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Famous Gardens

Ness Botanic Gardens
The Ness Botanic Gardens, an outstation of Liverpool University, Liverpool, England, are situated on the south facing slopes of the estuary of the River Dee. The gardens started life in 1897 as private gardens, not formal botanic gardens. For fifty years they belonged tof the estate of Arthur Kilpin Bulley who funded many of the famous plant hunters of the early 1900s and eventually formed his own seed business, Bees Ltd.

The gardens are entered from above and this allows the visitor to leisurely wander down the gentle grade. The natural contours of the slope have been designed and planted to give maximum visual effect at various times of the year.

In spring the Azalea Walk, planted in 1984, is a mass of yellows and oranges. The rhododendron border--which has had species in bloom since January--is also at its best, with pride of place going to Pieris formosa forestii. This Pieris was raised from the original seed brought back from China in 1934 by the plant hunter George Forrest and at sixty years old it still looks great.

The wide herbaceous border sits in a natural hollow and in the summer it is best viewed from the picnic area near to the gardens' entrance. From there you can actually see the colours of the whole border at once, laid out like an artist's palette. It pays to take time to study the colours and pinpoint anything that really catches the eye before going down to the border. Closer examination of the border reveals gems like Eryngium agavifolium. Its flowers are a greeny blue and are not rich in colour, but are obviously rich in nectar, as they are covered by a mass of butterflies and bees. The Rose Garden--off to the right of the border--traces the history of the cultivated rose from the Damask, said to be prized by the Romans, through to the present-day Hybrid Tea and Floribundas. All are at their glorious best in summer.

The sheltered south facing terraced walks display some of the more tender species and provide vistas over the specimen trees at the foot of the slope with their foliage in hues of green, blue and gold.

A large part of the gardens are used for practical aspects of the University's work, and this is reflected in some of the displays. One of the projects has been the study of the genus Sorbus and the garden has a rich variety of these, providing spectacular leaf and berry colour in the autumn. The variety Sorbus "Pink Ness" was developed in the garden.

Another of the University's projects is the management of heathland and their expertise with heathers is apparent in the magnificent heather beds laid out on one of the slopes. The beds provide colour twelve months of the year and have impressive, eight feet tall specimens of the drought resistant Ericas australis and E. arborea. A word with the staff reveals that to maintain the quality of the display, the plants are replaced every ten years.

If you are lucky enough to visit the gardens, allow yourself a full day to appreciate all that they have to offer.

-Duncan McDougals

Chicago Botanical Gardens
The Chicago Botanic Garden is actually 26 gardens in one! From the romantic English Walled Garden to the wild Midwestern Prairie, specialty gardens and native habitat areas show the diverse beauty of nature.
www.chicagobotanic.org

Fairchild Tropical GardenFAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN is one of the world's preeminent botanic gardens, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees and vines. Established in 1938, the 83-acre garden is among the region's most popular visitor attractions and offers a variety of programs in environmental education, conservation and horticulture. An international leader in tropical plant research, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden plays an important part in preserving the biodiversity of the tropical environment.
Accredited by the American Association of Museums since 1981, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an active member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the Center for Plant Conservation, the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, and many other botanical, horticultural and conservation organizations.
www.ftg.org

Huntington Botanical Gardens
Henry Huntington began developing the Botanical Gardens in 1903. Now they span nearly 150 acres with sweeping lawns and vistas interspersed with statuary, tempiettos, and benches. Approximately 15,000 kinds of plants from all over the world make up the botanical collections, many landscaped into a series of theme gardens. Landscapes include the Japanese, desert, rose, camellia, palm, subtropical, jungle, lily ponds, herb, and Australian gardens. Specialized displays include the North Vista, the Zen and bonsai courts, the art gallery rockery, the desert garden conservatory, and many more.

Behind the scenes, new collections from Mexico, South America, South Africa, and other countries are cultivated for planting in the gardens or for distribution to other botanical gardens, plant science professionals, and amateur horticulturists. The International Succulent Introductions program propagates rare and endangered species and makes them available to the public in order to discourage the collection of those species in the wild.

Many shows, seminars, and symposia focusing on botany and horticulture are held throughout the year.
www.huntington.org

International Peace Garden
www.peacegarden.com
AFFILIATION
The International Peace Garden is an affiliate area of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior. As an affiliate area, the National Park Service acts as a conduit between the Peace Garden and the federal government and also provides information on the operation of park aspects of the International Peace Garden.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The International Peace Garden is a non-profit organization operated by a twenty person board of directors. Ten of the directors are Canadians and ten are residents of the United States. Of the twenty board members, one is appointed by the governor of the North Dakota and one is appointed by the premier of Manitoba.

The state of North Dakota and the province of Manitoba provide part of the garden’s funding with some assistance from the U.S. and Canadian governments mostly for capital projects. The primary source of the garden’s operating funds is from admission fees, profits from the gift shop, food service and from donations.


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Famous Gardens
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