| Coe Memorial Park Planting Journal Page I Questions & Queries: e-mail webmaster@coeparkgardens.com Preparation and 2007 Planting Lists |
| Webmaster: Gwenythe b. Harvey, Horticulturist & Manager of The Garden Goddess, LLC, Litchfield, Ct. 860-567-3708 www.gardengoddess.net All images and written material are copyrighted and can not be reproduced without written permission. All rights reserved 2007-08 Link to City of Torrington: www.torringtonct.org |
| Following is the History of why and what is installed today in the Garden Rooms at Coe Memorial Park. Design Creation and the visual expeirance. Because of Coe Memorial Park's location, and the many design features already present led to the creation of Garden Rooms. Each has its own colour scheme which would then visually flow into the next Garden Room. Thus, the Park was divided into Rooms with the goal being colour, interest, and textures to stimulate the senses as well as a visitor's curiosity about the many different species. When the bulbs are in full bloom, the colour scheme appears to be a wonderful many-hued Paisley shawl from the air. The Paisley pattern, with it's frisky geometric swoops and swirls in many colours, was a very popular fashion statement at the turn of the 19th century, and shawls were a necessary fashion accessory for the well- dressed woman. Given the turn of the century History of the Park, this seemed the right statement for an overall design. Pictured below are photographs taken in 2005 of the Soldier Memorial area and what is now called the Ivy Glen, which show the Park as it looked before The Garden Goddess was hired to redesign, reconfigure, and upgrade the Park. |
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| Installation: It was a necessary first step to upgrade the Gardens by adding sterile black gold soil and compost with manure in it, and to dispose of the dead and dying plants. Most of the garden areas tested at under 6 ph for the soil and were, and still are filled, with construction debris. The plants that looked healthy were moved to fit in with the design scheme. Areas were outlined, shrubbery trimmed, and trees root fed. Then we got on with the business of installing the bulbs. All bulbs were planted 10 inches deep because of the squirrel population, which overran the Park at that time. They were top dressed with cool compost. The edges of all beds that bordered walkways were covered with spruce boughs. The latter was a protection from the necessary sand and salt used on the walkways during winter months. Also, red cayenne pepper was applied generously to areas used as public restrooms by the pets of irresponsible owners. The addition of cayenne pepper further protected the bulbs from eager chipmunks, voles and squirrels. Interestingly, by the following spring not any of these latter animals seemed to still be residing in the Park!! Also since that time, owners of pets have been very responsible about their pet's use of the Park as a restroom. Below are photographs taken of the same areas in April of 2006. |
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| The Bulbs: 20,000 bulbs were purchased from Van Engelen, Inc. of Bantam, Ct, a local importer of quality bulbs from Holland. The owner's Daughter, Joanne Ohms was very helpful with ordering and suggestions. It is this Horticulturalist's opinion that the quality of these Tulips is unsurpassed in the gardening world, and the germination rate was almost 100%. In fact, the eye-catching blooms of the specimen Tulip "Professor De Monsseri" not only enchanted visitors to the Gardens but also was photographed and included in the Van Engelen, Inc. 2007 catalog. This Tulip is singularly notable for its primrose-yellow petals with red flames and tips and slightly mottled foliage. |
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