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The Garden Pavilion landscape showcases small, specialized plantings in eleven triangular shaped beds and a water garden. To bring vibrancy to this area, we charted out an annual renovation schedule to transform three to four of the eleven beds into different theme gardens. Each theme garden will have its own essence and signature, demonstrate what can be done in the home landscape and feature Bernheim Select Perennials. Included are award winning perennial plants selected by the Perennial Plant Association (PPA), old garden favorites and new plant selections that have recently entered the gardening world.
Given full rein to daydreaming and guided by our landscape design philosophy we designed and planted three new gardens; a cutting, shade and butterfly garden. The three gardens include hardy geranium (Geranium ‘Rozanne’) and four other award winning PPA plants, old-fashioned bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’), variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’), beardtongue (Penstemon “Sweet Joanne’) and Knautia macedonica ‘Mars Midget’. In addition to new plantings in the perennial beds, dark violet-blue and blue-spider tropical day lilies (Nymphaea), red and giant yellow lotus (Nelumbo), dwarf umbrella palm (Cyperus alternifolius) and imperial taro (Colocasia antiquorum) were added to the water garden.
The Education Center features a newly designed shade garden around the pool, jazzed-up hummingbird and butterfly gardens, and a renovated Kingfisher Pond. Shade-loving plants have several basic needs: filtered or dappled shade, adequate moisture, and soils high in organic matter. Our new shade garden includes pure white, lacy plumed Astilbe “Deutschland’, intricately colored fern cultivars, dark green Hosta ‘Niagra Falls’ and brilliant gold Hosta ‘Sun Power’, blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium ‘Lucerne’), spiderwort (Tradescantia ‘Bilberry Ice’) and columbine (Aquilegia x caerykea ‘Origami Mix’).
Butterflies and hummingbirds are among the most spectacular and beautiful of Mother Nature’s garden visitors. Butterflies require little more than a variety of plants that will bloom throughout the entire season, shelter from the wind, a place to bask in the sun, and some water. High quality butterfly gardens provide food for both caterpillars (larva) and adult butterflies.
The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is one of the 23 species of hummers that frequent North America and the only species that breeds in the eastern United States. It generally arrives in mid-April when spring flowers that provide them with nectar are flushing out. Our garden also includes flowers that attract lots of insects for the hummingbirds, such as coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)
Our butterfly and hummingbird gardens were designed in hot and cool colors. Red, pink, orange and yellow colors dominate the hot bed. Plants include rock anise hyssop (Agastache repestris) with striking warm orange flowers, hot pink and red pinks (Dianthus ‘Firewitch’ and ‘Frosty Fire’), yellow flowered false sunflower and brown-eyed Susan (Heliopsis helianthoides ‘Summer Sun’ and Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’) and tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Orange Perfection’) with sweetly scented, flaming salmon-orange flowers.
Blue, white and yellow flowers dominate the cool garden and include the vivid blue flowered Black Adder hyssop (Agastache ‘Black Adder’), tall garden phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘David’) with large heads of deliciously fragrant white flowers, and Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’, a stunning variety of shasta daisy.
The re-sculpted Kingfisher Pond is newly planted with five species of sedge (Carex spp.), common rush (Juncus effuses), great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), arrow arum (Peltandra virginica), rice-cut grass (Leersia oryzoides), blue flag (Iris virginica) and yellow lotus (Nelumbo).
Plants that Attract Butterflies
Agastache, milkweed (Aesclepias), Aster, pinks (Dianthus), Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium), false sunflower (Heliopsis), blazing star (Liatris), catmint (Nepeta), Knautia, wild bergamot and bee balm (Monarda), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), beardtongue (Penstemon) Phlox, Salvia, goldenrod (Solidago)
Plants that Attract Hummingbirds
Agastache, columbine (Aquilegia), crossvine (Bignonia), pinks (Dianthus), foxglove (Digitalis), coneflower (Echinacea), blazing star (Liatris), coral honeysuckle (Lonicera), wild bergamot and bee balm (Monarda), passion flower (Passiflora), Phlox, beardtongue (Penstemon), obedient plant (Physostegia), Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium), Salvia
Front Entrance Color Beds
Eleven circular color beds totaling a little over two acres and five additional beds along the green path are under development at the front entrance. We are in the second phase of converting the mowed lawn areas into colorful patches and sweeps of warm season grasses and forbs. The circular color beds range in size from 12 to 250 feet in diameter and incorporate 32 different species of native perennial wildflowers and grasses. Look for shades of purple, yellow, red and white to slowly emerge in the large lawn area to the right as you enter Bernheim and approach the front entrance kiosk.
Living Roof Experimental Plantings
Thirteen 12’x12’ module green roof boxes were planted with a diverse mix of sedum, rock garden plants, grasses and Kentucky cedar glade species in May 2009. Bernheim has launched a plant evaluation program to identify those plants that exhibit exemplary green roof performance. This program, funded by the Brown-Forman Corp., was developed to help identify green roof plants that will maintain long-term viability in north central Kentucky. 23 rock garden, 8 grass, 11 sedum and 11 Kentucky cedar glade species are under evaluation. Each plant group is planted in three different growing mixes in an effort to identify the best growing media for green roof plants, as well.
This experimental project is designed to provide valuable information for the expert and novice alike, and you are invited to observe the progress (or demise, as the case may be) of these plants right along with us. Twelve of the platforms are located near the Research Center. One platform combines all experimental combinations in one “roof” at the Visitor Center.
Sedum is one of the most popular perennials grown. It is valued for its ease of culture and hardiness. Sedum is typically a low growing and spreading groundcover with red, pink, white, or yellow flowers, although some species can reach a height of up to 3 feet. These hardy succulents are characterized by tight, variously colored to evergreen rosettes of leaves that change color with the season and provide some winter interest. Because of the thick, fleshy leaves which can store water, sedum has an unsurpassed ability to survive drought and wind conditions. Sedum is best suited in average to poor soil that is well-drained.
Rock garden
Rock garden plants include herbaceous perennials and hardy succulents that can thrive in crevices and scree gardens and are a good choice for our gritty growing mixes. Rock garden plants offer a wide range of color, texture, and seasonal variation for green roofs. Plants we selected include the following lower-growing, shallow-rooted plants: Allium, Amsonia, Arabis, Arenaria, Aster, Calamintha, Cerastium, Delosperma, Dianthus, Gaillaridia, Lavandula, Oenothera, Phlox, Saponaria, Salvia, Scabiosa, and Thymus.
Grasses
Grasses offer bird and insect habitat and food, texture and motion, ornamental flowers, and winter interest. Cool season grasses are at their prime during the cooler months of the year and usually bloom before the warmer summer weather arrives. Cool season grasses we are testing are Fescue and Helictortrichon. Warm season grasses grow actively during the warmer months, and then flower in the late summer or fall. Warm season grasses being tested include Eragrostis, Hakonechloa, Pennisetum, Schizachyrium, and Sporobolus.
Kentucky Cedar Glade
Kentucky Cedar glades are small, natural forest openings, characterized by a cover of dry prairie and dry woodland grasses and herbs, along with scattered shrubs and trees. Glades are often located on south- and west-facing slopes where exposure to sun and prevailing winds create particularly dry conditions. Although these communities are very small, they harbor a unique group of plant species, fungi, insects and other organisms. Glade species we are testing include Sedum, Sporobulus, Eryngium, Opuntia, Pycnanthemum, Physostegia, Solidago, Ratibida, Manfreda, and Elymus. |
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