubs. In relatively small area. Gardeners with sunny knowledge, particularly as it relates to addition, the Reserve’s web site has a host and shady spots, wet or dry soils, and corporate landscapes. of resources for gardeners seeking to use relaxed or formal aesthetic sensibilities Nearly twenty years after breaking native plants, from landscape maintenance alike will find something to which they can ground on the Whitmire Garden, Shaw guides to plant databases and lists of relate. The architectural elements and Nature Reserve is having a growing nursery sources for native plants. Many of purposeful plant groupings continually influence on the use of native plants in these efforts are funded through the engage the visitor’s interest, showing that local landscapes. Missouri Department of Conservation’s native plants can be used intentionally and Grow Native! program. not look like a garden gone wild. The Native Plant School: Professional Shaw Nature Reserve is not the only Kara A. Roggenkamp is an associate with Series is held at the corporate headquarters place that the Missouri Botanical Garden M·T·R Landscape Architects, a firm special- of Alberici Enterprises, a locally based has developed native plant gardens. MTR izing in botanical garden design. Her work construction company that developed a designed landscapes for the Garden’s at M·T·R includes developing sustainability relationship with the Reserve when they herbarium (now seeking LEED for strategies for parking lot renovations at the worked together on planning native Existing Buildings certification) and its Missouri Botanical Garden and at landscaping for Alberici’s LEED-Platinum Commerce Bank Education Building, both Fallingwater. Certified building. These workshops of which make significant use of native focus particularly on native plants for perennials, trees, and grasses (although Scott Woodbury is the curator of the commercial landscapes and for some non-natives were included). These Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw stormwater facilities. landscapes are more stylized and feature a Nature Reserve, where he has been develop- As the Wildflower Garden matures, the more restrained palette of plants, with ing the garden for eighteen years. He serves Reserve has moved into a phase of sharing greater use of mass plantings. The on the board of Wild Ones, a non-profit lessons learned with the larger region, landscapes are distinctive but are in organization dedicated to promoting native working extensively with the Metropolitan keeping with the corporate context of plant gardening.

14 | PUBLIC GARDEN Native Plant Japanese Tea Garden

Arctostaphylos glauca x glandulosa

Tea Ceremony

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Native Plant Japanese Tea Garden

ANDREW WYATT

ea gardens are created as an garden is to prepare the participants for was that the landscape would conform to integral part of the tea ceremony; a the tea ceremony by affecting their mood. traditional tea house landscaping Ttea house and its landscaping Tea gardens intentionally provide a guidelines, and the second was that it enhance and prepare participants for the minimum of external distraction, allowing would be created using California native ritual. The philosophical principles of the participants to focus on the intricate plants. A few Asian taxa such as the ginkgo tea ceremony become a guiding force in details of the ceremony itself. tree (Ginkgo biloba) and the dawn the development of the landscaping. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) Tea house landscapes are designed to lucky enough to have an original historic were introduced as representatives from invoke an atmosphere of peaceful solitude. Japanese tea house from the Urasenke California’s fossil flora. These plants They are simplistic in nature and rely on School of Design. It was shipped from provide opportunities for interpretation on shape and form rather than highly Japan in 1949 as a gift for a local family plant geography and patterns of floriferous displays to provide impact. after World War II. It was donated and extinction. The initial layout for the tea Although tea gardens are very deliberate moved to its current home at the Botanic house landscaping was designed by Grant landscapes, they are not typically created Garden in 2000. Castleberg, a local landscape architect. using highly sculptured or modified plant In order to effectively plan the As with all Japanese landscapes, tea forms as found in other Japanese landscaping for the tea house, we began gardens are intricately planned. The landscape styles. The purpose of the tea with two main guiding principals. The first shapes, colors, textures, and types of plants

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 15 Native Plant Japanese Tea Garden View over tsukubai

play a role in creating the desired mood glandulosa) and madrone (Arbutus and connection to the landscape. For menziesii). The attractive red brown bark example, we might limit the number of and natural growth patterns of both these plants with thorns or prickles because plants provide beautiful architectural value these plants bring an aspect of aggression to the landscape. An additional benefit is into the landscaping, spoiling the soothing that both require very little pruning to mood. Plants with strong pungent scents attain the desired effect. Little Sur can also affect the viewers by eliciting an coffeeberry (Rhamnus california ‘Little unwanted response. For these reasons Sur’) lends its lush foliage and mounding horticulturalists work closely with the tea growth patterns to the landscape while masters in developing the ongoing Walker Ridge grape (Vitus ‘Walker Ridge’) planting palette. softens the fencing and provides fall color. The tea house and landscape are Cupressus ‘Saligna Aurea’ provides a yellow- nestled against a backdrop of large natural green cascading growth pattern, softening sandstone boulders. Certain traditional one of the entrance gates to the garden. hardscape features such as a bowl or Ground cover in the outer garden consists Central to the Botanic Garden’s tsukubai were included in the design. The of iris Pacific Coast hybrids with focal mission is the promotion of native plant tsukubai is used for cleansing participants points of the silver-green California fescue use in the landscape. We believe it is before they take part in the ceremony. It (Festuca californica) and the low-growing important that native plants are not sits next to the tea house under a bamboo ground cover Tooch Martin manzanita considered exclusively for naturalistic stand pipe which is used to replenish the (Arctostaphylos ‘Tooch Martin’). landscapes. In order to create a wider water. The stepping stone paths leading up The inner garden and outer garden are appreciation for native plants we are using to the tea house slow progress, helping separated by a dry stream bed created them more often in a full spectrum of them to experience the landscape. In the using sandstone and gravel. The inner landscape styles, from the formal to the Botanic Garden tea house, these elements garden is accessed by a small stone bridge. wild. Chosen carefully, there are native are created from sandstone, the It is very simple, with lush green ground plants that can be used to fulfill any garden predominant rock type at the Garden. covers of woodland strawberry (Fragaria style. This is an important factor in This serves to link the tea garden to the vesca) and clustered field sedge (Carex promoting native plants as widely usable surrounding landscape. praegracilis) around stepping stone to a gardening community that enjoys California native plants lend themselves pathways leading to the teahouse, and many garden design styles. We all can well for use in Japanese style landscapes. wire-grass (Juncus effusus) providing enjoy the benefits of water savings and There are several plants that give the tea height and blue-green color along the dry creation of wildlife habitat and unique house landscape its character. A canopy of stream. Water babbling down a small rock sense of place that native plants bring to all coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) provides waterfall cascading to a pool provides a types of gardens. dappled shade, and a large Port-Orford peaceful, cooling sound. Unfortunately, in May 2009, the cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) and The Santa Barbara tea community is Jesusita wildfire that burned nearly 75 lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia) hedge very active, and the Botanic Garden is percent of the Botanic Garden damaged provide privacy and screening. The tea lucky to have two schools of tea that use parts of the landscaping around the tea garden is split into two general areas: an the tea house on a regular basis. Every house. The lemonade berry hedge, which outer (soto roji) and an inner (uchi roji) Tuesday a tea ceremony takes place that provides a sense of privacy, and a couple of garden. The fence surrounding the outer Botanic Garden visitors can watch, and at key manzanitas were destroyed. These will garden is made from untreated pine poles least twice a year a tea ceremony is be replaced as the garden recovers from decoratively tied with black twine. Since performed as one of our classes. the fire. We consider ourselves lucky that its installation the fence has aged to a The tea house supports two integral our irreplaceable tea house did not suffer silvery gray, matching the color present in parts of the Botanic Garden’s mission. The any damage. the sandstone. first is to promote California native plants The outer garden features a path that for use in a variety of landscape styles, and meanders through mixed shrub and the second is to provide connection to Andrew Wyatt is the director of horticul- ground cover plantings. This landscape is culturally diverse communities. The tea ture and facilities at the Santa Barbara punctuated by structural shrubs including house landscape has been a success on Botanic Garden. You can reach him at manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca x both of these counts. [email protected].

16 | PUBLIC GARDEN Ideas, Design, and Native Plants

Ideas, Design, (Top) A bird’s eye view of the Idea Garden, Carex pennsylvanica “lawn,” patio, and and Native Plants cottage with a green roof. (Below) Sarracenia with Heuchera in a hang- ing basket! The idea is that there are no rules when it comes to container gardening. A. SCOTT LAFLEUR

t is so beautiful here. I wish I could I consider myself to be an artist, designer, “ use these plants in my yard, but…” and gardener who interacts with plants IComments like this were at one time based on color, bloom time, texture, and common at Garden in the Woods, a subtle shades of green. We are all lovers of native plant botanic garden in plants, but we came at the concept of Framingham, Massachusetts, owned and gardening from radically different points of operated by the New England Wild view. My colleagues were recreating the Flower Society. The Garden, among the communities that plants function and live first and considered one of the best in. I wanted to splash the landscape with native plant gardens in the country, was big, bold strokes of color and texture, edge The horticulture staff

founded by Will Curtis in 1932 to “bring paths, stake plants, and meticulously primp

all the wildflowers and ferns hardy in this and prune—horrifying many native plant “seized upon the opportunity latitude and establish them in natural purists, but also connecting with many of a generous budget environments where they can be easily gardeners, homeowners, and visitors. “ reached and enjoyed by the interested As Garden in the Woods approached and uninhibited creative public.” His goal was to have “their likes its seventy-fifth anniversary, we realized power to design and build and dislikes discovered and the that it was time for change in a garden knowledge so gained eventually passed that had seen very little. Enter W. Gary the Idea Garden. on in an effort to curb the wholesale Smith, a landscape architect and destruction of our most beautiful environmental artist who agreed to natives. This is to be my contribution to collaborate on an anniversary exhibit, “Art native plants in a completely different conservation.” Using the diverse glacial Goes Wild: Innovation with Native light. The biggest and longest-lasting terrain of the garden, he recreated Plants.”The premise was to break new impact of the exhibit emerged from Gary’s habitats and displayed native plants in ground in how native plants are used and idea to create a negative space using a turf the conditions they favor in the wild. His viewed, and in the process break the old grass alternative. This enabled us to approach drew accolades and fervent idea of them as messy, wild, and unfit for encourage the destruction and reduction supporters, but did not build a clear the designed landscape. of lawns and highlight the benefits of using bridge to the needs of the suburban/ The exhibit yielded some truly native groundcovers. The horticulture staff urban homeowner. amazing horticultural and environmental seized upon the opportunity of a generous The professionals I came to work with art displays. From floating gardens to budget and uninhibited creative power to at the Garden in 2006 are conservationists, flying saucer gardens and a subtle design and build the Idea Garden. horticulturists, and native plant enthusiasts. serpentine log sculpture, they presented Centered around a Carex pennsylvanica

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 17 Ideas, Design, and Native Plants

“lawn,”the Idea Garden showcases shapes. The design intent was to create Smith brought to us from a friend in Texas. innovative uses of native plants in a bold patches of color and texture with This composting fence gives us the perfect designed setting and complements the repeating elements, such as the Betula opportunity for talking about the concept naturalistic plantings for which Garden in alleghaniensis and Ilex opaca hedge. This of ecological gardening and how we use the Woods is known. beautiful landscape is also a functioning organic practices to maintain the Idea The Idea Garden is rooted in ecosystem, providing food and habitat for Garden and our entire collection. To us, traditional New England values—it has a insects, birds, and other animals. Here the using leaves to create a fence and shredding well-kept, tidy appearance; it is a colorful plants are staked and primed and fussed leaves to use as our mulch are easy and and seasonally interesting garden that is not over more than in any other part of the environmentally sound, yet both practices too flashy; it is frugal; and it is eco-friendly. Garden. This tidy and arranged planting take many visitors completely by surprise. The site we chose for the Idea Garden resonates with homeowners and makes The impact of the Idea Garden was is our former nursery propagation area. them feel more at ease with using native evident before we were even done with The nursery had moved to the Society’s plants not only for beauty, but also as part construction. The comments of visitors new farm in western Massachusetts to of a functioning ecosystem. were changing from “I wish I could do expand operations, leaving behind storage this” to “I can do this at home.”The sheds that we converted into “cottages.”We concept of using native plants in a home- chose traditional cobblestone edging made designed landscape is also fostering in from New Hampshire granite to define the people a deeper understanding about why bed lines and create a sense of formality. A it is important to conserve our native flora. fenced patio overlooking our sedge lawn We have found the Idea Garden to be a provided a sense of home and family to gateway that enables visitors to make the the setting. Benches and chairs were connection between the amazing habitat arranged with containers of native plants displays throughout Garden in the Woods to facilitate conversation and provide a and important reasons to conserve and respite for visitors. These core elements preserve the land on which these plants give us a platform on which to present grow in the wild. They see how what they ideas to suburban and urban plant lovers. do in their personal ecosystem can have an The patio is the setting for innovative effect on the wider world—another container gardening alternatives, such as concrete example of “think globally and pitcher plants in hanging garden baskets. act locally.”The Idea Garden enriches Will They perform well, help control bugs Bird bath or planter? Fresh Curtis’s dream of passing on the love of within the area, and provide a fascinating ideas abound in this garden! native flora “in an effort to curb the focal point. With differing shapes, sizes, and wholesale destruction of our most colors of foliage and blossoms, native beautiful natives” and is one of the New plants work beautifully in patio pots. The green roof on one cottage in the England Wild Flower Society’s many Container gardening with native plants also Idea Garden is a dynamic alternative to contributions to conservation. presents opportunities for creating mini- asphalt roofing. It provides a great way to habitats and for growing plants people reduce impervious surfaces, create more A. Scott LaFleur, botanic garden director at might not be ready to see in their yards. insect- and bird-friendly habitat, and get the New England Wild Flower Society and The Pennsylvania sedge lawn offers an people thinking about the environmental Garden in the Woods, oversees one of alternative to grass and gives the area impacts of buildings on the landscape. The America’s great botanical gardens. He texture and beauty without the need for green roof also functions as a testing curates and manages an extensive public col- chemical fertilizers, excessive water, and ground for what native plants can be lection of fifteen hundred native plant constant care. This lawn elicits most of grown in such extreme conditions. This species—including two hundred rare and the comments—visitors either love it or information is passed on to designers and endangered species—presented in designed hate it, but it does make them aware of architects who inquire about native plants settings and their natural habitats through- the far-reaching environmental impacts of hardy enough to be incorporated on large out the living museum’s forty-five acres in turf grass. green roof projects. Framingham, Massachusetts. Scott can be The Idea Garden borders are Woven through the Idea Garden are reached at [email protected]. populated with native plants that offer many interesting concepts and ideas. The changing seasonal color, texture, and living or composting fence is an idea Gary

18 | PUBLIC GARDEN The Children’s Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Children’s Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

ANDREA DELONG-AMAYA

(Left) Metamorphosis Maze

(Right) Water Water Everywhere

ady Bird Johnson’s Wildflower The Wildflower Center is already a psychological stress, nurture self-worth, Center is embarking on a bold significant provider of nature education in and provide a host of other benefits. Lmission to create an educational the region, serving approximately ten Through exposure to our native plant experience for children through thousand children a year with school field gardens, we also hope to promote biophilia, adventure and exploration, with more study visits and other children’s events and the innate human affinity for the natural than four acres of lush and diverse native activities. The addition of the children’s world, while combating biophobia, an plant gardens. By encouraging intimate, garden will vault the Center to a new level, aversion to or fear of nature. playful, and fun interactions in an making it one of the premier such facilities It is widely accepted that youngsters assortment of outdoor settings, our goal in the nation. The Center was not originally learn best through high-quality free play is to foster in children an understanding, designed with the requirements of children and discovery learning that incorporate appreciation, and affection for the in mind, and as a result, the need to protect interactive elements and pleasurable natural world with the hope that plant collections has at times conflicted opportunities for experimentation, self- environmental stewardship will play a with children’s curiosity and urge to explore motivation, non-goal directed activities, paramount role in their lives as adults. the natural world. In the new space, such imagination, spontaneity, and adventure Greatly increasing the size and scope of interactions are planned for and free of adult-imposed rules as well as the existing gardens with playful features engagement is encouraged. through physical activities. Such envisioned by landscape architect W. Gary As a nation, we have been enjoying opportunities, particularly related to nature, Smith, this project represents the initiation the emergence of children’s gardens over are lacking in today’s urban areas, and of the Center’s Gardens Master Plan, also the last decade or so thanks to the childhood has become ever more structured devised by Smith. By providing more demand from adamant parents, teachers, and scheduled. Even when natural areas are reasons for parents and caregivers to bring environmentalists, and researchers. available to urban children, access may be children back again and again, it will both Outdoor physical recreation counters hampered by parents’ safety concerns. The expand our educational mission and obesity, and countless studies have somewhat controlled setting of a public increase our financial stability. demonstrated nature’s ability to alleviate garden can satisfy the need for secure and fun outdoor environments.

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 19 The Children’s Garden at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Homeowner Inspiration Garden

Though many of the areas of our new garden will incorporate built structures, there is minimal reliance on hardscape and stronger focus on the plants themselves. This is primarily a plant garden inviting examination of art, biology, botany, ecology, geology, history, hydrology, and whatever fields of study emerge. Features include:

Butterfly Trail – Colorful nectar and larval host plants line Wildlife Blind – A cedar fence conceals viewers from the path that leads from the entrance of the children’s garden wildlife lured by a shallow pond and vegetation that offers to a dry creek bed, enticing pollinators of all kinds. food and cover.

Metamorphosis Maze – This simple puzzle maze gently Secret Spirals – Depictions of selected plants, animals, and challenges children and fosters a stronger sense of autonomy. other natural spiral forms are arranged on a low curving wall Native shrubs are tightly sheared—not the typical way natives partially encrusted with a colorful broken-tile mosaic. are used in the designed landscape. Water Water Everywhere – Kids fill watering cans from a Giant Bird Nests – Metal framed and woven with vines and hand pump and douse Swiss-cheese-shaped rocks of varying branches, these larger-than-life nests encourage playmates to porosities in this interactive demonstration of the geologic imagine themselves as nestlings, and kids can roll large wooden underpinnings of the surrounding Edwards Aquifer. eggs around the nests. Central Creek and Grotto – Water flowing from Water Canopy Walk – A stroller- and wheelchair-accessible Water Everywhere feeds into a creek with native wetland plants winding bridge burrows through dense plantings of understory that thrive along the water’s edge and in deeper pools. Water trees and shrubs and climbs six feet up into the canopy of an piped over the roof of a stylized garden grotto, large enough to existing mature live oak, offering ever-changing interior and stand inside, splashes into the creek from above. treetop views. Play Lawn – Here, kids can run, jump, tumble, and cavort, Wind Chimes – In addition to providing a simple interactive while the less energetic can relax with a book on a blanket. and fun activity, pulling a rope attached to large wind chimes hanging in a big oak tree allows visitors to compose their Stumpery – In this Texas version of an English Victorian own music. garden relic, cedar stumps are inverted, piled, and sculpturally stacked, providing places to crawl, climb, and hang. Woodland Trail – Families amble along the path and observe a Hill Country woodland being restored to full diversity. Animal Sculptures and Tracks – Bronze figures and tracks of local species from ringtails to armadillos are scattered Parallel Rocks – Large cut stone blocks call attention to the strategically throughout the garden. natural parallel structure of the native limestone and invite sitting and hopping. Pavilion – This open-air shelter with amphitheater seating houses educational programs and birthday parties, and offers protection from sun and rain.

According to researchers, kids value these species in their own landscapes, American Society of Landscape Architects, interaction with their surroundings over regardless of their preferred aesthetic. and will be submitted as a SSI pilot project. aesthetic beauty. But the children’s garden Adults are also more likely to Among the model sustainable practices is also designed to engage parents and all appreciate sites that not only conserve employed are careful selection of adults. While some sections will resources and reduce pollution, but also construction materials that are healthy and incorporate natives in naturalistic designs add value to the greater landscape. The non-toxic, local, natural, recyclable, and as typically expected, and others will children’s garden will be designed, built, reusable to the extent possible; rain remain wild or be restored back to a wild and maintained to meet the strict gardens; rainwater harvesting for use in state, native species will also be highlighted landscape sustainability guidelines of the water features and irrigation; and gray in formal gardens. High design is achieved Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI), a national water for flushing toilets. with natives over a range of styles in the program led by the Wildflower Center, And then there are the native plants. hope that visitors will be inspired to use United States Botanic Garden, and The Wildflower Center’s shorthand for the

20 | PUBLIC GARDEN complicated concept of “native plant” is a plant that occurs naturally where it evolved. Our collections include plants References from throughout the state of Texas. Using Wells, Nancy M., and Gary W. Evans. 2003. natives reduces the risk of introducing Nearby Nature: A Buffer of Life Stress among potentially invasive species, and when Rural Children. Environment and Behavior 35 (3): 311-30. planted appropriately, natives require far fewer resources such as water, fertilizers, White, Randy, and Vicki L. Stoecklin. 1997. Children’s Outdoor Play & Learning and pesticides than conventional Environments: Returning to Nature. plantings. They support native wildlife, Bixler, Robert D., Myron F. Floyd, and William E. promote regional identity, and can be Hammitt. 2002. Environmental Socialization simply gorgeous! By using the indigenous Quantitative Tests of the Childhood Play flora of our state along with the animals Hypothesis. Environment and Behavior 34 (6): (Top) Bonsai they attract, we hope to connect our 795-818. visitors with the natural heritage of Texas. Spiegel, Alix. Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills. National Public Radio Morning Edition, (Bottom) Stylized Café Garden The Wildflower Center is now raising PBS, February 21, 2008. an estimated $4.7 million needed for infrastructure development and construction of the garden with a Andrea DeLong-Amaya is the director projected grand opening in late 2011 or of horticulture at the Lady Bird Johnson early 2012. Within a year of opening, we Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. expect to have doubled the number of You can contact her at children we serve, and though we’re calling [email protected]. it a children’s garden, we predict it will provide plenty of thrills and enrichment for visitors of all ages.

NATIVE GARDENS OF MANY STYLES When non-native gardens look bad, arranging them in unique patterns we blame the gardener. When a not necessarily found in nature. native garden looks bad, “those Perfect geometric shapes, symmetry, native weeds” get the blame. While and strong, sharp lines are overlaid unfair, this double standard is a on the hard and soft scape. Various reality with which botanic gardens natives lend themselves just as well ders, symmetry, geometric shapes, must contend. as non-natives to bonsai, pollarding, and a limited plant palette to create espalier, and topiary. formality in the space. Historically, native plants have been used almost exclusively in naturalistic In collaboration with the Austin Bonsai We recently reworked our Café designs, appealing to those of us Society a couple of summers ago, we Meadow, which had become a who enjoy less formal settings. amazed visitors with an exhibit of fif- farrago of species over many years. However, our culture recognizes gar- teen native bonsai crafted from Imitating how wild plant populations dens that look intentional. Formal or yaupon holly, mustang grape, cedar often grow in patches, we consoli- stylized gardens are all about inten- elm, and other native species. Our dated plants into “mini monocultures,” tionality. Naturalistic gardens, Botanist Bed, which demonstrates making it easier for visitors to whether regarded as beautiful or plants named after important Texas appreciate the overall character of not, often are not perceived as culti- plantsmen, and our mirrored pair of a species. While retaining a vated landscapes. Sunray Beds all use metal edging to naturalistic feel, the space now delineate crisp linear forms. One of reads as a garden, and the higher To touch a larger audience, the our Homeowner Inspiration Gardens level of organization has enabled us Wildflower Center is exploring incorporates a number of design tech- to include even more species than innovative ways to use natives, niques such as clearly defined bor- were originally there.

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 21 A New Native Plant Garden at The New York Botanical Garden

A New Native Plant Garden at TODD FORREST The New York Botanical Garden

n 2012, The New York Botanical Garden will open a three-and-a-half- Iacre native plant garden that will showcase the beauty and diversity of native plants and the best in contemporary garden design. Designed by Oehme, van Sweden and generously funded by the Leon Levy Foundation, this new garden will combine contemporary architectural elements, dramatic water features, sustainable materials, and diverse pathways, and architecture. It will be populations of native trees, shrubs, and plantings to celebrate the elegant beauty constructed using the most sustainable wildflowers. In 1898 the Garden published of native plants, the drama of the natural materials and practices available. It will be the first volume of An Illustrated Flora of landscape, and the Garden’s commitment an educational garden designed to the Northern United States and Canada, to education and conservation. accommodate individuals and groups, which in its updated form remains the This new garden will be a significant teach visitors of all ages and interests definitive flora of the Northeast. Britton’s departure from the habitat-based model about regional biodiversity, and inspire a wife Elizabeth, an expert on mosses and that has shaped the design of many public passion for native plants. lichens, was an early advocate for the native plant gardens, including the Why a native plant garden? The conservation of native wildflowers. Garden’s original Native Plant Garden Botanical Garden has a long history of the In the 1930s, Garden horticulturist T.H. established in the 1930s. It will be study and display of plants native to Everett created a display of native ferns and foremost a beautiful garden with native northeastern North America. Founding wildflowers adjacent to the rock garden he plants providing both seasonal spectacle Director Nathaniel Lord Britton selected had just built. This area remained a quiet and year-round structure. It will be a the site for the Garden in 1895 because of place to study and appreciate native plants contemporary garden where the designer’s its singular natural features, including a until the 1960s, when the garden was vision is reflected in the plantings, fifty-acre old-growth forest with thriving significantly expanded. The expanded

22 | PUBLIC GARDEN garden included new displays inspired by Even when things were going well Since late 2008, we have been working regional ecosystems such as New Jersey’s horticulturally, the garden seemed with Sheila Brady, principal at Oehme, van Pine Barrens and Long Island’s Hempstead designed to preach to the choir and ignore Sweden, and her colleagues to create a Plains and specific habitats including a the congregation. Native plant enthusiasts design that serves our programmatic needs calcareous rockery, a serpentine barren, noted the presence (or absence) of their and achieves our decidedly ambitious goal and a wet meadow. The goal of the favorite taxa, while the general public was of redefining what a native plant garden expanded garden was to grow the broadest left wondering exactly where the “garden” can be. Sheila and her team have been busy possible diversity of plants native to the was and headed off to enjoy the color and over the past year getting to know the northeastern United States while teaching drama of the more traditional Rock Garden and its staff, studying native plant visitors about some of the region’s more Garden, Rose Garden, and Perennial communities, and working with us to unusual habitats. Garden. Moments of spectacle were refine the program for the Garden. Over followed by long periods of quiescence. that time, Sheila has developed a true (Left) Native plants will be massed and combined The garden was simply the sum of its parts understanding of the genius of the place. for maximum impact throughout the year. and lacked a cohesive design—nothing And what a place it is. The site for the

PHOTO COURTESY OF T. FORREST, NYBG drew visitors through the space or made Native Plant Garden includes two parallel them curious to see what lay ahead. This ridges, one in full sun and the other shaded (Below) The new Native Plant Garden will challenge seems true of many native plant by centuries-old native trees, separated by a feature rare and unusual taxa, including gardens. At their best, these gardens seem gentle valley bisected by a stream. The Helonias bullata, part of the Garden’s Center devoid of the hand of man. At their worst, garden is adjacent to the fifty-acre Native for Plant Conservation collection. they feel abandoned. Forest, providing a unique opportunity to PHOTO COURTESY OF J. PAYNE, NYBG The recent surge of interest in the show visitors how natural landscapes environment and sustainability has created inform gardens and how gardens might the perfect opportunity to create a new impact the natural landscape. The site kind of native plant garden, one that features the entire spectrum of growing distills the beauty of the region’s natural conditions from wet sun to dry shade, landscapes rather than simply attempting allowing us to provide suitable locations for to replicate them—a garden that features a a diverse collection of native plants. diversity of plants but still reflects the eye The early designs for the garden are of the designer; a garden that engages magnificent. A large water feature, visitors of all backgrounds and inspires engineered to take advantage of the site’s them to want to learn more about native natural hydrology and fed by re-circulated plants and natural ecosystems; and a water that passes through a series of bio- garden built on sound horticultural filtration basins, fills the center of the principals, as sustainable in its long-term garden. Water will pass over a series of maintenance as it was in its construction. weirs, creating drama by adding sound and Because our vision for a new native motion to the garden. A three-tiered path Over the years, the horticultural plant garden depended so heavily on the system will accommodate large groups challenges of the habitat-based approach quality of the design, the selection of a while allowing individual visitors to find became clear. It proved impossible to re- designer was of paramount importance. In quiet nooks away from the crowds. The create nature’s complex biochemical early 2008 we developed a conceptual bold geometric forms of the built processes and ecological relationships on a program for the garden and a list of criteria elements, including the water feature and a small scale. Throughout the garden, that potential designers should meet. We boardwalk, contrast with the undulating aggressive generalists overran their more wanted a designer as experienced working topography and exposed bedrock that demure counterparts, and the various with plants as they are with designing built define the site. The design of the native habitats quickly lost their character. Within elements. We wanted an American designer plant garden represents a dramatic a few years, dodder invaded the wet with knowledge of northeastern native departure from the traditional display meadow and horsetail carpeted the Pine plants and a track record of creating gardens for which the Garden is best Barrens. Eventually, horticulturists were beautiful and educational public known, while still providing an aesthetic forced to spend much of their time landscapes. After meeting with several connection to the rest of the 250-acre holding the defenses around a handful of talented designers and visiting their National Historic Landmark landscape. plants and were not able to provide the gardens, we decided that Oehme, van The garden will be constructed using care that the whole garden needed. Sweden was the perfect fit for this project. the most sustainable materials and

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 23 A New Native Plant Garden at The New York Botanical Garden

The topographically and edaphically varied site will support diverse plantings of native plants.

IMAGECOURTESYOF OEHME, VAN SWEDEN AND ASSOCIATES

methods available. The re-circulating national collection, the garden will also with natives will draw visitors into the central water feature will incorporate include and interpret cultivars and hybrids garden. Together these plantings will keep innovative storm water retention and bio- of native plants. Plants will be sited the garden compelling throughout the year filtration techniques to minimize the use according to the most fundamental of and provide inspiration to home gardeners of potable water and eliminate the need horticultural maxims: the right plant in the looking to incorporate native plants into for chemical water treatment. Walls will be right place. This approach will simplify the their gardens. constructed of local stone and wood development of long-term maintenance The new Native Plant Garden will be a elements will be constructed with plans and help horticulturists keep the fitting tribute to the beauty and diversity of sustainably harvested timber. Protocols for garden looking splendid. the native flora of the Northeast. With its protecting existing trees and soils will be a The diverse growing conditions across exciting contemporary design, rich palette key element of construction documents. It the site will accommodate both plantings of plants, and ambitious program of public is our hope that the new Native Plant that echo natural ecosystems throughout education, we believe this garden will Garden serve as a pilot project for the our region and more formal horticultural inspire visitors to take a greater interest in Sustainable Sites Initiative. displays. Spring ephemerals will carpet the native plants and ultimately become While planting plans are still being ground beneath the high shade of mature invested in their conservation. developed, our goal is to include a greater oaks. Large sweeps of native grasses will diversity of native plants than were present spill across an exposed, sunny ridge. Todd Forrest is vice president for horticulture in the original native plant garden. While Moisture-loving forbs will frame the edges and living collections at The New York the vast majority of plants will be botanical of the central water feature. Aquatic plants Botanical Garden. You can reach him at taxa native to northeastern North America, will fill the bio-filtration basins. Geometric [email protected]. including the taxa the Garden maintains as groves of native trees will frame views. A part of the Center for Plant Conservation’s traditional mixed border planted entirely

24 | PUBLIC GARDEN VIEWPOINT DEPARTMENTS

Mt. Cuba Center’s ponds highlight the beauty and diversity of native plants.

Celebrating the Native Plant Diversity That Surrounds Us

RICK LEWANDOWSKI very day North America’s public provide our guests with clarity of vision. As gardens offer an extraordinary both human-mediated landscapes and Ewindow into the plant diversity interpretive centers that provide a window found on our planet. Our organizations into the world of plants, our public play a marvelous role in providing guests gardens are positioned to be a major voice Rick Lewandowski is the director of with an opportunity to take a journey of in the dramatically changing Mt. Cuba Center located in Greenville, discovery--to become engaged in a environmental dialogue underway in our Delaware, which is focused garden dialogue about the vastness and society. It is crucial that we utilize the display, education, and research with variability of the plant kingdom as well collective innovative spirit, vision, and plants of the eastern U.S., in particular as its fragility. skills of our staff and volunteers to have a the Appalachian Piedmont. Mt. Cuba Yet, our visitors sometimes perceive us greater influence on our communities. as just another “pretty place” to visit, not In recent decades we have seen a broad Center is deeply engaged in plant fully comprehending, appreciating, or recognition of the importance of a healthy exploration and conservation as well as engaging themselves in our broad-based environment and a growing interest in environmentally responsible gardening gardening, educational, conservational, sustainability as well as all things “green.” and land stewardship efforts. and environmental missions. More than With global concerns over pollution, loss ever, the challenge to public gardens is to of habitat, global climate change, biological

continued on page 32

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 25 DEPARTMENTS NAPCCCOLLECTIONPROFILE

A Little Piece of China – Ex Situ Style MICHAEL ECKER

ver since its establishment by however, it has since been proven that they Beman and Bertie Dawes in 1929, came from multiple trees. While better EThe Dawes Arboretum has worked genetically than having come from a single to create a diverse, well-documented parent, the current plantings of dawn- woody plant collection. The Arboretum redwood in the U.S. are still of limited is dedicated to increasing the love and diversity. knowledge of trees, history, and the natural world, using its collections for education, research, and conservation. The Collection’s Beginning Our records department tracks nearly In 1990 Donald R. Hendricks, then The dawn-redwood plantation in summer 2009 18,000 individual plant specimens director of The Dawes Arboretum, was consisting of about 5,300 taxa. A contacted by John Kuser of Rutgers prominent collection at The Arboretum is University in New Jersey. Dr. Kuser was a planting of 320 dawn-redwood soliciting donations to sponsor a seed Only The Dawes Arboretum and Rutgers (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) grown from collecting trip in China, with the intent of University acquired some representatives seed collected wild in China in the early gathering from as many fertile dawn- from all of the forty-eight seed lots. The 1990s. This genetic collection was granted redwood trees as possible. Mr. Hendricks Arboretum received and planted a total of member status by APGA’s North American recognized the significance of this 344 trees in April and May of 1993. Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC) endeavor and The Arboretum contributed in August 2009, validating The to the necessary funding. Planting at Dawes Arboretum’s commitment to conservation. Dr. Kuser’s efforts supported a collection expedition by Minghe Li, The site selected for the Metasequoia associate professor of Huazhong planting at The Arboretum was an eight- A Collection of Genetic Diversity Agricultural University, Hubei, collecting acre agricultural, heavily tiled field Recognized as nationally significant, dawn-redwood seeds throughout the consisting of mostly Pewamo soil, a very The Arboretum’s dawn-redwood collection native range, mostly in an area referred to poorly drained, silty clay loam. Trees from is believed to be the most comprehensive as “Metasequoia Valley” in Hubei Province. each seed lot were randomized and genetic assemblage of this species outside In 1940 there were estimated to be about planted “orchard fashion” with twenty- China. Once these trees reach a size and six thousand mature dawn-redwood trees five-foot spacing between each tree. Rows maturity level where they begin to produce in this province. At the time of the were oriented east/west with enough space cones, it will mark the first time that some collection in 1991 only fifty-two trees were to add more trees in the future. of the genotypes will have the opportunity found with cones. Some of these trees The dawn-redwood planting at Rutgers to cross-pollinate. The progeny that result were separated by long distances or by University is a hexagonal interlocking from this outcrossing program should geographical barriers that prohibited pattern with three replicates of the forty- allow for the development of a more cross-pollination. Of the fifty-two seed eight seed lots planted on a one-and-a- robust, genetically diverse population base lots collected, forty-eight germinated, each half-acre plot. This design was planned to for dawn-redwood. seed lot coming from one tree. allow for thinning twice. While not Seeds distributed in 1948 from the The dawn-redwood seedlings were resulting in a complete loss of any one initial collection through the Arnold grown and subsequently distributed by genotype, thinning would reduce the Dawes arboretum were once believed to Rutgers University to various institutions overall genetic pool. Since The Dawes have been taken from a single tree; and individuals within the United States. Arboretum possessed adequate growing

26 | PUBLIC GARDEN26 | PUBLIC GARDEN Varying growth rates, habits, and leaf color The dawn-redwood plantation are readily evident between trees. during ice storm, 2007

The dawn-redwood plantation in fall 2009

space, thinning was not necessary. Japanese Garden parking area, a loop trail a few individuals. Cuttings of some of Measurements taken at Dawes for the leads visitors through a grove of dawn- these dawn-redwoods have already been first twelve years revealed that some of the redwoods produced from cuttings in 1961, obtained from several institutions and are trees grew three feet in height in a single and this conveniently adjoins a planting of now rooting in The Arboretum’s nursery. year. Wildly varying growth rates as well bald-cypress (Taxodium distichum) for Upon reaching a size suitable for planting, as differing habits are readily evident comparison. The lack of variation is they will be added to our orchard, looking down the orchard’s rows today. striking within these clonally produced increasing our collection’s genetic diversity. Some trees are short and squat while dawn-redwoods when compared to the A couple of short-term goals are to others are tall and narrow; some have wild-collected plantings. collect herbarium vouchers with distinctly conical outlines and are evenly The Living Fossil Trail winds through accompanying digital images for our plant branched, creating a beautiful habit. Also, a native wildflower field, ultimately records, and also to include more named leaf colors differ, displaying an assortment leading to the wild-collected dawn- dawn-redwood cultivars in our general of shades of green with bronze tints redwood plantation. A five thousand- collection. There are estimated to be about mixed intermittently. dollar private donation helped defray costs twenty-four of these named selections, of When first planted, the spindly, to construct two bridges and a culvert to which The Arboretum presently has ten. adolescent trees in our orchard made little enable hikers to navigate the trail. It also Once viable seeds are produced in our impression. Just sixteen years later, the funded three interpretive signs (in maturing plantation, they will be shared sight of the straight lines of buttressed production) that communicate the story with institutions around the world. And trunks with angled upswept branches, of dawn-redwood and the significance of although Metasequoia currently has no some nearly touching to form an overhead this valuable collection. serious pests or diseases, it would be canopy, is quite inspiring. prudent to include a quantity of these genetically diverse seeds in a repository, in Future Plans the event of an unforeseen catastrophic loss. Visitor Collection Access Since each tree grown from the To enable visitors to access, enjoy, and original forty-eight seed lots is genetically learn about the dawn-redwood planting at distinct, we are in the process of acquiring Michael Ecker is director of horticulture at The Dawes Arboretum, The Living Fossil clonal material of genotypes either missing The Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio. He Trail was developed. Beginning at our from our collection or represented by only can be reached at [email protected].

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 27 DEPARTMENTS COLORSOFSUCCESS Paradise Found: A New Tropical Garden NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN VIVIENNE DOBBS

The Vicky C. and David Byron Smith Children’s Garden is an interactive, learning environment. The miniature Southern Florida cottage is perfect for playing house.

aradise,” in a word, is how root when Dr. Read and his colleagues “ Executive Director Brian Holley incorporated their “public garden” as an Pdescribes the new Naples Botanical IRS 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Garden, which opened to the public in a The Kapnick Caribbean Garden is designed vastly expanded form on November 14, to give the visitor a prism of landscapes 2009. Although it is now poised to The proper property through which to view the natural and cultural history of the islands of the Caribbean. become one of the most significant As interest slowly built, the next task was to find the proper property. After The turquoise hut is an example of a house tropical botanical gardens in the world, occupied by laborers of centuries past. Naples Botanical Garden comes from almost five years of searches and donations, very humble beginnings. including a lead gift of $5 million from the Kapnick Family, the group was able to spent five years laying the foundation for acquire numerous contiguous parcels of the future botanical garden, going through How’d they do it? land that totaled 170 acres. Included with complex permitting processes, planning, A grassroots campaign, of course! In the purchase was a small, vacant strip mall. and working alongside engineers. 1994, the first seeds of development were So they had the land, building, and a During that period program and event sprinkled across the Naples community. developing interest, but what happens next? Led by Dr. Robert W.Read, a retired development got underway. According to botanist from the Smithsonian Institution, Quinn, “In order to have a successful a group of eight garden enthusiasts began It’s a very good place to start garden, there has to be an audience.” planning for a tropical public garden. With “We really started at the very Therefore, educational programs, limited resources, The Botanical Garden of beginning,”said Sondra Quinn, the including lifelong-learning programs for the Greater Naples Area (as they called founding executive director of Naples adults and summer camps for kids, were themselves) began an initiative to raise Botanical Garden, “Every single solitary created. Soirees like the annual Hats in the money for their sprouting idea. By soliciting thing that needed to be done--from Garden luncheon gave Naples Botanical locals to become members, accepting creating administrative forms to Garden an institutional reputation as THE donations, and hosting a free monthly establishing operations policies--we did. Naples events location. In addition, a lecture series, the group spread interest Turning on the water! Wiring the place delightful prelude garden built in the throughout their community. The idea took with electricity!” Quinn and her team original one-acre parking lot and a

28 | PUBLIC GARDEN butterfly house gave members and guests a of the wonderful diversity of the flora [of You can do it, too! taste of the grand things to come. Brazil], in addition to that mid-century Developing a botanical garden is no modern feeling of Burle Marx design.” simple task. Location, resources, and The Vicky C. and David Byron Smith money are all factors to make or break a Meet its makers Children’s Garden is an interactive and start-up. Here is some advice from Holley: And what if there is no Pierre du Pont child-friendly addition to Naples Botanical “There are a couple things that are really or Henry Shaw to leave an estate or master Garden. Designed by Herb Schaal of important. One is developing a really good plan? Have no fear! The parcels of land EDAW, the garden is proportioned to that make up the Garden had just the right appeal to its miniature audience. Child- ingredients for the right master plan. Brian sized trellises, fences, and walkways guide Holley had the right vision. He gathered visitors to the small purple and chartreuse four world-renowned landscape architects, gardening hut, made complete with a one award-winning local landscape flowering toilet and butterfly house. The architect, and San Antonio-based most prominent attraction is the looming, Lake|Flato architects to design a master fifteen-foot tree house that towers over the plan unlike any other. “So often [public entry court. Holley sums up the intent,“It’s garden master plans] kind of feel cookie- a simple concept--give kids the opportunity cutter,”said Holley,“We decided to take a to interact with plants and nature.” totally different perspective.” The Kapnick Caribbean Garden is a The five designers developed the cultural and natural story, told through (Below) The Brazilian Garden examines master plan collectively, and then each landscape, of the historical diversity of the designed a garden. They were able to the seven ecosystems of the Brazilian Caribbean. From exotic plants of the terra. Raymond Jungles’ garden design critique each other,“with no holds barred,” tropical mountain forests to the savannahs incorporates a single piece of Burle as Holley put it.“I think this brainiac and cactus of the low island forests, the Marx art, the mural set against a beau- tiful Brazilian background. creative pool of stuff going on with these Kapnick Caribbean Garden plays host to a different people was a remarkable way to diverse collection of Caribbean vegetation. distill a master plan.”And we do too, Brian. Designed by Robert Truskowski of Laguna board [of directors]. Another is getting Beach, California, the garden speaks to the some people who have experience in The gardens history of the Caribbean. As visitors running botanical gardens to sit down with Today, after fifteen years in the making, meander through the stunning palms and your group and do brainstorming. The Naples Botanical Garden is open for public follow the quaint wooden walkways, next phase is really looking to build fiscal consumption. Three new gardens were enjoying a peek into the small laborer’s capacity. I can’t overstate that enough. presented at the opening: the Brazilian hut or a swing on the hammock, they pass Somehow you have to find the resources to Garden, the Kapnick Caribbean Garden, from a pre-Columbian to a post- get the garden built.”Be prepared to meet and the Vicky C. and David Byron Smith Columbian era. Truskowski captures both challenges along the way with passion and Children’s Garden. the pre- and post-European Caribbean perseverance.“You’ll go through a lot of The Brazilian Garden, designed by flora and the change in the natural stops and starts, but I think when a garden Raymond Jungles of Miami, Florida, is a landscape after the Europeans arrived. is ready to get built, it gets built.” beautiful survey of seven ecosystems found in Brazil. A multilevel waterfall, set So now what? against a lily pond, provides the perfect Vivienne Dobbs is the media and Naples is currently designing two more foreground for a single piece of artwork communication technology consultant for gardens to open next year. The first is the housed on this raised terrace. Jungles pays the American Public Gardens Association. Karen and Robert Scott Florida Garden, tribute to his mentor, the late Roberto She recently graduated from the University designed by Ellin Goetz of Naples, Florida. Burle Marx, by featuring the only piece of of Delaware with a BA in history and jour- It will be a combination of six components Burle Marx art on permanent exhibit in nalism. Vivienne grew up in the Delaware that display the essence of the Florida the United States. The vibrant ceramic area where she had great exposure to local landscape. The second is the Marcia and L. relief, located at the highest level of the gardens including Longwood Gardens, Bates Lea Asian Garden designed by Made Brazilian Garden, made its first United Winterthur, and Ashland Hollow Private Wijaya of Bali, Indonesia. Visitors will States appearance at the New York Gardens (where her grandmother worked experience a botanical overview of Botanical Orchid Show in the Raymond for twenty years). She can be contacted at Southeast Asia that incorporates “the Jungles-inspired presentation. According [email protected]. culture, the religion, the food, the resources, to Executive Director Brian Holley, and the history,”according to Holley. Jungles’s creation is both “a chaotic feeling

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 29 DEPARTMENTS TECHNOLOGY Finding New Ways to Reach New Audiences

in a Shifting Media Climate PENN FRENCH

he vision of APGA is that public they went online for news compared to 35 new branding effort, the Arboretum has gardens will become vital to percent who read a printed newspaper. doubled its attendance in the last five years Tpeople’s appreciation and In an increasingly fragmented media to nearly eight hundred thousand visitors understanding of the irreplaceable value environment, advertisers have more with thirty-two thousand member of plants. options than ever for reaching their households. Appreciation and understanding starts audience. But the key is to optimize your In addition to a robust public relations with awareness of your garden or arboreta. media plans and buys and to generate effort, increased awareness and visitation It’s sometimes said that without visitors, growth in a down economy. have been built through paid advertising you don’t have a mission. People focused mostly on print with have to love something before they tactical use of radio for some events. % share of total ad revenue, 1950-2008 want to advocate for it. It’s (recessions) But in a shifting media climate, connecting people and plants that 35 we knew we needed to take a more we’re all trying to achieve on a daily strategic approach to reach new 30 basis, whether it is at our gardens or audiences in more efficient ways, to in the community. 25 be in sync with evolving consumer

20 media trends, and to take advantage of the growing use of social media. Understanding the 15 New Media World 10 Making Old Media With changing media habits 5 and constrained budgets, building Work Better awareness that results in visitation The result has been a change in 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 media strategy, shifting from and fosters a connection with Broadcast TV Cable Magazines Outdoor plants at your garden is more Radio Newspapers Internet predominantly newspaper challenging than ever. Regardless of Downturn with recession Source: U.S. Census Bureau advertising to an integrated mix your communications budget, we that includes television, outdoor, are all reading the same headlines Share of Ad Spending by Medium magazine, radio, and digital media. and experiencing the same trends. The goal is to use a variety of September 2008 National Local Newspapers Newspapers mediums that “surround” your These include: 4.2% 1.2% Local National Sunday target audience in their everyday life • the continued proliferation of Television Internet Local Radio 2.7% 14.7% 5.9% Supplement 1.0% to provide a cost-effective presence cable channels; Hispanic Television 2.6% Network Radio National 0.9% for your garden. Choose mediums • growth of digital media; Magazines 17.0% Coupon that can be geographically targeted • decline of the daily newspaper; 0.4% Other 7.8% towards places where audience and Local Cable Magazines growth potential is high within • the sharpest decline in maga- Television Network 0.1% 22.5% Television 22.5% Outdoor 2.0% your key trading areas based on a zine ad pages in history. Local Sunday Syndicated Supplement 0.0% zip-code analysis from your Television 2.2% visitation tracking. From a return- Consumers have dramatically on-investment point of view, we set changed the way they stay up with our total media spending in terms current events or search for things to do Like many public gardens, The Morton of what we can afford to spend to acquire a for the weekend. Arboretum seeks to broaden the base of visitor compared to what that visitor is The convenience, flexibility, and speed people engaged in all it has to offer and worth as measured by admission fees, of online news reading fits today’s fast- also to raise the relevance and profile of restaurant and store transactions, and the paced lifestyles far better than newsprint. the Arboretum as a world-renowned leader likelihood of becoming a member. For The In fact, 2008 marked the first time the in tree science and education, working to Morton Arboretum, it is profitable to Internet surpassed newspapers as a news save and plant trees. spend about $2.50 per paying visitor in source. According to a Pew Research Study, With new gardens and amenities, advertising which translates into a total 40 percent of respondents indicated that expanded exhibitions and programs, and a media budget of about $450,000. But it

30 | PUBLIC GARDEN depends on your brand awareness and exhibition, “Animal Houses,”and for our And like many of you, we are seeing visitation goals, the cost of media in your award-winning Children’s Garden, on our fan bases grow from the launch and marketplace, and the range of other various media networks using a cost-per- use of Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr entertainment choices in your area. click model. Negotiating banner accounts, to name just a few of the larger Zoned local cable television is a cost- placement and e-mail list purchases with social-networking sites growing in effective way to build, reach, and generate your newspaper and print partner web popularity by the millions. We all need to rapid brand awareness in specific sites is also important to ensure you are share our success stories in this fast- geographic areas. For gardens and reaching all those people who are going growing medium. arboreta, television is an especially online only to search for things to do with As you evaluate and create your appealing medium, given its visual and their family and friends. You can track the marketing and media plans for 2010, you’ll audible aspects, to “immerse” people in the effectiveness and response rates of your do well if you thoughtfully define your experience of your landscapes. digital efforts right down to the individual target audiences (consumer research is the Newspaper can still be an effective click and then make adjustments to your key here), understand the geographic medium, but is better suited for strategy and creative pieces as you go. scope of where you want to build announcements or specific promotions. We just launched our redesigned web awareness, craft an integrated media This is retail advertising with your garden site in April of this year so we were eager strategy using a variety of mediums to as the destination for a specific event or to roll out a digital plan to drive traffic not “surround” your audience, and have a plan exhibition. Some spending in magazines is only to the new homepage, but also to to track the effectiveness of each medium. effective, too, as long as the magazines are specific landing pages for our exhibitions, targeted to affinity groups related to a events, and popular gardens. In the nine Penn French is the vice president of market- specific experience in your garden or months since we launched the web site, ing at The Morton Arboretum and chairs area of interest. Examples might include traffic (as measured by user sessions) has The Marketing Section for APGA. He can be magazines focused on gardening or increased more than 40 percent. All of our contacted at [email protected]. mom-focused parenting magazines where print and broadcast creative pieces are moms are seeking enriching activities for designed to increase traffic to the web their kids. site as well. The Out-of-Home medium (e.g. billboards, bus shelters, airport back-lit boards in terminals) is ideal for branding campaigns or to promote permanent attractions in your garden. The visual focus of the Outdoor medium creates opportunity to brand unique aesthetic aspects of your garden and to expose your message to all demographics. The Arboretum is still using radio to promote events like our outdoor summer concert series. But the key here is to negotiate additional on-air spots with free ticket give-aways or media sponsorships that promote your event in the context of the mission.

Shifting Resources to Digital Media One of the biggest changes we made for 2009 was to allocate a significant portion of our media budget (up to 20 percent) to digital media. This includes search engine marketing on Google, Yahoo, and MSN to strive for the lowest cost per click to maximize traffic to our web site, www.mortonarb.org. It also included a running a series of display banner ads for our 2009

2009 • ISSUE FOUR | 31 DEPARTMENTS VIEWPOINT Celebrating the Native Plant Advertisers Index Diversity That Surrounds Us continued from page 25 APGA *ifc American Public Gardens invasion, and energy concerns--to mention variety of other means to more fully Association (APGA) just a few--there is an ever-increasing explore the use and value of native plants *bc American Public Gardens conservation ethic in our communities in cultivated landscapes. Unfortunately, the Association (APGA) that is reshaping the discussion of our perception of the public has sometimes CONSERVATORIES & GREENHOUSES stewardship responsibilities. Herein lies an been that there are, on the one hand, 1 Rough Brothers, Inc. enormous opportunity for public gardens “ornamental” plants and, on the other, to engage audiences in a range of “native” plants, leading to opinions that GARDEN FURNITURE 1 Country Casual environmental issues of local and regional native plants aren’t appropriate for use in significance--to once again “think globally, the typical home garden. For those of us *ibc Tiburon Effects while acting locally.” committed to a lifelong understanding of INSURANCE Nowhere is this more evident than in how plants grow in nature as well as in the 1 Berends Hendricks Stuit the broad-based grass-roots efforts to more garden, this perception couldn’t be further Insurance Agency, Inc. aggressively protect, preserve, and promote from the truth, again providing an

IRRIGATION SERVICES North America’s diverse native plant important educational opportunity for us *bc Rain Bird Corporation communities and native flora. While with our visiting public and beyond. public gardens have expended considerable Many public gardens are also LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS resources on exploring and preserving committed to scientifically documented 6 Mesa Design Group plant diversity from other continents over and curated living collections that include 4 M. T. R. Landscape Architects the past several decades, it has become plants native to North America. These 4 Oasis Design Group clear that we also need to focus greater collections benefit a wide array of 9 Rodney Robinson energy on our continent’s flora which is constituencies from conservation to Landscape Architects among the richest in the temperate world horticultural and serve as “arks” for 2 Terra Design Studios and, yet, among those at greatest risk. preserving floristic diversity, contributing Across North America a number of to a greater ex situ conservational effort. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT public gardens with regionally focused They also represent a source of 31 Longwood Graduate Program native plant collections successfully documented diversity in the event of

RETAIL SERVICES promote an understanding of our catastrophic loss in nature. 2 visualopathy continent’s native plant diversity through While public gardens contribute in a interpreted plant collections, display variety of ways to their communities, they *bc Back Cover gardens, plant conservation, botanical are uniquely qualified and positioned with *ifc Inside Front Cover research, education and advocacy, and physical gardens and professional staff to *ibc Inside Back Cover habitat protection. Additionally, more and interpret North America’s native plant more public gardens are highlighting diversity and its relationship to global native plants in their gardens and/or conservation efforts. Our public gardens developing new display landscapes that provide the most tangible and compelling speak to the value of incorporating evidence that we are truly committed to regional native plant diversity into gardens. our environment. Through them we have Clearly, public gardens are strategically the capacity to provide an invaluable positioned to be a resource to the public perspective on the importance of about this important issue. celebrating the use of native plants in our Our public gardens also provide the gardens. Our biggest challenge is to find most tangible link between nature and ways to create clear and effective dialogue gardening, sharing our vast knowledge with our communities and become with amateurs and professionals alike mentors for these and other environmental through designed landscapes, garden stewardship efforts. There is no doubt, interpretation, classes, workshops, and a though, that we can meet this challenge.

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