Garden Questionnaire: Flowering Shrub Garden

Seventh in a series

GARDEN NAME: Flowering Shrub Garden

Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park
2400 S. Scenic Ave
Springfield, MO 65807

When was the garden first created?

2008

Who created the garden?

Designed by Dr. Bill Roston

Who maintains the garden?

Adopted by Carolyn Tripp

Assisted by FOG Volunteers

How many plants are in the garden?

More than 165 with additional plants planned

How many plant types are in the garden?

1

How many plant varieties are in the garden?

More than 165 with additionalvarieties planned

Are the plants in this garden grouped in any special way?

Bob Childress, garden chairman noted; "We've tried to keep the species together so that people can compare them. There should be something of interest year round, including winter."

When is the garden in peak bloom?

Mid-spring to late summer, but there is visual interest all year long.

What's especially interesting about this garden that visitors would like to know?

For people who are looking for ideas for landscaping, we think this will provide a great deal of information and create some ideas for foundation or garden planting.

Are there any special concepts or strategies shaping this garden?

Garden was designed in circles about 50 feet in diameter, with a central plant fairly tall in each of the circles. There are about eight circles.

Are there future plans for this garden?

The plan is to continue to expand the garden.

Is there anything else you'd like people to know about this garden?

They can see some unusual varieties. Plants include Lilacs, butterfly bush, hydrangeas, sumac, weigela, iteas, mock orange, pieris, ribes, abelia, sino calicanthes (species), hypericum, clethra, deutzia, daphne, abeliophyllum, hibiscus, hepticodium (need to get one) (a lot like crape myrtle), crape myrtle.

Script for Guide by Cell phone project for THE FLOWERING SHRUB GARDEN

Written by Dr. Bill Roston and recorded by Peter Longley on Prompt 31#

Welcome to the Flowering Shrub Garden. Of the 167 varieties of flowering shrubs in the garden you will want at least 160 of them! So, take a good look. Adjacent to the Viburnum area, you will see there are a lot of the common flowering shrubs in the garden such as 20 species of Hydrangea, 18 species of Butterfly Bush, 10 flowering Quince, and 8 Elderberry. There are also many of the not so common flowering shrubs, such as Broom, Oregon Grape, Weeping Privit, Snow Bell, and the rare endangered Quachita Mountain Indigo Plant. This is a large concentration of flowering shrubs, so take your time. I'm sure you will find something you like—maybe, the Pheasant Berry Beautiful.