What’s happening at the Tyler Botanical Gardens
The Shade Garden
Shade Garden Drainage Improvements
The Shade Garden includes the 2 acre space that spans the area between the Heritage Rose Garden and IDEA Gardens, west to east, and flanked by the Queen’s Court to the north. The arboretum of the Tyler Botanical Garden, the space features native trees and hardy arboreal cultivars. It showcases shade hardy plants suitable for East Texas, featuring azaleas, camellias and Japanese maples.
A team of Smith County Master Gardeners oversees the care, maintenance and beautification of the garden through weekly work days. The Shade Garden team has quite a few ambitious projects planned for the year, one of which is an irrigation extension to the garden beds around the central fountain. To follow will come a beautification project there, hallmarked by a new garden design and varied new plantings. Throughout the year Master Gardeners will be busy replacing camellias and azaleas lost during the weather extremes over the past few years, as well adding hardy shade-loving specimen to the 18 garden beds, and in the newly added woodland walk area. In addition to formal plantings, Hardy natives will be included in the mix for the purpose of attracting pollinators and wildlife. Hardscape features will also be addressed in the upcoming year, most notably related to water run-off. Team members continue to work on the numerous dry creek beds in the space. An ongoing effort, the creek beds serve to direct rain runoff and control erosion
To add to the educational value of the garden, the Shade Garden team plans on adding information boxes with educational brochures for adults and a children’s activity page. We invite you to come and sit awhile. The garden is serene and restful. Enjoy the quiet beauty, listen to the host of birds who make their home there. Take note of the dozen or so bluebird boxes throughout the area. Maintained by our membership, they are home to several nesting pairs and their broods. Spot the red tail hawk, our watchman and mascot. If you happen to visit during one of our work days, stop and visit with us. We are happy to chat and answer any questions you might have. Come, be our guest.
The IDEA Garden
New IDEA Garden Pergola
The IDEA garden is constantly being updated. Every season we bring you tried and true Earth-Kind options for planting various annual plants as well as showcase perennials that return naturally year after year. The succulent and Texas native sections of the garden are receiving a makeover this year and replanting has already started. You will notice the addition of New Carolina Jessamine as well as the movement of the Napier grasses along the chain link fence.
In addition to changes to the landscape, this year we are focusing on much of the hardscape in the garden. You may have noticed a new pergola that was finished February 24th. Many of our educational events are held at this space, including our “First Tuesdays in the Garden” series held in the fall and a beautiful and safe structure was essential to support our mission.
Our hardscape upgrades this year also include plans to take up and replace all the flagstone walkways in the garden as well as replacing the rotten wood spacers in our sidewalks (about 13 spacers).
Much is happening in the gardens and our goal is to bring educational opportunities about gardening and landscaping to the citizens of Smith County through our beloved demonstration gardens.
Heritage Garden Plant ID Project
The Heritage Garden
Our big project this year will be getting all our plants identified so that visitors will know what’s working so well. Most of this will occur this spring and summer as things bloom. Once we have them identified, a diagram will be done that shows specifically where each plant is located and our hope is that we can create a QR code for each bed that will link to the diagram and list of plants. Once that is done, we will take it further and document where each plant came from or originated to show the heritage authenticity.
We will also encourage Earth-Kind techniques (organic when possible) and teach the benefits of heritage plants.
Bulbs are the highlight at the end of February and into Early March. These are all bulbs native to East Texas that thrive on neglect. They will provide year after year beauty and multiply with each year. They are sold in our annual fall bulb sale.