Introduction
CHURCHILL DOWNS SITS ON 140 ACRES set in the middle of the metropolitan
area. This vast space allows John and his crew the opportunity to try a
lot of different gardening ideas which range from very formal settings
to informal settings. They have dry gardens where they use a lot of
succulents as well as areas of mass annual plantings. They have lots of
mixed containers and always try to include the local fare because
Louisville has such a rich horticultural history.
Click here for more info
Aristides Garden
JOHN AND ERIC START IN THE ARISTIDES GARDEN. The statue in the center
is Aristides, the 1st Kentucky Derby winner, in 1875. Although the
statue is a little larger than scale, Aristides was a big horse. The
walls that surround this area were the old paddock runway. This was the
area where the horses left the paddock and went to the racetrack.
Things have changed between then and now. On the wall in the background
are the initials JC. That was the 1st original jockey club and was
built in 1895. The garden in this area has been a traditional garden
for many years. They have tulips growing here now because many people
associate tulips with the Derby. They use Tulipa 'Burgundy lace" which
is the latest blooming tulip they can find. Tulips have gone through
changes and now many tulips are bred for the cut flower industry and
not so much for the landscape industry. These tulips have a lower
chilling requirement meaning they bloom much earlier in the season.
They also seem to hold as well as any that John has found. It's very
old, bred in the 40's and 50's and have a very traditional look that
has worked well here. One can't talk about plants at the Kentucky Derby
without talking about roses. After all it is a "run for the roses." A
rose that has worked for John has been the Rosa Double Knock Out. It
blooms early, comes on with great color, has enough petals that it has
a traditional rose looking bud as it starts to emerge. It seems to take
abuse. They have a fickle climate here; for example, they had a late
freeze this year. It went from far above normal to far below. John
still thinks he'll have some color for Derby. In this garden area they
have a blend of very traditional plants, a traditional garden.
Click here for more info
A Garden with Traditional and New Plants
A NEARBY GARDEN HAS SOME NEW ELEMENTS THROWN IN. Eric likes the
different combinations of colors, rich variegations, the golds, then
the splash of the deep greens with a lot of different textures. Eric
particularly likes the blending of traditional plants with brand new
plants. Here the focal point is the Beech Tree, Fagus sylvatica
'Tortuosa.' It was grafted from a Tortuosa that is at Yew Dell Gardens,
Theodore Kline's garden but it came originally from the Morton
Arboretum. It's a traditional plant and is terrific for anchoring this
garden not only in the spring when there is a lot of seasonal color but
into the fall as well. At that time of year it has contorted branches
and a nice form. It looks great no matter the season. Also in this
garden are several beautiful Trachelospermums that have great, but
different variegation. One with pink is Tricolor, Trachelospermum
jasminoides 'Tricolor' Confederate Jasmine. This plant has been around
for awhile, the one in front is Trachelospermum asiaticum Ogon Nishiki
and it has a lot of gold in it. John, rather than staying with one
color believes in a garden that looks like he spilled a box of crayons
on the ground. He mixes a lot of different colors and he thinks it
makes for a more dramatic appearance.
Click here for more info
Cold Tolerant Annuals
THERE ARE SEVERAL ANNUAL PLANTS THAT WORK FOR HIM EARLY, PLANTS THAT
ARE VERY COLD TOLERANT. One is Petunias and the area where they are
planted presently is a sea of pink. This Petunia is Petunia hybrida
Supertunia 'Vista Bubblegum." Not only is it cold hardy but Petunias
are day light neutral. That means that Petunias like this are just
coming in as the days lengthen. This Petunia doesn't need longer days
to go into its' flowering cycle. It'll flower much earlier in the
season. Because of that they can get the plants out earlier. They show
more color early and they seem to take a little more cold. John also
uses Petunias as a terrific mass planting plant for spring plantings.
But, Churchill also runs in the fall and this meet often goes over into
areas where they're getting frost. Petunias work for John then as well.
But as the days get shorter it's only those day light neutral varieties
that continue to work for him.
Click here for more info
Winners Circle
THE TRADITIONAL WINNERS CIRCLE PLANT HAS BEEN THE RED GERANIUM although
by looking at past photos other plants have been tried. At the Derby
there will be hundreds of thousands in attendance and millions watching
on TV and all will be focused on this 1 spot. Accordingly they want to
make sure the area is the absolute best it can be. To accomplish this
task the soil must be the best it can be and prepared properly. They
want a nice blend of organic material, they want it to retain moisture.
John wants a nice, friable soil, which means it crumbles in your hand
providing enough air space for the roots to integrate out into the
native soil. The soil in Louisville is clay based, clay loam soil and
it needs preparation. The main components they use are compost pine
bark and mushroom compost. You can't do it once or twice, the stuff
breaks down. Every year they add more and more, thus the soil gets
better each season. They try not to work it when its too wet. John
believes that good soil is like chocolate cake, it needs little
airspaces. They don't want compacted soil, instead keep the soil nice
and pliable.
Click here for more info
Hot and Dry Area
THIS AREA IS ESPECIALLY HOT AND DRY and doesn't have irrigation. John
has learned to find plants that fit the site, not the other way around.
What he's done here is gone with a mix of succulent plant material,
plant material that will take these dry conditions. One of the
surprises is the Dogwood tree Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eyes.' It has a nice
variegated foliage but importantly for this spot it will take a dry
location. It works well in those spots. And, it makes a wonderful focal
point. There is a lot of diversity in plants in this bed, a lot of
different textures and feels. John has included the Fan Palm, the
Kalanchoe. The Fan Tail palm is not winter hardy here, but it makes a
terrific annual. He can bring them into the greenhouse in the winter
but they're not so expensive that if they need to be replaced it would
be a terrible loss. They provide a nice texture. In front is Bulbine
frutescens'Hallmark.' it isn't winter hardy in this area but is a
little further south. He buys these out of South Carolina or Georgia
and also uses them as an annual. By seasons end the clumps will be
huge. They take hot, dry conditions very well and they add a little
color and different texture.
Click here for more info
Plants in Cast Iron Containers
THEY LOOK AT A ROW OF MASSIVE CAST IRON PLANTERS. These are large
containers thus John's gone with plants that are large in scale so
everything ties in. John has used a unifying blue theme and put in some
complimentary yellow splashes with variegated Ginger. John walks us
through his design ideas on these containers. The anchor plant is blue
Plumbago auriculata x. Underneath is an Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata'
which is a great plant. It also has an Ageratum houstonianum, a Petunia
and then a little splash of red with Calibrachoa 'Million Bells Cherry
Red.' Eric feels it has come together well. He likes the way they've
integrated so many different textures and colors.
Click here for more info
Container Design
EVERY GREAT CONTAINER COMBINATION HAS CERTAIN DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS that
bring the whole container together in a unified and cohesive way. John
talks briefly about the type elements and design fundamentals that he
utilizes in container design. They view one container that exhibits 3
basic elements. A pillar, or upright plant, a filler, which are the
plants in the center and are mounding in form and then a trailing plant
that John refers to as a spiller. So they have a pillar, a filler and a
spiller. The taller element is the Sambucus nigra 'Eva,' Sambucus black
lace, in the center are several plants but is anchored by Solenostemon
x 'Glennis' Coleus. As well they have a Ageratum houstonianum, some
Salvia divinorum, some Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' which is a plant John
loves. And then falling out the bottom is Scirpus cernuus (Isolepis
cernua) Fiber Optic Grass and Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Tricolor.'
It all works well together, a lot of texture change. When one goes from
grass texture to cut leaf texture it adds a lot of depth and a lot of
texture as well as color to this combination.
Click here for more info
LINKS:
Churchill Downs
Galt House Hotel and Suites
Garden Smart Plant List
Complete transcript of the show.
706. Churchill Downs, Home of the Kentucky Derby
In this show Garden Smart visits Louisville, Kentucky and Churchill
Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs is not only famous
for horse racing but also has a rich horticultural tradition.
Lisa Haller welcomes Eric and Garden Smart to Louisville. Louisville is
a town founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and was named after King
Louis XVI. Louisville became a thriving community in large part due to
its location on the Ohio River. It sits right on the waterfront and
with the advent of the steamboat era it became an industrial town.
Louisville is a college town and is known for sports. The Kentucky
Derby is the biggest thing in horse racing around here and is known
throughout the world. Churchill Downs was originally incorporated in
the Galt House Hotel. In 1975 Al Schneider built the current Galt House
on the waterfront and adopted its name from Dr. Galt who was the first
hotelier in Louisville. The current Galt house is the largest in the
Commonwealth with 1300 rooms and 600 suites. It is also the center of
activities during the Derby celebrations. They have a tribute to all
Derby jockeys with their handprints in cement and an exhibit at the
front door. Many Derby parties take place at the Galt House as well.
Louisville is a fun place to visit especially during the Derby
celebrations.
Eric next meets John Backert the Director of Horticulture at Churchill
Downs. John has been at Churchill for 4 years. Before that he was in
the nursery and landscape business for about 20 years. He might have
been the guy that put mulch in back of your car 20 years ago. He
followed that with a stint at the local state technical college.
Horticulture has been a big part of John's life and certainly a big
part of Churchill Downs. The recetrack was built about 1875 and has a
rich horticultural history. John is determined to see that tradition
continue.
Louisville in general has a rich horticultural tradition as well.
Louisville is the home of Theodore Kline and Yew Dell Gardens, Bernheim
Gardens and Cave Hill Cemetery as well as many other terrific gardens.
Louisville has a rich tradition of plants and plant introductions.
CHURCHILL DOWNS SITS ON 140 ACRES set in the middle of the metropolitan
area. This vast space allows John and his crew the opportunity to try a
lot of different gardening ideas which range from very formal settings
to informal settings. They have dry gardens where they use a lot of
succulents as well as areas of mass annual plantings. They have lots of
mixed containers and always try to include the local fare because
Louisville has such a rich horticultural history.
Top
JOHN AND ERIC START IN THE ARISTIDES GARDEN. The statue in the center
is Aristides, the 1st Kentucky Derby winner, in 1875. Although the
statue is a little larger than scale, Aristides was a big horse. The
walls that surround this area were the old paddock runway. This was the
area where the horses left the paddock and went to the racetrack.
Things have changed between then and now. On the wall in the background
are the initials JC. That was the 1st original jockey club and was
built in 1895. The garden in this area has been a traditional garden
for many years. They have tulips growing here now because many people
associate tulips with the Derby. They use Tulipa 'Burgundy lace" which
is the latest blooming tulip they can find. Tulips have gone through
changes and now many tulips are bred for the cut flower industry and
not so much for the landscape industry. These tulips have a lower
chilling requirement meaning they bloom much earlier in the season.
They also seem to hold as well as any that John has found. It's very
old, bred in the 40's and 50's and have a very traditional look that
has worked well here. One can't talk about plants at the Kentucky Derby
without talking about roses. After all it is a "run for the roses." A
rose that has worked for John has been the Rosa Double Knock Out. It
blooms early, comes on with great color, has enough petals that it has
a traditional rose looking bud as it starts to emerge. It seems to take
abuse. They have a fickle climate here; for example, they had a late
freeze this year. It went from far above normal to far below. John
still thinks he'll have some color for Derby. In this garden area they
have a blend of very traditional plants, a traditional garden.
Top
A NEARBY GARDEN HAS SOME NEW ELEMENTS THROWN IN. Eric likes the
different combinations of colors, rich variegations, the golds, then
the splash of the deep greens with a lot of different textures. Eric
particularly likes the blending of traditional plants with brand new
plants. Here the focal point is the Beech Tree, Fagus sylvatica
'Tortuosa.' It was grafted from a Tortuosa that is at Yew Dell Gardens,
Theodore Kline's garden, but it came originally from the Morton
Arboretum. It's a traditional plant and is terrific for anchoring this
garden not only in the spring when there is a lot of seasonal color but
into the fall as well. At that time of year it has contorted branches
and a nice form. It looks great no matter the season. Also in this
garden are several beautiful Trachelospermums that have great, but
different variegation. One with pink is Tricolor, Trachelospermum
jasminoides 'Tricolor' Confederate Jasmine. This plant has been around
for awhile, the one in front is Trachelospermum asiaticum Ogon Nishiki
and it has a lot of gold in it. John, rather than staying with one
color believes in a garden that looks like he spilled a box of crayons
on the ground. He mixes a lot of different colors and he thinks it
makes for a more dramatic appearance. It is eyecatching. The
Polemoniums are a beautiful plant. Polemonium caeruleum 'Snow and
Sapphires' has great variegation, great blooms and it blooms at the
right time. The Kentucky Derby is always the 1st Saturday in May and
this plant is reliable for blooming during that time frame. Eric
notices 2 other new plants, a Fatsia and a beautiful gold fern. This is
John's 1st year growing the Fatsia, Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web' and
he loves its dramatic form. Fatsia Japonica is a favorite of John's but
with the addition of the powdery white variegation it really helps
carry the plant, especially in this garden where he's doing so much
with variegated color. The fern is actually a variegated Boston Fern
called Nephrolepis exaltata 'Rita's Gold.' It can be a little
overpowering by itself but when used in combination with other material
it really brightens up dark shaded areas. This garden is not deep
shade, but it does get a fair amount of shade in the corners and this
plant really helps brighten the area. This is the 1st adaptation on
Boston Fern in forever, the first gold ever, Rita's Gold is a great
addition to this collection.
Top
Cold Tolerant
Since the Kentucky Derby is an early race Eric wonders about some of
the gardening challenges John and his crew must keep in mind. John must
always take into consideration that the first frost free day in this
area is May 8. The race is held the last Saturday in May, thus it's
never later than May 7. Thus they always have the possibility of a late
freeze. Accordingly he holds most of his annual plantings as late as
possible but THERE ARE SEVERAL ANNUAL PLANTS THAT WORK FOR HIM EARLY,
PLANTS THAT ARE VERY COLD TOLERANT. One is Petunias and the area where
they are planted presently is a sea of pink. This Petunia is Petunia
hybrida Supertunia 'Vista Bubblegum." Not only is it cold hardy but
Petunias are day light neutral. That means that Petunias like this are
just coming in as the days lengthen. This Petunia doesn't need longer
days to go into its' flowering cycle. It'll flower much earlier in the
season. Because of that they can get the plants out earlier. They show
more color early and they seem to take a little more cold. John also
uses Petunias as a terrific mass planting plant for spring plantings.
But, Churchill also runs in the fall and this meet often goes over into
areas where they're getting frost. Petunias work for John then as well.
But as the days get shorter it's only those day light neutral varieties
that continue to work for him.
Top
We next visit the Winners Circle. This is the focal point of the whole
track. At Churchill Downs they have an everyday Winners Circle used
year round. But the Kentucky Derby Winners Circle has only been used
132 times. It's a very special place. It's special to horsemen and
special to all at Churchill Downs. They take great pride in making this
look its best. THE TRADITIONAL WINNERS CIRCLE PLANT HAS BEEN THE RED
GERANIUM although by looking at past photos other plants have been
tried. At the Derby there will be hundreds of thousands in attendance
and millions watching on TV and all will be focused on this 1 spot.
Accordingly they want to make sure the area is the absolute best it can
be. To accomplish this task the soil must be the best it can be and
prepared properly. They want a nice blend of organic material, they
want it to retain moisture. John wants a nice, friable soil, which
means it crumbles in your hand providing enough air space for the roots
to integrate out into the native soil. The soil in Louisville is clay
based, clay loam soil and it needs preparation. The main components
they use are compost pine bark and mushroom compost. You can't do it
once or twice, the stuff breaks down. Every year they add more and
more, thus the soil gets better each season. They try not to work it
when its too wet. John believes that good soil is like chocolate cake,
it needs little airspaces. They don't want compacted soil, instead keep
the soil nice and pliable.
Eric and John start planting. It's important to plant the plant the
correct way which will provide the best shot for the plant to
incorporate into the native soil that has just been prepared. Of
course, start with a healthy plant. John, of course, has done that.
This plant, when taken out of its container, has a few circling roots
which happens with most container plants. To address that, slightly
flare the roots because one wants the roots to grow out into the soil,
as opposed to continuing in a circle. Then dig a nice big hole, place
the plant in about level and work the soil around the plant. Don't pack
it in too much, then water it in.
Top
Hot and Dry
There are many different and varied sites at Churchill Downs which
present John with a number of horticultural challenges. We look at one.
THIS AREA IS ESPECIALLY HOT AND DRY and doesn't have irrigation. John
has learned to find plants that fit the site, not the other way around.
What he's done here is gone with a mix of succulent plant material,
plant material that will take these dry conditions. One of the
surprises is the Dogwood tree Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eyes.' It has a nice
variegated foliage but importantly for this spot it will take a dry
location. It works well in those spots. And, it makes a wonderful focal
point. There is a lot of diversity of plants in this bed, a lot of
different textures and feels. John has included the Fan Palm, the
Kalanchoe. The Fan Tail palm is not winter hardy here, but it makes a
terrific annual. He can bring them into the greenhouse in the winter
but they're not so expensive that if they need to be replaced it would
be a terrible loss. They provide a nice texture. In front is Bulbine
frutescens 'Hallmark.' It isn't winter hardy in this area but is a
little further south. He buys these out of South Carolina or Georgia
and also uses them as an annual. By seasons end the clumps will be
huge. They take hot, dry conditions very well and they add a little
color and different texture. The Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 'Flapjack' is an
unusual plant with huge leaves and a nice, little red margin. John used
this in the paddock the first year and it was a showpiece. It generated
more questions than about any plant John has grown. He thinks it's a
wonderful plant.
Top
Iron Containers
Eric has noticed the many walkways, they have a lot of hardscape -
beautiful brick walkways, different alleyways, etc. Eric Feels John has
done an artful job of working in beautiful containers. THEY LOOK AT A
ROW OF MASSIVE CAST IRON PLANTERS. These are large containers thus
John's gone with plants that are large in scale so everything ties in.
John has used a unifying blue theme and put in some complimentary
yellow splashes with variegated Ginger. John walks us through his
design ideas on these containers. The anchor plant is blue Plumbago
auriculata x. Underneath is an Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata' which is a
great plant. It also has an Ageratum houstonianum, a Petunia and then a
little splash of red with Calibrachoa 'Million Bells Cherry Red.' Eric
feels it has come together well. He likes the way they've integrated so
many different textures and colors. It's really beautiful.
Top
Container Design
John and Eric next visit the greenhouse so John can show how he puts
his container collections together. EVERY GREAT CONTAINER COMBINATION
HAS CERTAIN DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS that bring the whole container together
in a unified and cohesive way. John talks briefly about the type
elements and design fundamentals that he utilizes in container design.
They view one container that exhibits 3 basic elements. A pillar, or
upright plant, a filler, which are the plants in the center and are
mounding in form and then a trailing plant that John refers to as a
spiller. So they have a pillar, a filler and a spiller. The taller
element is the Sambucus nigra 'Eva,' Sambucus black lace, in the center
are several plants but is anchored by Solenostemon x 'Glennis' Coleus.
As well they have a Ageratum houstonianum, some Salvia divinorum, some
Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' which is a plant John loves. And then falling
out the bottom is Scirpus cernuus (Isolepis cernua) Fiber Optic Grass
and Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Tricolor.' It all works well together,
a lot of texture change. When one goes from grass texture to cut leaf
texture it adds a lot of depth and a lot of texture as well as color to
this combination. Eric likes the way they've worked off the colors in
the container. It's a black container so they echo that with the
Sambucus Black Lace. There is a lot of interest with the pillar, filler
and spiller design technique. One gets a sense of moving through the
container. One sees everything and it all really comes together
beautifully. Since these containers will sit on the presentation stand
for the Kentucky Derby there is a lot riding on these containers. John
wants them to look good. And they do.
Eric thanks John for his hospitality and gardening lessons. Both are
appreciated. We'll never view the Kentucky Derby the same. It will
always have more meaning.
Top
LINKS:
Churchill Downs
Galt House Hotel and Suites
Garden Smart Plant List
