Every time I visit a public garden, I’m impressed. The displays are usually spectacular, nearly weed free, and looking as fresh as they day they were planted. Did you ever wonder how this gardening miracle was achieved?
I never really thought about it until recent visits to the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Biltmore Estate where my group received ‘behind the scenes’ tours. At the Chicago Botanic Garden, we saw the quarter mile long area where plants are grown and cared for in as ideal conditions as possible. Plants that like morning sun are placed on the East side, while plants preferring strong sun are on the West. Some plants grow in houses that maintain humidity at a certain level while others live in arid conditions. A number of plants are grown outside once the weather is warm enough, while others remain indoors in tightly controlled environments.
Imagine the time and effort required to create and maintain a bed constructed of plant material.
Gardeners at the Chicago Botanic Garden grow and care for unique specimens in climate-controlled houses like this one.
When not on display, the Bonsai collection grows indoors where it can be meticulously maintained
A sophisticated watering system helps reduce the need for hand watering and saves time
Staff use a heated bench for seed germination and to grow plant material at a certain rate for displays
Special mum displays for fall are started months earlier and trained along forms. Seasonal back-up plants are ready and waiting to replace any like specimens that aren’t performing up to snuff. I would love to have the ability to swap out plants in my garden like that. Wouldn’t it be great to replace that crispy Astilbe that suffered through a drought with a perfectly fresh replacement? Of course, most homeowners don’t have the time or the budget to do the kind of work performed by hard-working public garden staff members. Knowing how much effort and money went into creating such special places, made me appreciate them even more.
Containers are growing, ready and waiting for future displays
I was also inspired by the plant trial gardens and breeding programs. Often public gardens have plant curators who seek out unusual plant material from around the world. They breed plants that can be used successfully in home gardens. Chicagoland Boxwood is an example of this; the Chicago Botanic Garden introduced this cultivar as a cold hardy boxwood that maintains its green color in the frigid Illinois winters.
Staff members grow plants outdoors once it’s warm enough
Echinacea plants grow happily in the trial garden
At the Biltmore Estate we learned how the staff is honoring this historic garden. When plants need to be replaced, such as a diseased Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) hedge, the staff references the original design created by Frederick Law Olmsted. Since Olmsted’s design recommended American Holly (Ilex opaca), that is the plant the staff will use as a new, native and disease resistant hedge. I think most public gardens do their best to honor the spaces we visit and make them welcoming to all.
The Tsuga hedge in this picture (top left) will be replaced in the fall in keeping with the original design
An accessibility display at the Chicago Botanic Garden featured wheelchair access and scented plants for physically or visually challenged visitors
A vertical display was kid-friendly and welcomed the touch of passersby
I respect and admire the work our public garden staffs do and hope you’ll think about the talented gardeners that keep them looking so good for our visits. And don’t hesitate to use some public garden strategies in your own landscape. Replace plants that aren’t performing well with fresh specimens that will grow better in the space. Consider how visitors see your garden and do your best to make it welcoming to all. Most of all, enjoy your garden and all those public (and private) spaces you visit.
