ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY SPRING 2000 COVER: Meconopsis horridula by Rhonda Williams, Wasilla, Alaska All Material Copyright © 2000 North American Rock Garden Society Printed by AgPress, 1531 Yuma Street, Manhattan, Kansas 66502 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF THE NORTH AMERICAN ROCK GARDEN SOCIETY VOLUME 58 NUMBER 2 SPRING 2000 FEATURES A Public Rock Garden: How?, The Alpine Rock Garden at Bellevue, by Micheal Moshier 91 Dwarf Rhododendrons in Atlantic Canada, by Todd Boland 105 Lycoris, New Chinese Surprise Lilies, by James Waddick 119 The Genus Zephyranthes, by Bobby J. Ward 129 Rising Stars Among the Evening Primroses, by Jim Locklear and Larry Vickerman 137 DEPARTMENTS Plant Places: Clark Reservation 140 Beginners' Corner: Plant Names 142 Plants in Cyberspace: Hidden Web Resources 143 Musings from a Rock Garden: Seedlings 146 Propagation: Seed Ecstasy 149 Books 151 90 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 58(2) Alpine Rock Garden at Bellevue Botanical Gardens at one year after construction A PUBLIC ROCK GARDEN: How? THE ALPINE ROCK GARDEN AT BELLEVUE by Micheal Moshier j^Lfter Steve Klass asked "Why a challenges. We will explore some of Public Rock Garden?" and so succinct• these issues as the story of this garden ly answered his own questions in the unfolds. Fall 1999 Quarterly, now is an oppor• tune time to discuss the construction POLITICS AND PROCEDURE of such a garden. In short, this article Before we lift a shovel or even move describes the "how" of a public rock one stone, we must recognize the very garden, the process of the design and important fact that we are talking construction of the Alpine Rock about a public garden. What this Garden at the Bellevue Botanical means, in very general terms, is that its Garden (BBG), Wilburton Hill Park, in financial support, tosome degree, Bellevue, Washington, that state's sec• comes from taxpayer dollars. Many ond largest city. botanical gardens (and arboreta) are Just as Steve did not suggest that located on park property owned and his list of reasons why was all inclu• operated by a municipal entity: a city, sive (although indeed I found no omis• county, state, or even federal govern• sions), I will, likewise, not suggest this ment. Those situated on public educa• article answers all the "how-tos", or tional system properties, such as a state that it is the correct or only way to college or university, fit into this cate• undertake such a project, for there are gory as well. And as tax dollars may be many variations on the theme. For the shy in finding their way to public gar• most part, what has been written on dens, another entity, a nonprofit soci• the subject has been directed toward ety or foundation dedicated to the sup• the smaller, private alpine garden port of the garden, may become a enthusiast with a simple, back- or major player in the overall garden sup• front-yard approach and what can rea• port structure. Without these associat• sonably be built on a small scale. ed societies or foundations of very Though the basic techniques of con• hard working and dedicated individu• struction may be very similar, the als who volunteer their time, energy, issues of scale and public exposure do expertise, and most importantly, raise present unique considerations and money, the beauty of public gardens, as 91 we know them, would not exist. City law public projects exceeding Overall support and management for a $25,000 must be advertised and are garden can come from any number subject to an open bidding process by and combination of the above groups contractors. This rule may vary with working in partnership. different government jurisdictions. It All that being said, the Bellevue may also be required that the lowest Botanical Garden Alpine Rock Garden bid be accepted. Ideally, the designer (BBGARG) is a cooperative venture of is a licensed contractor, submits a rea• the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society sonable bid, and is awarded the con• (BBGS) and the City of Bellevue Parks tract. Knowing very well that there and Community Services Department. were many contractors other than A very thorough design process is myself far more capable of bulldozing strongly advised and for this project around hundreds of yards of soil and was required. Design drawings and tons of rock, I declined to bid. As well, blueprints are the map and directions to avoid any perception of conflict of to the finished garden. Besides provid• interest as a BBGS Board Member, I ing construction details and specifica• took leave of absence from that Board tions and arriving at a necessarily until the contracts were signed. It was accurate cost estimate, they supply agreed upon by the City and the building contractors with information Society that, as the designer, I would required to successfully bid a project be retained as a consultant to the con• and guide them through construction. tractor during construction of the pro• In addition to blueprints, three-dimen• ject, to insure it was built according to sional drawings, an artist's concept of design and specification. Complex as the finished garden, were created to all this may seem, it was our situation. serve as tools to promote the project We worked our way through this veri- and serve as fundraising tools. table mine field very carefully, The City required that the necessary thoughtfully, and slowly. funds be raised before construction At last, let us start moving some soil could begin. A volunteer task force of and rock! However, let's not be too knowledgeable rock gardeners, whose anxious with a shovel. First, we need a wisdom and understanding were bulldozer. indispensable in formulating the design concept, formed to assist this SITE designer in developing a vision for the A bowl-shaped, north-facing hill• garden. As this vision began to unfold, side adjacent to the East Entry Patio fundraising efforts began in earnest. was selected for the location of the Under the persistent and determined garden. Offering exposures ranging leadership of BBGS and NARGS from northwest to northeast, the site Northwestern Chapter member Nell was ideal except that it was too steep. Scott, in whose honor the garden is This required that the "toe", or bottom dedicated, over $85,000 was raised in of the slope, be moved northward a less than two years. By the end of this considerable distance, decreasing the time, with money in hand and draw• angle and allowing the width of the ings completed, a contractor was new garden to be approximately dou• selected, and construction began. bled. The site was limited on the east At this point, it would be helpful to and west by existing pathways. The clarify a few things and offer a few most important blueprint drawing for personal observations. By Bellevue this phase was one that illustrated the 92 ROCK GARDEN QUARTERLY VOL. 58(2) Figure 1 solid line: finished contour dashed line: preexisting grade dotted line: new subsurface contour grade, new sub-surface contour, and have to be suitable for successfully finished grade, with all existing and growing alpines, it had to be com• proposed elevations of the garden. posed of ingredients that were readily Sample cross sections of the garden, available in sufficient quantities. It had viewed from the side, illustrated the to be weed- and seed-free, have the relationship of these elevations for the right qualities for aeration and contractor's reference. (See fig. 1) A drainage, be mixed in the desired pro• professionally prepared site survey by portions, and have suitable texture. an engineering firm served as the basis Since the garden is a little over 6,000 for this drawing. Since the finished square feet in size, to insure a planting garden would not rise in height much medium 14-18" in depth over 300 above the elevation of the East Entry cubic yards of soil mix was required. Patio and no higher than the eleva• As there are no commercial ready- tions along both adjacent pathways, mixed soils available that meet the the upper areas were excavated to a requirements for growing alpines, a depth of nearly 2', the excess soil being custom soil mix was created. Three bulldozed down to form the sub-sur• ingredients were chosen. face of the extended toe. After much A 3/8", screened, washed, crushed fine tuning, constantly surveying for rock made up the largest proportion of elevation accuracy, our very capable the mix, 50%. (It might be noted here contractor, Ellroy Oster of Pacific that rock is usually sold by the ton and Earth Works, Monroe, Washington, soil by the yard. To insure correct completed the subsurface exactly as ratios, keep in mind that rock is gener• specified. ally heavier than soil, and ask your rock supplier the conversion ratio of SOIL tons to yards when calculating The next step was the addition of required amounts of ingredients. the soil mix, and probably no other Ratios are normally calculated by vol• aspect of the garden's planning and ume, not by weight. Many rock yards construction required more careful measure gravel in tons, soil by the consideration. Not only did the soil cubic yard.) This material proved most ALPINE ROCK GARDEN AT BELLEVUE BOTANICAL GARDEN 93 commonly 5/s" in size and larger. The component, but our choice had to be crushed rock made up the largest pro• available, consistent, clean, and, most portion of the soil, so its texture was importantly, weed- and seed-free. an important consideration; even 5/s" Despite claims of soil companies, that gravel has a coarse appearance. After is a tall order to fill. There was, how• much searching, a 3/s" material was ever, an ideal product available.