UT Botanical Gardens

I was very pleased to learn that we would be making a trip to the UT gardens as I have not been there in quite a while. Though I live within walking distance, it is hard to work up the motivation to visit, especially in the summer heat. I used to live in the dorms across the bridge and a favorite activity used to be to take a walk at night through the deserted gardens. That was about three years ago so it was high time for another visit, although I really think we should have taken the tour at a time that was not the hottest hours of the day.

The stone tiled plaza was a new addition I had never seen before and I can imagine how nice it would be to sit there for lunch or in between classes, if I ever had classes on the AG campus. I was interested in the aquatic plant tanks on the plaza and was pleased to realize that the "livestock water throughs" were donated by Co-op. It is nice to know that local businesses recognize the importance of gardens for research and aesthetic beauty. Also posted around the plaza was an advertisement for "Blooms Days," a fundraiser/garden fest that the gardens housed June 26th-27th. At that point we were joined by Beth Willis, the trials coordinator, explained the history of the gardens and the various functions it provides. Begun in 1983 as a research garden, the area was previously a vast field. The original garden was very scientific looking until the staff recognized the mission that they wished to pursue. They stress three functions including research, education, and outreach and demonstration.

While it is a free park open to the public, there has been some disagreement as to how free it is as certain individuals have found it acceptable to steal plants from the gardens. In the "Garden Rooms" section, visitors are able to view more practical plant varieties that are easier to maintain in this climate. This is a very good idea for novice gardeners in the area to find some direction in what they want to plant in their own gardens. Throughout this section were topiary in various designs such as a dragon. They were done for the "Blooms Days" festival and serve as cute and interesting additions. One of my favorite plants in this section was the Chameaecy Paris Pisfera, "Gold Dust", Sawara Falsecypress. One of my favorite types of trees, the Cercidiphyllum japonicum, 'pedula', weeping katsura tree, was also featured in this section with a nice little bench that makes a very picturesque scene. It is no surprise that photographers flock to the gardens and the staff is right in thinking that they should charge rental fees.

Other sections include the "Herb Garden," which was started in 1996 and is the most intensely planted portion of the gardens. It is very nicely laid out and I would have like to have had more time to look through and examine all of the different species. The next section is the "Trial Gardens" arranged in kidney shaped plots. The original gardens were primarily for research, like the trial gardens but were arranged in rectangular plots that were not aesthetically pleasing. It was necessary to have a functional space in which to test seeds and cuttings from sponsors but to still look attractive and draw people in from the road. By placing the plants in kidney shaped plots and arranging them according to hot and cool colors and height, I would say that the gardens achieved their goal. The "Turf Wheel" is something I remember from my nighttime visits and I always admired the innovation of the display. It is a shame that some drunk driver had to crash into the structure but it still looks very nice. I like the idea of allowing children to adopt a plot of the turf wheel as it would encourage them to take up gardening as a hobby in lieu of television, etc.

The little lunch area and gazebo in the "Shade Garden" was also there last time I was and it is a comfortable space to enjoy the gardens in. There are many examples of Tennessee marble art in the shade garden and throughout the entire gardens and represents an effort to blend the beauty of nature and art in one experience. They really should do more art shows in the garden, such as marble and glass to encourage guests to regularly visit as opposed to visiting every couple of years. Across from the gazebo is the outdoor classroom which seems like it would be a very nice place to hold a class. It is a shame that there are not more of these outdoor classrooms around campus, besides the ever crowded amphitheatre as is it often very hard to concentrate indoors on a nice day.

My favorite addition was the "Rose Garden" endowed to the gardens by the Beall family who felt that Knoxville needed a public rose garden. I certainly agree with them and it was very nice to be able to look at so many different types of roses. I especially liked the waterfall ponds and the koi, which were a nice touch. As nice as the garden was, it was clear that it was designed with the intention of hosting weddings, which is a great fundraiser but the formal arrangement seemed to discourage visitors from looking around.

Other sections included a "Rock Garden" that I particularily liked because of the summer I spent in Arizona a few years ago. Cacti are very interesting plants and I wish that they had some of the bigger species that twist and turn in unusual positions and are so large that they are able to house all kinds of desert creatures. In one mexican restaurant in Tucson, I was able to try some cacti and it was actually pretty good! Maybe they should try cooking some in their "Kitchen Garden", a brightly painted area that grows edible plants and teaches visitors how to grow them and use them in their own kitchens. Exiting the kitchen garden, vistors approach the "Sunny Wildflower Meadow Garden" for, as the name indicates, local varieties of flowers that flourish and from the sounds of it houses thousands of insects.

The last stop was the "Power Plant Garden", an especially important section as it holds plants that are currently being researched for biofuel capabilities. In wake of the massive oil spill in the Gulf Coast it seems prudent to make all efforts we can in developing fuels that are less environmentally harmful yet easily produced. An old truck is placed in the center of the plot and is another favorite spot for photographers.

All in all, the UT Botanical Gardens are a very nice spot to spend an afternoon, though it would seem a better idea to visit during a cooler time of day. Beth Willis was obviously very knowledgable in her field and did not bore her tour group with tedious facts. One suggestion I always have for public gardens is to add a hedge maze as I think it would be a great attraction. If they should ever acquire more land it would be a fun way to draw in visitors and I would be willing to pay for something like that.