6.4 mi NNE of Medina Bank, ca. 2.6 mi S of Bladen Branch, ca. 2.6 mi S of southern Boundary of Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE), Deep River Forest Reserve., Toledo, Belize, Central America - Neotropics
United States -- Wisconsin -- Milwaukee -- River Bend
Scope and Contents:
33 digital images (2011. 2022-2023) and 1 digital file folder.
Biographical / Historical:
The owner's garden-related activities include leadership roles in garden clubs and nature centers. She championed, established and led Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center where children and adults can partake in environmental education and outdoor experiences.
General:
River Bend had five acres of Milwaukee River frontage, a house built in the 1970s and fields and former cow pastures when the owners bought the property in 1990. They embarked on an extensive project of landscape and garden design that included installing a swimming pool, tennis court, perennial and native plant gardens, and two ponds with a connecting waterfall. Due to the high clay content of the soil the ponds were engineered to accept and recirculate run-off water, with additional run-off channeled to the river. The tennis court was sited on a higher elevation, and dirt excavated during construction of the pool and ponds was used to build berms for privacy. The house is approached from a curved driveway landscaped with rolling berms planted with green ash, blue spruce, honey locust and maple with under-plantings of lilies, spirea, lilac, hydrangea and lamium. The circle in front of the house has another green ash, river birch, maple and pots of purple petunias. An arbor with a honeysuckle vine over a bluestone path accesses the gardens and features behind the house.
The first summer garden has echinacea, phlox, daisies and wild geranium, and another perennial garden planted on a berm across the lawn has Joe Pye weed, yarrow, sage, astilbe, salvia, and many colorful annuals perennials. The multi-level terrace enclosed by three wings of the house is used for dining and entertaining with black wrought iron tables and chairs, black and white upholstery, and many pots of colorful annuals. A gingko tree grows on a bluestone and brick deck, with planted pots of geraniums that are wintered over in the greenhouse. Steps lead to the swimming pool, followed by an expansive lawn for outdoor activities, another furnished terrace outside the tennis court, and a pergola covered with wisteria.
The lower pond has a sandy beach and pier with a bench, with willow, olive and highbush cranberry planted around the perimeter. The upper pond is bordered by roses, iris, weigela and a native garden along with fieldstone boulders around the perimeter. Boulders in the waterfall were placed so the falling water creates a pleasing sound. The ponds were home for two swans and their offspring for many years. A buried pump recirculates water from the lower to the upper pond so the water does not become stagnant. A greenhouse with skylights and large windows is attached to the house, used for wintering over as well as starting seeds for zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other summer vegetables for a fenced ten by twenty-two- foot vegetable garden. Finally the property is bordered by woodlands with many trees with spectacular fall color.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
United States of America -- Tennessee -- Davidson County -- Nashville
Date:
1987 Feb.
General:
Although February 1987 is the date shown on the slide mount, the image was probably taken in 1986.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center (Cleveland, Ohio)
United States of America -- Ohio -- Cuyahoga County -- Cleveland
Date:
1910.
General:
Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center is an environmental educational facility.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center (Cleveland, Ohio)
United States of America -- Ohio -- Cuyahoga County -- Cleveland
Date:
1910.
General:
Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center is an environmental educational facility.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center (Cleveland, Ohio)
United States of America -- Ohio -- Cuyahoga County -- Cleveland
Date:
1910.
General:
Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center is an environmental educational facility.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
United States of America -- New York -- Westchester -- Rye
Scope and Contents:
The folder includes worksheets, a photocopy of an article and other materials.
Varying Form:
Parsons Garden, formerly known as.
General:
The mission of the Rye Nature Center is to promote conservation and environmental education within an urban forest and preserve. The 47 acre site, once a private estate, is comprised of three distinct gardens: a 300 square foot educational garden inside a deer fence, a rain garden, and a native plant garden, an educational center with two classrooms in the former carriage house of the estate, woodlands with natural water features and an outcropping of volcanic gneiss, more than two miles of hiking trails, a seasonal butterfly house, and two children's playgrounds and a sunflower maze. Classes are given for pre-school and school age children, summer campers, and adults on water conservation and storm water management, plant lifecycles including decomposition, and gardening techniques that are beneficial to the environment and wildlife. The teaching methods are hands on, encouraging participants to sample organically grown produce while planting or hand-picking insects that will be fed to the bearded dragons housed in the educational center. Rain water is collected and channeled to the rain garden's ferns, Joe Pye weed, milkweed, blue flag iris, cardinal flower and shrubs. A roof garden with self-watering containers also demonstrates how rain water can be captured and used.
Food grown in the gardens is used for cooking demonstrations and leftover food from the campers is turned into compost for the vegetable garden. Logs from the woodlands, straw and wood chips are inoculated with several varieties of mushroom spawn, also demonstrating how decomposition aids food production. Tomatoes and squash are planted in straw bales that were used for autumn decorations and an old wash basin is repurposed as a bog garden containing Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, cranberries and sphagnum moss. The native plant garden, established by the Little Garden Club of Rye in 1988, includes an edible forest garden shaded by sweet gum trees growing native perennials, trees, shrubs and ground covers that provide food for wildlife and humans. Also a bee-friendly garden is being planned by the nature center staff.
The Friends of Rye Nature Center was first founded as the Rye Conservation Society in 1964 and has been managed by the non-profit Friends since 2006. It has been certified as an urban wildlife sanctuary by the National Institute for Urban Wildlife.
Persons associated with the garden include: Parsons family (former owners 1902-1942); City of Rye (owner, 1959- ); Nature's Cradle (rain garden design and installation, 2011); Jacob Nurick (urban farming installation, 2013); Taro Letaka (director of conservation, 2013- ); Annette Hein (horticulturist, 2014- ).
Nature's Cradle designed and installed the rain garden. Jacob Nurick installed the urban farm.
Related Materials:
Rye Nature Center related holdings consist of 2 folders (1 lantern slide and 26 digital images)
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
United States of America -- Indiana -- Delaware County -- Muncie
Scope and Contents:
Materials relating to the public gardens of the Minnetrista Cultural Foundation, located in Muncie, Indiana. The folder includes a slide list, descriptions of the slides, a paper written by an architecture student from Ball State University about the restoration of the property, and a worksheet completed by GCA researcher Lisa Beach.
General:
"Oakhurst Gardens includes an English Garden, a Spring Garden, a Woodland Garden, and a Meadow. The gardens are now used for environmental education."
Persons and firms associated with the property include: Mr. and Mrs. George Ball (former owners, 1894-1958); Ms. Elizabeth Ball (former owner/ gardener, 1958-1982); Ball Brothers Foundation (former owner, 1982-1993); Minnetrista Cultural Foundation (owner, 1993-1998); Phillip Tevis (architect/ landscape architect, 1989-1998); Richard Lambert (Horticulturist, 1990-1998); Lisa Norrick (gardener/ horticulturist, 1994-1998); Gooden and Ellis (architects, 1991-1994); Gerrard Keible (architect, 1935); Lewis Gibson (architect, 1895); Greg Kline (horticulturist, 1997-1998).
Related Materials:
Oakhurst Gardens related holdings consist of 1 folder (14 35 mm. slides)
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
Toledo District: 6.5 mi NNE of Medina Bank, ca. 2.5 mi S of Bladen Branch, ca. 2.5 mi S of southern Boundary of Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE), Deep River Forest Reserve, (WGS 84)., Toledo, Belize, Central America - Neotropics
