Background
CAVE HILL IS CALLED A RURAL CEMETERY AND THEY WERE THE FORERUNNERS TO
THE ARBORETUMS and forerunners of the park system. Landscape architects
like Olmstead, for instance, got a lot of their original ideas from
rural garden cemeteries with their meandering roadways, individual
specimen trees and shrubs planted throughout. These ideas carried over
into the park system.
Click here for more info
Caucasian Wingnut
This is a beautiful location for all the large trees and shrubs. ONE IS
A PTEROCARYA 'CAUCASIAN WINGNUT' which is rare to find. It's a great
tree, an offspring of the original tree from the National Arboretum in
Washington, D.C. Cave Hill is on the plant testing list and because of
this obtained the original tree in 1915. Originally it was planted by
one of the ponds. It is a wide, spreading tree that puts out seeds in
the fall.
Click here for more info
Beech Tree
ONE OF ERIC'S FAVORITE TREES IS THE BEECH TREE and Cave Hill has a
number of wonderful selections. One is the 'European Beech.' It is
Fagus sylvatica 'Rotundifolia' Roundleaf Columnar Beech. It was
propagated by Theodore Kline the owner of Yew Dell Gardens in
Crestwood, Kentucky (which we visit in another show) and a longtime
friend of Lee's. Theodore propagated it and gave it to Cave Hill around
1976. They planted it on the lake. Beech trees like good drainage so it
does great here and is a beautiful tree.
Click here for more info
Dawn Redwood
THEY HAVE ONE OF THE EARLIEST PLANTINGS OF METASEQUOIA GLYPTOSTROBOIDES
'DAWN REDWOOD' and it too came from the National Arboretum. One looks
like an old, ancient tree but they are fast growers and in actuality
was planted in the early 1950's. It was brought here from the
expedition in China when they found them growing in the wild. Before
that they were thought extinct. Since Cave Hill is a test site for the
National Arboretum when it was found in 1945 or 46 it was propagated,
then sent to Cave Hill. It is a great selection if one is looking for
something unusual, something that grows fast.
Click here for more info
Bald Cypress
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DECIDUOUS CONIFER AT CAVE HILL IS TAXODIUM DISTICHUM
'BALD CYPRESS' and Taxodium ascendens 'Pond Cypress.' Eric notices the
knees of the Bald cypress growing at the edge of the water. Bald
cypress grows both in dry ground and wet ground and can be totally
submerged in water. But when in a wet area the root system needs
oxygen, so it puts knees up from the root system. These help absorb
oxygen and exchange gas between the underground portion and the above
ground portion and they help oxygenate the root system of the tree.
It's a beautiful, kind of structural element and really looks nice.
Click here for more info
Yellow Wood Tree
ANOTHER GREAT TREE IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION, CLADRASTIS IUTEA 'YELLOW
WOOD.' It is a rare tree and this is the biggest Yellowwood in the U.S.
It was planted around 1880, has a trunk circumference around of about
12 feet and a diameter of 7 to 8 feet and a branch spread of close to
90 feet. Again, it's planted in a shady area by itself without much
competition. It has been given a wonderful opportunity to continue
growing.
Click here for more info
Ginko Biloba
ERIC AND LEE NEXT LOOK AT A GINKO BILOBA 'MAIDENHAIR' and it is huge.
It is the Kentucky state champion tree. It has a 17 foot circumference
and about a 130 foot spread. It is massive. Ginkos are a prehistoric
tree and one of the oldest trees in cultivation. This tree has some
unusual distinctions. Generally Ginkos have male and female flowers on
different trees. This tree was a male for 150 years and 10 years ago it
put out a female branch, a Witches broom, in the top. Thus it's a
monoecious Ginko, meaning it has both male and female elements in the
same tree, which is quite unusual, it's not seen often.
Click here for more info
LINKS:
Cave Hill Cemetery
Galt House Hotel and Suites
Garden Smart Plant List
Complete transcript of the show.
708. Cave Hill Cemetery
In this episode Garden Smart visits Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville,
Kentucky one of the birthplaces of modern landscape architecture. Cave
Hill has a rich tradition both historically and horticulturally.
Eric first visits with Dr. Samuel Thomas a noted historian, as well as
author, who's written a beautiful book about Cave Hill Cemetery. Dr.
Thomas first came to Cave Hill because he was doing research on George
Rogers Clark the founder of Louisville, Kentucky. The cemetery and the
headstones proved valuable because they have dates on them which then
were helpful in researching obituaries. The cemetery was not the first
in the city but it is the most important. Cemeteries in the earlier
times were laid out in a grid form. The Louisville city fathers decided
that was an obsolete plan and decided to come to what was at that time
Cave Hill Farm and use part of it as a burying ground. The city hired
Edmund Francis Lee to lay this out in 1857. Mr. Lee decided not to do
it the old way. Instead he decided to highlight this wonderful, scenic
property, taking advantage of the water, trees and the natural setting.
All added credence and were conducive to the idea that one would lay
here for eternity. This was a radical departure from a typical cemetery
of the day. Everything was carefully thought through and designed down
to the terracing and the way the monuments were placed in the
landscape. This concept provided more of a garden feel which brings a
sense of peacefulness and beauty to Cave Hill which is unique. Many of
the monuments are more works of art than just headstones. We look at
one example. It was designed by Robert Launitz from New York City, who
was the father of monumental art in America. It came in parts from
Italy and is made of Carrera marble that was brought over here then
arranged in this cemetery. Knowing some of the history of Cave Hill
helps us understand it better and makes it an even more special place.
Cave Hill Cemetery sits on 300 impeccably manicured acres. Lee Squires
is the Secretary Treasurer and the Superintendent of the cemetery. He's
a man that wears a lot of hats and we talk with him to learn more about
him and his background. Lee came to Cave Hill in 1974. He has a degree
in Horticulture and Landscape Design from the University of Kentucky.
He is only the 5th Superintendent here since 1848. The 1st three
Superintendents were from Scotland and were Scottish gardeners. In that
era landscaping was in its infancy in the U.S. Thus they hired
landscape professionals from Scotland to come to this country.
Today Lee and his staff have 300 acres of grass to cut so the Weedeater
or string trimmer is most helpful. But, Eric notices the beautiful
design, there is obviously a gardeners touch at work here. In many ways
old cemeteries were the birthplace of modern landscape architecture and
upon closer inspection one can see how many of the ideas today were
borrowed from the past, specifically from old cemeteries like Cave
Hill. Central Park is another example.
CAVE HILL IS CALLED A RURAL CEMETERY AND THEY WERE THE FORERUNNERS TO
THE ARBORETUMS and forerunners of the park system. Landscape architects
like Olmstead, for instance, got a lot of their original ideas from
rural garden cemeteries with their meandering roadways, individual
specimen trees and shrubs planted throughout. These ideas carried over
into the park system. Thus in actuality the parks are cemeteries
without monuments. This cemetery is well designed and laid out in such
a way as to provide an intimate feeling. But at the same time it has a
tremendous sense of space. A lot of that has to do with the way the
trees are positioned. There was a tremendous amount of forethought that
went into the way every individual plant was located, certainly with
the full grown specimen in mind. We're now able to see what these trees
would do if left undisturbed for hundreds of years and in some cases
many are older than that. This cemetery provides a tremendous
opportunity to see different plants, basically in a natural setting
where they've been undisturbed for a long period of time. To some
degree that is because they have planted the trees on the dividing
lines between the lots, plus they have some areas called plant reserves
where they can have only plants, no burials. Thus the trees can reach
mature size, many are well over one hundred years old and have been
undisturbed for that number of years.
There are many wonderful and amazing natural features here, like
springs and lakes, but Eric and Lee start at the mouth of the cave
which the cemetery was named after. This cave runs back 276 feet and is
where Cave Hill got its name. Cave Hill is located on coarse
topography. They have over 62 sink holes, which is where the roof of
the cave dropped to the floor. This occurred about 750,000 years ago.
Since that time about 15 feet of soil has accumulated on top of that
drop. Since it won't sink anymore they've landscaped around the basins,
as they're called. This has added to the valleys, the depressions and
the hills and vales of the cemetery. As well there are beautiful
streams and springs and lakes that make up a wonderful series of water
features that break up the rolling hills and make for a pastoral
element. In front of the cave is a 2 acre lake. It has 5 springs that
feed the lake system running from Grensted Draft through the cemetery.
The springs are active year round, they have 53 degree water
temperature so the birds and fish and waterfowl have fresh water year
round. As well, there are 5 lakes on the property.
One of the larger lakes was originally a limestone quarry which is
fitting considering all the stone at the cemetery. Prior to 1900 they
quarried limestone. The local prison would sentence prisoners to the
Cave Hill quarry. The prisoners would come out with sledgehammers and
actually break stone at the quarry. One one occasion the prisoners were
drilling in the base of the quarry with a 20 foot drill when they hit
an underground spring. The water came up and filled the quarry and
today there is 20 to 25 feet of water in there.
Top
This is a beautiful location for all the large trees and shrubs. ONE IS
A PTEROCARYA 'CAUCASIAN WINGNUT' which is rare to find. It's a great
tree, an offspring of the original tree from the National Arboretum in
Washington, D.C. Cave Hill is on the plant testing list and because of
this obtained the original tree in 1915. Originally it was planted by
one of the ponds. It is a wide, spreading tree that puts out seeds in
the fall. This particular tree grew from seed. They propagated them,
dug them up and moved them around to different parts of the cemetery.
Lee thinks the botanical name Pterocarya fraxinifolia is a cool
botanical name.
Lee takes us on a walking tour. Cave Hill has a number of wonderful
Evergreen and Conifer selections. One of the repeating themes
throughout is the Taxus cuspidate 'Japanese Yew.' These allowed to grow
have a beautiful natural form. One was planted around 1890 when their
office was built. Over the years it's grown up and they trimmed it
every year until 10 years ago. At that point they limbed it up, cut off
all the bottom limbs and foliage and exposed the unusual branching
habit. This technique provides a rare opportunity to see the bark on a
Yew which is usually hidden. By contrast nearby they have a Japanese
Yew which has a more formal treatment, giving it the appearance of a
tightly sheared hedge, which is a totally different look. They try to
keep it a little tighter. The gardeners call it the flying saucer
because it resembles a flying saucer. This they trim every year.
Top
ONE OF ERIC'S FAVORITE TREES IS THE BEECH TREE and Cave Hill has a
number of wonderful selections. One is the 'European Beech.' It is
Fagus sylvatica 'Rotundifolia' Roundleaf Columnar Beech. It was
propagated by Theodore Kline the owner of Yew Dell Gardens in
Crestwood, Kentucky (which we visit in another show) and a longtime
friend of Lee's. Theodore propagated it and gave it to Cave Hill around
1976. They planted it on the lake. Beech trees like good drainage so it
does great here and is a beautiful tree.
Top
THEY HAVE ONE OF THE EARLIEST PLANTINGS OF METASEQUOIA GLYPTOSTROBOIDES
'DAWN REDWOOD' and it too came from the National Arboretum. One looks
like an old, ancient tree but they are fast growers and in actuality
was planted in the early 1950's. It was brought here from the
expedition in China when they found them growing in the wild. Before
that they were thought extinct. Since Cave Hill is a test site for the
National Arboretum when it was found in 1945 or 46 it was propagated,
then sent to Cave Hill. It is a great selection if one is looking for
something unusual, something that grows fast.
Top
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DECIDUOUS CONIFER AT CAVE HILL IS TAXODIUM DISTICHUM
'BALD CYPRESS' and Taxodium ascendens 'Pond Cypress.' Eric notices the
knees of the Bald cypress growing at the edge of the water. Bald
cypress grows both in dry ground and wet ground and can be totally
submerged in water. But when in a wet area the root system needs
oxygen, so it puts knees up from the root system. These help absorb
oxygen and exchange gas between the underground portion and the above
ground portion and they help oxygenate the root system of the tree.
It's a beautiful, kind of structural element and really looks nice.
Earlier we saw a Columnar Beech tree, we now view the botanical
opposite, which is a Fagus sylvatica 'Weeping Beech' tree. It is a
fantastic, large specimen. The Scottish gardeners in 1890 imported this
tree from Belgium and was the 1st Weeping Beech tree in this part of
the country. It's planted by itself, with no competition, is thriving
and is a very unique specimen. Since it has been given a lot of space
it's able to express its personality and it is truly a tree with a lot
of personality.
Top
ANOTHER GREAT TREE IS THE NATIONAL CHAMPION, CLADRASTIS IUTEA 'YELLOW
WOOD.' It is a rare tree and this is the biggest Yellowwood in the U.S.
It was planted around 1880, has a trunk circumference around of about
12 feet and a diameter of 7 to 8 feet and a branch spread of close to
90 feet. Again, it's planted in a shady area by itself without much
competition. It has been given a wonderful opportunity to continue
growing.
Eric thinks that given the fact Cave Hill is right in the middle of
downtown Louisville it is hard to believe there is so much serenity and
beauty. It's so quiet, yet right in the middle of the city. In 1848
Cave Hill was called a rural garden cemetery. It was located in the
country at that time because of communicable diseases. Since that time
the city has bypassed the cemetery so now it is in the heart of
downtown Louisville. It's an oasis in the city.
Top
ERIC AND LEE NEXT LOOK AT A GINKO BILOBA 'MAIDENHAIR' and it is huge.
It is the Kentucky state champion tree. It has a 17 foot circumference
and about a 130 foot spread. It is massive. Ginkos are a prehistoric
tree and one of the oldest trees in cultivation. This tree has some
unusual distinctions. Generally Ginkos have male and female flowers on
different trees. This tree was a male for 150 years and 10 years ago it
put out a female branch, a Witches broom, in the top. Thus it's a
monoecious Ginko, meaning it has both male and female elements in the
same tree, which is quite unusual, it's not seen often.
The headstones and sculptures are beautiful and everywhere at Cave
Hill. Most of the monuments are works of art. We view the Thompson
monument which is a monument designed to look like a tree trunk. The
individual headstones are saw logs, which appear to have come from the
original monument. Thompson was in the tree business, thus the motif.
Another is a woman, that was killed in an accident 20 years ago, in a
nightgown. This monument is made of bronze. Another is a smiling Jesus
with children running to Him. This is called Children Come Unto Me.
There are many statues made of marble but marble has deteriorated over
the years because of acid rain. Thus some of the earlier pieces were
made of marble, some of the later are made of bronze. They've perfected
bronze techniques for sculptures and one can now get more detail with
bronze rather than from marble. All are beautiful and mesh into the
garden beautifully.
We next visit the Rustic Shelter House. It was built in 1882 and is a
copy of Marie Antoinette's garden cottage at the Palace of Versailles
in Paris. It's made out of oak bark and the original bark is still on
the building. The guards today use it for shelter as they walk through
the grounds. Thus they have 120 year old bark that is still in good
condition. One reason is the building has a limestone foundation and
Poplar floor joist. Termites will not climb limestone and they do not
eat Poplar. This is just another example of the amount of forethought
that has gone into every aspect of this garden.
Eric and Lee are standing next to a beautiful pink marble gazebo. And,
it is stunning. Lee thinks it is probably the only million dollar
gazebo he'll ever see. The scale and intricacy of this piece is another
example of the detail here. This was built in 1926 and 1927 for the
Satterwhire family. They purchased this lot in 1925, it is one half
acre and very well maintained. It has a fantastic wall of white
flowering Azaleas that are stunning. They were planted in 1927, after
the memorial was built. They're day-azadelvw 'Delaware Valley White'
Azaleas. They've never been trimmed and they're 10 feet tall.
They next look at another Beech tree. This one is a 200 year old
specimen. It is Fagus grandifolia 'American ' Beech and is truly a
wonderful specimen, one of the largest Eric has ever seen. It reminds
him of a wonderful story he heard years ago about a beautiful European
cathedral that, as the workers were finishing it up, they planted a
couple allaes of Oak trees along the side of the cathedral knowing that
in 100 to 150 years the beams of that cathedral were going to need to
be replaced. It was important to the workers that they have the right
kind of wood and that it was the correct size. That is the kind of
vision and future-mindedness that one sees at Cave Hill Cemetery. From
generation to generation of caretaker they all have planned and
carefully thought out what plants to put in place, how to space them
and how to build this paradise. The philosophy here is Cave Hill is
forever, for the future. Someone once said it's a wise man who plants a
tree under whose shade he will never sit. That's the philosophy they
follow at Cave Hill Cemetery.
And, that thinking is in sharp contrast to a lot of what we see in
modern landscaping and landscape design. People are using what some
might consider disposable trees. An example would be, a Pyrus
calleryana 'Bradford' Pear that will crack up within 15 years. As well,
the trend is to take a bunch of plants and cram them in together where
one would only need 1 or 2 plants. Thus, instead of picking out a
couple of plants of distinction or a couple of nice plants and letting
them achieve the kind of size that those plants can achieve, where one
really gets to experience the plant, today we seem to be looking for
something that is much more short term. Eric encourages gardeners to
look at noble plants and trees of distinction, plants that will last
for generations. Avoid instant gratification in landscaping and plant
for the future. Don't plant too many plants in one area.
Eric thanks Lee for the tour of Cave Hill Cemetery. This has been a
very different experience but one with many subtle gardening lessons.
We've thoroughly enjoyed Lee and Cave Hill Cemetery. Thanks for the
opportunity to see a truly unique garden.
Top
LINKS:
Cave Hill Cemetery
Galt House Hotel and Suites
Garden Smart Plant List
