Garden Questionnaire: Azalea Garden

Fifteenth in a Series

GARDEN NAME: Azalea Garden
Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park
2400 S. Scenic
Springfield, MO 65807

When was the garden first created?

2011

Who created the garden?

Designed by Dow and Linda Whiting. Friends of the Garden April planting volunteers Frank Mason, Dow Whiting, Scott Cunningham, Dick Brunskill, Ed & Ruby Miller, Joe Kleiber, Major Close and Bob Childress.

Who maintains the garden?

Friends of the Garden volunteers.

How many plants, plant types, species and varieties are in the garden?

Currently the "bones" of the Azalea Garden included 200 assorted Azaleas of approximately 20 varieties, and 8 trees that included 5 varieties of Japanese Maple, Cornus mas and Hemlock.

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

They are planted on berms so there is a beautiful expanse of color during peak blooming that can be seen from the Botanical Center parking lot.

When is the garden in peak bloom?

Around mid-April, keep in mind that many Azaleas are in bloom long after the peak.

Are there any special concepts or strategies shaping this garden?

The main idea is for this garden to be eye catching from a distance. The garden is also situated under a large grove of trees providing needed shade.

Are there future plans for this garden?

There is interest in incorporating some Hostas and other plantings into the garden before we finish. There will be a foot bridge designed and constructed by Friends of the Garden member Bob Childress that will conect the Azalea Garden to the Dogwood Garden to the west.

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

Come out and see this fabulous new garden as it continues to develop. When you are at Garden Adventures Nursery, Hwy 14 west, Nixa, please thank Dow and Linda Whiting for their generous donation of plants. In addition, when you see Ruth Arenson please thank her, for her generous donation of funds for the garden's hard scape.

Script for the Guide by Cell phone project: THE AZALEA GARDEN

Written and recorded by Katie Steinhoff on Prompt 75#

Sometimes called the Royalty of the Garden, azaleas have been a choice foundation plant particularly for many southern, east coast and northwestern gardens in the United States. This garden includes 20 varieties of hardy evergreen azaleas as well as some of our native deciduous azaleas planted among other garden companions. For ground cover you will see Lenten rose, coral bells and several varieties of ferns. The small trees include 5 varieties of Japanese maples, dogwood and the evergreen hemlock. Azaleas are a group of plants within the rhododendron family that erupt in an explosion of color with their large, trumpet blooms from mid-April through May in the Ozarks. They are distinguished from rhododendrons by their smaller, hairier foliage; and smaller flowers that are arranged separately, rather than many blooms emerging from one large bud as seen with the larger rhododendron. Performing best in moist, well-drained soil under high shade, this garden site was selected for the high shade canopy created by the old hackberry trees and was designed and donated by local nursery owners Dow and Linda Whiting of Garden Adventures in Nixa. To create ideal azalea conditions in the Ozarks, azaleas were planted in raised berms with added mulch and organic matter. This garden is still under development, with hardscape coming from a generous donation by Ruth Arneson and a bridge created by Bob Childress. If you are interested in volunteering in this garden or contributing to the growth of this garden, please contact the Friends of the Garden.