Chadwick Arboretum
BART TELLS US ABOUT CHADWICK ARBORETUM. Chadwick encompasses about 65 acres and it's been here for about 28 years. It is named after Dr.
L.C. Chadwick who's one of the more prominent OSU horticulture professors. Chadwick encompasses 3 main areas- one directly in front of the
horticulture building, the Lane Avenue Gardens and another site further north where they have a large willow teaching collection.
Click here for more info
Shade Gardens
THE GUYS START THE TOUR IN THE SHADE GARDEN. Richard lives in a mature neighborhood, the trees are huge which means the environment has
changed completely over the time they've lived there. It's a common problem. Here they have 2 sides to their shade garden, a dry side and
a wet side. Shade gardens are difficult for color, so they make up for this by using colorful foliage. In one garden the colors are
chartreuse and purple, the other red, white, pink that transitions to all white in the summer. Not only do they make up for the lack of
color by using textures and forms, but as well, different plant material to provide depth to the garden.
Click here for more info
Stephen Still Garden
Bart and Richard next visit the STEPHEN STILL GARDEN. It was named after one of their professors who just recently retired. Richard is
very familiar with Stephen Still, in fact he used his book for 28 out of the 30 years that Richard taught. It was a wonderful resource.
Richard used the book so much the cover is ripped off the copy he used. But he still refers to it, it is a wonderful book, it has great
information, he particularly likes his editorial comments on plants. Very insightful, very useful.
Click here for more info
Adrian Bloom Garden
This garden was installed 4 years ago, all in 1 day, by volunteers. A famous designer from England, ADRIAN BLOOM WAS THE DESIGNER. The
plant material was provided by Blooms of Bessingham, with which they have a good working relationship. Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' Red
Baron, Red Baron grass is quite obvious. It grows to maybe 2 feet tall, has a nice red color, gets more intense in full sun and adds that
very fine texture to a garden. It's a great choice, it can become invasive and if it reverts back to its green color it probably needs to
be plucked. For extra spice they have Crososmia 'Lucifer" which has an intense reddish, orange color.
Click here for more info
Kleinmaier Perennial Garden
They next move into the BURT AND JOSEPHINE KLEINMAIER PERENNIAL GARDEN. This garden contains the bulk of their perennial outdoor teaching
collection. It's a tough garden, the perennials do the heavy lifting. These are bread and butter plants that anybody in the country should
be able to use. A favorite is Verbena bonariensis. It's upright, very light and airy. A great choice, especially in the back of the
border. Sometime it gets a little powdery mildew in humid areas but it's prolific. It will reseed and can often be found miles away the
next year. Lilium 'African Queen' is a giant Lily. Everybody sees Lilies in gardens, this one is a seven foot tall beauty, has gold and
yellow flowers, is very fragrant and great for the back of the bed or as a centerpiece. It's a plant you can't miss. Echinops is a little
more spiny, a little more gnarly, it looks like it might bite you. But it's great for full sun and is drought tolerant. Speaking of
drought tolerant - one of the things Ohio State is known for is their Viburnum collection.
Click here for more info
Overview Trial Gardens
These plants are exceptional and are proven but they have some TRIAL GARDENS. They do trial quite a few plants here. In fact it looks like
a huge outdoor classroom. Bart feels they're fortunate to be in Columbus, Ohio, a large metropolitan area. The demographics are very
similar nationally to the American demographics. Thus, the evaluations they do here are in line with the average American consumer.
Richard feels the demographics may be average but there is nothing average about the trial gardens. They expand the trial gardens every
year. This year they have 22 companies from all over the world represented here. Countries like Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Thailand are
represented.
Click here for more info
Periwinkle
They start with the PERIWINKLE. It's a strong, flowering plant for central Ohio. It's very rugged, loves heat and humidity and flowers
almost nonstop. Don't put it in the ground before the soil warms up, it does not like cold feet. They have a wide range of colors,
everything except true blue. It's a great plant for the landscape, in fact they're using it in the median strips at Ohio State in front of
the stadium. It also looks good with Angelonia. Angelonia is a great plant, has a very wide color range but a more vertical appearance.
Again, it has strong heat and humidity tolerance.
Click here for more info
Geraniums
SEVERAL BEDS ARE DEDICATED TO GERANIUMS. Geraniums make up about 8% of their trial. It is a strong performer in Columbus. Companies know
this and send Geraniums because they want to put on a great show and see how their plants stack up to the competition. It's a
"grandmother's" type plant, it's been around for a long time. But Bart has some really unusual varieties. One new introduction this year
is a series called Tex-Mex. They have several different entries - Tex-Mex Fire and Tex-Mex Rose. These plants have an intense flower
color, they jump out in the landscape. Our grandmother might not be into these.
Click here for more info
Container Plants
CONTAINER PLANTS are becoming more popular throughout the country. If one is looking for instant presence and portability, you can't beat
containers. And some plants seem to prefer being in containers. They seem to like the confined root environment. Some research would
indicate that plants that tolerate a wild and crazy root environment, dry one day, wet the next, will thrive in containers. Plants that
like a boring, mundane environment don't do as well. Plants like Marigolds, Tomatoes, Squash like to be in the ground for the constant
moisture and have lots of room for their roots to expand. However plants like Calibrachoa Million Bells and Scaevola Fan Flower, both of
which tend to be fuller and have more flowers on top and are striking plants, seem to do better in containers.
Click here for more info
Container Care
Bart provides some TIPS ON CONTAINER CARE. He believes the best advice is to invest in good soil. You want a soil that is light and
provides good drainage. Some buy soil based on weight, believing the heavier it is, the better it is. That is incorrect. Also utilize a
good slow release fertilizer, it takes some guesswork out of fertilizing. You don't need to remember to do it every week. And, finally
invest in a good container. You will, most likely, have the container for a long time, so pay for a good container.
Click here for more info
Horticultural Therapy - One Of The Hottest Trends
Richard thanks Bart and is off to see Jenny Pope in the HORTICULTURAL THERAPY GARDEN. Horticultural therapy is one of the hottest trends
in horticulture. Jenny explains how she became involved in the field. She 1st went to Ohio State University and received a degree in
Horticulture. After graduating she went to Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus and worked as an interior horticulturist. There she
worked with all different types of people and grew to realize and love that people/plant connection. In that process she came to
understand that gardening really makes one feel good. She was sure that there is some sort of therapeutic benefit. And there is.
Click here for more info
What Is Horticultural Therapy
So, what exactly does Jenny do? That's a good question and one she's asked all the time. WITH HORTICULTURAL THERAPY ONE IS LOOKING AT
PLANTS, everyone can relate to plants, it doesn't matter your age or gender, or cultural background somehow everyone relates to plants.
Think about gardening, when in the garden it makes you feel good, you get exercise, the stress, the problems of the world tend to fall off
your shoulders. So it's naturally therapeutic in that way. What horticultural therapy does is it makes it focused and directed. You have 3
components of horticultural therapy - the client, the client's goals and then the horticultural activities that help meet those goals.
Click here for more info
A Rock Is Not Just A Rock
IN THIS GARDEN A ROCK IS NOT JUST A ROCK. Here they use rocks to help label the plants. One is next to a beet. A lot of patients cannot
read, so having that picture let's them know what plant is planted there. Also, it gives them an idea of what's in the ground, because
they can't see the beet. So, it let's them connect. This is a fantastic idea, not just for folks with disabilities but for kids. It's a
great way to teach spelling and to show them what the plants actually look like. Jenny feels people shouldn't be intimidated by artwork.
She shows one example, an abstract tomato but it gets the point across vividly. And, it's lovely. This is perfect for people of all ages
and abilities.
Click here for more info
Containers Are Important
Containers show one doesn't need a permanent place to garden. The CONTAINERS HERE ARE SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF PARTICIPANTS CANNOT
GET DOWN IN THE GARDEN, they can't get on their hands and knees and work in the soil. Thus these containers are a perfect solution. They
have many different varieties, in particular some are large and plastic. Which means they're lightweight. They take old plastic pots, line
the bottom with something like empty cans or plastic bottles, then fill it with soil. This makes them easy to lift. They can take them out
of the hot sun and bring them into the shade for the participant. They also have wonderful wooden planters.
Click here for more info
American Public Gardens Association
Chadwick Arboretum is a member of the American Public Gardens Association which is an important group and one Richard thinks many in our
audience should learn about. Link below.
Click here for more info
LINKS:
Garden Smart Plant List
The Ohio State University
Chadwick Arboretum
American Public Gardens Association (APGA)
Dr. Still's
Book
Complete transcript of the show.
Show #38/4112. Gardening In The Heartland
The Ohio state University is known for its academics, its athletics and its horticulture. In this Episode GardenSMART visits OSU's,
Chadwick Arboretum to see first hand some of the fascinating work being done in plant trialing and horticulture therapy.
Tom McNutt is a gardening nut. And he admits some do call him a nut. He started many years ago as a vocational agriculture teacher and
taught for 5 years at the high school level, then moved on to the 4H and the Extension Service in Ohio as an agriculture agent. During
that time he became the Director of the Extension Service. They started a horticulture hotline in the 60's and 70's. To accomplish this
they enlisted the help of volunteers, thus involved a lot of Master Gardeners, Tom had a terrific staff at that time. NBC 4 in Columbus
saw what they were doing, talking with people, getting involved and connecting with local folks, in general meeting the needs of many
people so they wanted Tom's group to become involved with a TV program. Tom became the host and 20 years later he's still doing some TV
time. And as long as the ratings hold up, he supposes he will continue. And those rating are good. Tom thinks the lowest has been about
17% and as high as 25% to 30%. Pretty good TV numbers.
Tom loves Columbus. He thinks the people are the biggest factor. The people here love gardening, they flock to garden shows, have
beautiful landscapes, etc. They get involved asking a lot of questions about how to do this and how to do that. Here they have world class
Parker Roses and the American Community Gardening Assoc. is headquartered here. They have Franklin Park Conservatory but importantly they
have Chadwick Arboretum. It is world class and is sponsored by the Research and Development Extension Service Center of the College of
Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the Ohio State University. The information here flows from research to outreach programs
and that enables everyone to realize they're dealing with scientific information. That's what Chadwick is all about. Tom would put it up
against anything in the country. Bart Hayes is an OSU graduate and will lead the tour today. Richard thanks Tom and is off to meet Bart.
Bart tells us about himself. His family owns a farm, agriculture is his background. He started in high school cutting grass, then started
to progress doing some landscaping. He attended OSU and received his Bachelor's degree in 2001. From there he worked in a greenhouse
growing flowers, plants, making beautiful things and when he had the opportunity to come back to Ohio State 2 years ago he leapt at the
opportunity.
BART TELLS US ABOUT CHADWICK ARBORETUM. Chadwick encompasses about 65 acres and it's been here for about 28 years. It is named after Dr.
L.C. Chadwick who's one of the more prominent OSU horticulture professors. Chadwick encompasses 3 main areas- one directly in front of the
horticulture building, the Lane Avenue Gardens and another site further north where they have a large willow teaching collection. There is
a lot of information at Chadwick useful for local folks, as well as those nationwide. Bart feels they're fortunate to be in Columbus,
Ohio. They have a strong academic and research base at Ohio State but as well, close proximity to a very large population who really need
and want the information.
Top
THE GUYS START THE TOUR IN THE SHADE GARDEN. Richard lives in a mature neighborhood, the trees are huge which means the environment has
changed completely over the time they've lived there. It's a common problem. Here they have 2 sides to their shade garden, a dry side and
a wet side. Shade gardens are difficult for color, so they make up for this by using colorful foliage. In one garden the colors are
chartreuse and purple, the other red, white, pink that transitions to all white in the summer. Not only do they make up for the lack of
color by using textures and forms, but as well, different plant material to provide depth to the garden.
In the dry shade garden they have Petasites japonicus Japanese Butterbur which is a big, coarse plant with large leaves. It looks great
towards the back of a bed. And tends to pair very well with fine texture plants like Ferns or Japanese Hakonechloagrass, Hakonechloa macra
'Aureola.' It has a very fine form, looks like water flowing over rocks or waves in the ocean. It would be great on the side of a hill.
The other side of the shade garden is the wet side. They call this the ONLA, Ohio Nursery Landscape Association garden, it was planted in
commemoration of their 100th anniversary. The plants are huge for only being 1 year old. They established quickly and have filled in
nicely. This garden emphasizes texture. The Athyrium filix-femina Victoria Lady Fern has very fine foliage, it's almost 3 dimensional.
Contrast it with Japanese Primrose which provides a lot of depth, a lot of interest. Ferns are always great for wet shade. In this garden
they also have Astilbe simplicifolia in white, pink and red. It is one of those plants that does provide a great deal of color for the
shade garden. And the blooms last a long time in the shade. It's important to note that although these plants love shade, some need wet
shade. These would not do well in a dry shade situation and the plants in the other garden would not tolerate wet feet.
Top
Bart and Richard next visit the STEPHEN STILL GARDEN. It was named after one of their professors who just recently retired. Richard is
very familiar with Stephen Still, in fact he used his book for 28 out of the 30 years that Richard taught. It was a wonderful resource.
Richard used the book so much the cover is ripped off the copy he used. But he still refers to it, it is a wonderful book, it has great
information, he particularly likes his editorial comments on plants. Very insightful, very useful.
Top
This garden was installed 4 years ago, all in 1 day, by volunteers. A famous designer from England, ADRIAN BLOOM WAS THE DESIGNER. The
plant material was provided by Blooms of Bessingham, with which they have a good working relationship. Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' Red
Baron, Red Baron grass is quite obvious. It grows to maybe 2 feet tall, has a nice red color, gets more intense in full sun and adds that
very fine texture to a garden. It's a great choice, it can become invasive and if it reverts back to its green color it probably needs to
be plucked. For extra spice they have Crososmia 'Lucifer" which has an intense reddish, orange color. In this garden of mostly blues and
greens it really adds that extra kick, that little bit of spice that every garden needs. Richard feels this garden is designed
exceptionally well. The rivers of plant material, the Imperata, the Pelargonium look like streams of water moving through. There is an
enormous amount of textural contrast and form contrast that makes everything pop.
Top
They next move into the BURT AND JOSEPHINE KLEINMAIER PERENNIAL GARDEN. This garden contains the bulk of their perennial outdoor teaching
collection. It's a tough garden, the perennials do the heavy lifting. These are bread and butter plants that anybody in the country should
be able to use. A favorite is Verbena bonariensis. It's upright, very light and airy. A great choice, especially in the back of the
border. Sometime it gets a little powdery mildew in humid areas but it's prolific. It will reseed and can often be found miles away the
next year. Lilium 'African Queen' is a giant Lily. Everybody sees Lilies in gardens, this one is a seven foot tall beauty, has gold and
yellow flowers, is very fragrant and great for the back of the bed or as a centerpiece. It's a plant you can't miss. Echinops is a little
more spiny, a little more gnarly, it looks like it might bite you. But it's great for full sun and is drought tolerant. Speaking of
drought tolerant - one of the things Ohio State is known for is their Viburnum collection. They teach a lot of Viburnums in their woody ID
classes, much to the occasional chagrin of their students. Several stars would be Viburnum tomentosum, Viburnum plicatum 'Newport.' It has
very fragrant flowers, great red fall color and gets to be 8-10 feet tall. They use Viburnums in this part of the country like many use
Hollies in the South.
Top
These plants are exceptional and are proven but they have some TRIAL GARDENS. They do trial quite a few plants here. In fact it looks like
a huge outdoor classroom. Bart feels they're fortunate to be in Columbus, Ohio, a large metropolitan area. The demographics are very
similar nationally to the American demographics. Thus, the evaluations they do here are in line with the average American consumer.
Richard feels the demographics may be average but there is nothing average about the trial gardens. They expand the trial gardens every
year. This year they have 22 companies from all over the world represented here. Countries like Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Thailand are
represented. There are 716 entries this year. It's the biggest year ever and it continues to grow every year.
They do 2 evaluations. A gross evaluation, then a group of master gardeners do an evaluation based on consumer preference. There are 2
things they look for - one, of course, testing the environmental durability of the plants. But the companies, when sending the plant
material, have a pretty good idea of how they think they'll perform. One of the key elements that this trial provides, that not many
trials do, is obtain consumer preference data. The corps of volunteers evaluate these plants, then companies can see exactly what the
consumer is looking for. This is a visual industry, it sells beauty, so that is important. There are a lot of ways to trial plants, either
a landscape trial where it's integrated with the landscape or you can have bed trials like they have here. Thy have found it better to
have a bed trial, that way they're not showing any unnecessary bias that's unintended.
Top
They start with the PERIWINKLE. It's a strong, flowering plant for central Ohio. It's very rugged, loves heat and humidity and flowers
almost nonstop. Don't put it in the ground before the soil warms up, it does not like cold feet. They have a wide range of colors,
everything except true blue. It's a great plant for the landscape, in fact they're using it in the median strips at Ohio State in front of
the stadium. It also looks good with Angelonia. Angelonia is a great plant, has a very wide color range but a more vertical appearance.
Again, it has strong heat and humidity tolerance. It's nickname is Summer Snapdragon. Where a regular Snapdragon would sort of
deteriorate, this just sails through the summer.
Top
SEVERAL BEDS ARE DEDICATED TO GERANIUMS. Geraniums make up about 8% of their trial. It is a strong performer in Columbus. Companies know
this and send Geraniums because they want to put on a great show and see how their plants stack up to the competition. It's a
"grandmother's" type plant, it's been around for a long time. But Bart has some really unusual varieties. One new introduction this year
is a series called Tex-Mex. They have several different entries - Tex-Mex Fire and Tex-Mex Rose. These plants have an intense flower
color, they jump out in the landscape. Our grandmother might not be into these.
Top
CONTAINER PLANTS are becoming more popular throughout the country. If one is looking for instant presence and portability, you can't beat
containers. And some plants seem to prefer being in containers. They seem to like the confined root environment. Some research would
indicate that plants that tolerate a wild and crazy root environment, dry one day, wet the next, will thrive in containers. Plants that
like a boring, mundane environment don't do as well. Plants like Marigolds, Tomatoes, Squash like to be in the ground for the constant
moisture and have lots of room for their roots to expand. However plants like Calibrachoa Million Bells and Scaevola Fan Flower, both of
which tend to be fuller and have more flowers on top and are striking plants, seem to do better in containers.
Top
Bart provides some TIPS ON CONTAINER CARE. He believes the best advice is to invest in good soil. You want a soil that is light and
provides good drainage. Some buy soil based on weight, believing the heavier it is, the better it is. That is incorrect. Also utilize a
good slow release fertilizer, it takes some guesswork out of fertilizing. You don't need to remember to do it every week. And, finally
invest in a good container. You will, most likely, have the container for a long time, so pay for a good container. Good advice.
Top
Richard thanks Bart and is off to see Jenny Pope in the HORTICULTURAL THERAPY GARDEN. Horticultural therapy is one of the hottest trends
in horticulture. Jenny explains how she became involved in the field. She 1st went to Ohio State University and received a degree in
Horticulture. After graduating she went to Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus and worked as an interior horticulturist. There she
worked with all different types of people and grew to realize and love that people/plant connection. In that process she came to
understand that gardening really makes one feel good. She was sure that there is some sort of therapeutic benefit. And there is. Doing a
little more research, she discovered horticultural therapy. She then went to Denver and got a certificate in horticultural therapy through
the Horticultural Therapy Institute. She is continuing her education, doing a Master's in social work at Ohio State University. There are
not a lot of people with those set of skills. And, Jenny feels fortunate that she is able, here at the gardens, to work with adults with
developmental disabilities in this horticultural therapy program. It's a great combination of people and plants.
Top
So, what exactly does Jenny do? That's a good question and one she's asked all the time. WITH HORTICULTURAL THERAPY ONE IS LOOKING AT
PLANTS, everyone can relate to plants, it doesn't matter your age or gender, or cultural background somehow everyone relates to plants.
Think about gardening, when in the garden it makes you feel good, you get exercise, the stress, the problems of the world tend to fall off
your shoulders. So it's naturally therapeutic in that way. What horticultural therapy does is it makes it focused and directed. You have 3
components of horticultural therapy - the client, the client's goals and then the horticultural activities that help meet those goals. For
example, with a physical therapist and the client, the goal might be to work on grip strength. Jenny could do 2 things to help grip
strength. The client could grip a ball all day long or she could give them a pair of pruners and have them prune a plant. 9 times out of
10 that patient will prune that plant longer than they will squeeze the ball. So, they're meeting a goal, they're increasing their grip
strength.
Top
IN THIS GARDEN A ROCK IS NOT JUST A ROCK. Here they use rocks to help label the plants. One is next to a beet. A lot of patients cannot
read, so having that picture let's them know what plant is planted there. Also, it gives them an idea of what's in the ground, because
they can't see the beet. So, it let's them connect. This is a fantastic idea, not just for folks with disabilities but for kids. It's a
great way to teach spelling and to show them what the plants actually look like. Jenny feels people shouldn't be intimidated by artwork.
She shows one example, an abstract tomato but it gets the point across vividly. And, it's lovely. This is perfect for people of all ages
and abilities.
Top
Richard likes the fact Jenny is using containers. Containers show one doesn't need a permanent place to garden. The CONTAINERS HERE ARE SO
IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF PARTICIPANTS CANNOT GET DOWN IN THE GARDEN, they can't get on their hands and knees and work in the soil. Thus
these containers are a perfect solution. They have many different varieties, in particular some are large and plastic. Which means they're
lightweight. They take old plastic pots, line the bottom with something like empty cans or plastic bottles, then fill it with soil. This
makes them easy to lift. They can take them out of the hot sun and bring them into the shade for the participant. They also have wonderful
wooden planters. They're elevated, on legs, like a table. They're wheelchair accessible and a great height to stand and work. It's
comfortable. One can easily reach to the middle of the container to work. Some elevated containers have been fitted with wheels or
casters, these enable Jenny to move them around easily. These adaptations allow everybody to garden, it's inclusive.
Top
Richard has enjoyed the horticultural therapy lesson and has enjoyed the Chadwick Arboretum. He thanks Jenny for her time. This has been a
real learning experience.
Chadwick Arboretum is a member of the American Public Gardens Association which is an important group and one Richard thinks many in our
audience should learn about.
Top
LINKS:
Garden Smart Plant List
The Ohio State University
Chadwick Arboretum
American Public Gardens Association (APGA)
Dr. Still's
Book
