Brookgreen Gardens: A Lower County Treasure

The far Coastal Plain of South Carolina offers many beautiful places; long sandy beaches, emerald coastal forest and massive live oak trees with broad spreading crowns. These are ancient trees draped in pale Spanish moss that embody the Deep South. In the distance cabbage palmettos dot the landscape. Botanically there's no place in the world that looks like this. It's entirely unique to the south eastern United States. A splash of subtropical ecosystem near it's northern limit. Tucked into this magical woodland only a half hour south of Myrtle Beach, Brookgreen Gardens draws the casual visitor, artists, nature lovers and avid public garden enthusiast.

Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington of Connecticut purchased four plantations to open the garden and showcase her sculptures in the 1929.  At the bringing of the long stately entrance road off coastal highway 17 the huge Fighting Stallions sculpture hints at the experience to come. This is one of Anna's largest works.  As a public garden one might expect a space made up of various plant collections; there is certainly that at Brookgreen. Indeed many beautiful ornamental gardens expand around ponds, pools and court yards. But Brookgreen is also one of countries great sculpture gardens. Dozens of sculptures large and small highlight the Gardens core. Some are truly monumental. The golden sculpture on Dionysus is simply stunning rising from the Rosen Carolina Terrace. Nearby, the Brown Sculpture Court is formal space replete with a rectangular reflecting pool. A short stroll north the Poetry Garden appears neatly laid out in four quadrants featuring literature inspired sculpture. Overall more than 1400 sculptures by 350 artist are on display at Brookgreen.

Entering the Live Oak Allee one might expect to encounter Rhett Butler puffing on a slim cigar while smoke dances about the humid air. Looking east down the Allee one can spy Diana of the Chase in a circular pool, her bow drawn skyward. In the core of Brookgeen is a magical mix of monumental sculpture among the grand trees and shrubs that embody a remarkably rich textured space. Sculpture classes and training also take place at Brookgreen. The Offner Sculpture Learning and Research center is a beautiful space. Sculpture Gardens can be overwhelming to the botanically focused plant purist. Yet, the art of horticulture often mixes with sculpture in magical and unique ways. Botanical gardens the world over frequently include sculptures. Combining Brookgreen's extensive sculpture collections in a sub-tropical lowcountry landscape reveals a unique national treasure.

Beyond the regal sculpture, outer areas of the garden mix with an extensive wetland of the Waccamaw and nearby Great Pee Dee Rivers. Here you can take a delightful pontoon boat tour into the classic lowcountry wetland. These coastal lowlands offer exceptional birding and wildlife viewing. alligators, river otters, snakes and beavers can be found among shallow circuitous channels, islands and bays. Many estuarial grasses dot the water providing perfect habitat for birds and aquatic life of all kinds.

At the far north eastern corner of the garden a small zoo featuring native animals is another hidden treat on the expansive grounds of Brookgreen. Near the zoo entrance is the Floyd Domestic Animals of the Plantation exhibit. This unique feature does a great job of interpreting the amazing contributions of domestic animals to colonial agriculture. Without whom modern agricultural would never have advanced.

Not surprisingly Brookgreen's extensive property was once four large rice plantations. As such, the site was used for the sale, exchange and imprisonment of humans. Not a pretty spectacle under any circumstance. Joshua John Ward who owned Brookgreen plantation was the nation’s largest slave holder with nearly 1900 people in his service.  Slaveries long-term brutality can be difficult to interpret given the ownership of people as an economic commodity on pre-war plantations. But Brookgreen makes every effort to interpret slavery on the site as part of the properties history. A special garden educational program in the Gullah Geechee series profiles the arrival enslaved West Africans on the plantation.

Other areas of the Garden worth seeing abound in an attractive mosaic of semi-open woodlands and fields. The areas near Jessamine Pond and Magnolia Allee offer peaceful open acres to stroll among the beautifully keep grounds. At the far backside of the walled gardens a trial leads to a viewing platform and a meditative labyrinth on the wetlands edge. Beyond all these features Brookgreen boast a cafe, restaurant, butterfly house and a well-appointed welcome center.

Traveling south from the near endless commercialism of Myrtle Beach one can feel the relief as the woodlands return and the coastal lowcountry expands. Passing through picturesque Murrells Inlet, Brookgreen is on the right; you can't miss the Fighting Stallions towering above the highway. Over the years Brookgreen has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark and added to National Register of Historic Places. As a public garden Brookgreen is nationally unique. Plan a half or whole day to experience this extraordinary cultural and historic attraction.

From the Botainc Garden Traveler Team-more info at www.brookgreen.org 

The Indigenous Landscape: Good for Business and the Environment

Keith P. Tomlinson

Parks and Recreation Business Magazine, Summer 2016

When patrons walk into our parks we want them to have a great experience. Keeping things neat, clean safe and accessible are fundamentals for any park manager.  As a result we’re rightly focused on our facilities; pools, pavilions, camp grounds, ball fields and interpretive centers. Yet it’s often our landscape and geographic setting that will lure the first time visitor. A tree lined drive, river frontage or an inviting trail head are subtle but effective marketing tools we rarely recognize. We can build on these assets by using more native plants in the landscape. Over the past twenty five years, resurgence in the use of native plants in park landscapes has provided real aesthetic, ecological and economic value. But there’s much work to be done as native plants are frequently still seen as a niche pursuit. In reality these plants are what connect our parks to the greater surrounding landscape. Whether you’re operating in sub-tropical Florida, the upper Mid-West, Coastal California or cool New England your native flora illustrates how unique your location is really is.

Trading the exotic for ecological integrity and regionalism

We’ve all seen it, a uniform row of colorful shrubs or tidy conifers lining a path or road into a park. This is the seventies landscape; neat, supposedly low maintenance, easy to grow and ecologically barren. A few years later these plants begin to volunteer in various locations around your park. Native plants decline, bird diversity dips and your maintenance crew is removing invasive species when you need them on other visitor focused projects. This is the result of using multiple

ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials that are often described as good “performers” but the reality is that many are tomorrow’s invasive weeds. Recent studies show these plants attract little wildlife when compared to native species.  As stewards of open space its incumbent upon us to strive for an improved standard and promote our own parks true ecological and aesthetic potential.

The sense of place is something most people find keenly appealing. It embodies where we live and recreate, how things smell, feel and look outside. When we consider the sense of place and the role of native plants in ours parks we’re promoting local ecology or ecoregions. Scientifically, ecoregions combine plants, topography and climate to define a distinctive place. Think the Adirondacks, Everglades, the Sonoran Desert, Ozark Mountains or Great Lakes forests. These are all ecoregions; every one of our parks is located in one.  Currently there are 115 major ecoregions described in North America. Every single one is unique and can be on display in your park by landscaping with native plants. Embracing your ecoregion is fostering a sense of place that makes your park truly unique to all visitors while increasing environmental and aesthetic quality.

Natives are beautiful, low maintenance and environmental friendly

Once you’re committed to using native plants in the landscape the relevance of your park increases aesthetically, ecologically and economically. A native plant landscape is beautiful and becomes ecologically balanced over time. This, in turn, leads to economic benefits. You’ll save on staff time controlling invasive plants. Transitioning to natives won’t eliminate weed control entirely, but it will

reduce it as you’re not planting weedy introduced species in the first place. Once established native plants require little irrigation or fertilizer. Your visitors are smart; they recognize good stewardship of the environment and are likely to invest more time and money in your site when it’s a beautiful and ecologically balanced place. Your local natural resource managers will take note as well. If your park is full of invasive landscape plants, natural resource managers will take due negative notice possibly complicating long-term property leases, steering funding sources to better managed sites and fomenting concerns with local politicians and stake holds. Alternatively, these resource manages will be the first people recognize and support your work toward responsible stewardship. When it comes time to expand or remodel facilities and schedule the requisite public hearings, your work with native plant landscapes will be recognized as a cogent approach to overall park operations. Today more park buildings strive to meet LEED certification standards; an environmentally thoughtful native focused landscape is an integral part of this process. Ideally sustainability starts in the landscape and informs the physical plant development accordingly.

Resources for making the native landscape transition

Promoting the ecoregion approach to your parks landscape has never been easier. Both new and older programs exist to support your efforts. The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center outside Austin, Texas has compiled key information about native plants across North America for decades. You can get a detailed list of suggested native species for your region on their website. A newer initiative supported in part by the LBJ Wildflower Center and others is the Sustainable Sites Initiative. The SSI brings together expertise from botanical gardens and landscape architects that provide many innovative ways to make any site better managed and more attractive. Your local chapter of the Nature Conservancy will also have valuable information on regional biodiversity and ecoregions. State agricultural extension agents offer knowledgeable support as well. Nearly all parts of the country have active native plant societies and nurseries. These growers will often “grow to order” if you’re in need of particular species. It’s important never to collect plants from the wild, always use propagated material. Finally, don’t forget your state universities and local public gardens both of which are tremendous potential resources. If funding is available, you may want to conduct a natural resource inventory of your park. This type of detailed information leads to well informed decision making. Combining any or all of these resources gives you complete access to detailed information about native plants specific to your parks ecoregion.

Setting the standard with authentic stewardship of your park

The pursuit of native plants in your park is a measurement of operational acuity in your management portfolio. Authentic leadership in today’s park agencies goes beyond staff management and revenue generation. Truly skilled managers will consider how the environmental quality of their park enhances revenue potential, donations, stakeholder support and cost savings. Sound fiscal management, public relations and increased visitation are ultimately connected to our capacity to conserve parklands with a vision of genuine stewardship. Creating a unique native plant landscape based on your ecoregion is subtle yet effective method for keeping your park environmentally relevant and ecologically healthy. The sense of place is powerful business tool when we choose to cultivate it.

Solvency through Diversified Revenue Streams: Lessons from a Small Garden

Keith Tomlinson, Jules Maloney, and Kim McCleskey, NOVA Parks and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Public Garden Magazine Vol. 31, Issue 1, 2016

GARDEN LIFE IN AND AROUND THE FEDERAL DISTRICT 

The District of Columbia, the seat of the United States federal government, has few rivals in terms of economic and cultural amplitude. With five public gardens and arboreta within its greater urban core, not to mention Smithsonian Gardens, and the numerous nationally significant historic estates within its orbit, the District is a veritable treasure trove for public garden visitors. Funding for these institutions is similarly diverse. Predictably, some are 100 percent federally funded. Others mix substantial municipal funding with limited enterprise revenue. Fundraising is prolific at several institutions. The region has a pressing need for open space conservation. The area’s gardens and parks fill an important role across a cityscape that spans as many as sixty miles in some locations.


CHARTING THE FUTURE OF OPEN SPACE

In 1959 a group of citizens concerned about urban sprawl formed the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Land acquisitions followed, parks opened, and a small staff emerged. Funding was a challenge. Today the Authority, now known as NOVA Parks, manages nearly eleven thousand acres spanning six jurisdictions and offers over thirty diverse parks from rowing facilities, a Civil War battle field, and an interpretive farm to nature centers, campgrounds, golf courses, a forty-five-mile, multiuse rail-to-trail system, and a public garden. No official tax mandate exists; some parks make considerable income, while others run annual deficits. Until recently Meadowlark Botanical Gardens fell neatly into the latter group. Through a unique combination of entrepreneurship, strategic planning, detailed budget analysis, and limited jurisdictional support, NOVA Parks are now 85 percent self-funded, placing it in an exclusive category nationally.


In 1980, while development was consuming the region, Gardener Means, an economist, and Caroline Ware, a social historian, donated their farm to NOVA Parks with the simple wish to create an arboretum or a public garden. There was no endowment or obvious source of funding beyond the park system and occasional bond referendums for facilities development. Some donor support materialized. From an unkempt farm in the Piedmont region of Virginia, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens began to emerge, and opened officially in 1987. An initial master plan focused on large ornamental collections. In the late nineties botanically-focused native plant collections were added. While programmatic and institutional relevance flourished, a large annual deficit remained.


THE EVENT VENUE: THE LURE OF LIFETIME EVENTS IN THE GARDEN

Summer 1998 marked the opening of the Atrium, a smartly designed, lushly planted event space that can seat 270. It immediately became a top garden event venue in the region. Weekends booked solid. This pace kept up through every season but winter (apart from during the holiday season). The diplomatic community took an early liking to the space and held several events. The multicultural fraternity of greater Washington makes for a very diverse clientele. Atrium staff carefully cultivated several high-end, specialty caterers. A close working relationship developed. The Gardens rapidly achieved annual earnings of a half-million dollars. But the building was expensive to run and maintain; more events meant more maintenance and horticultural upkeep. Revenue covered operational costs but made only a minor impact on the Gardens’ collective deficit. Many events are booked a year in advance. Stewarding these clients requires detailed event planning, contract negotiation, and staff time. Negotiations can be complex depending on cultural expectations; keen interpersonal skills combined with cultural sensitivity are crucial. Client focus, event details, and dedicated customer service are essential when tens of thousands of dollars are changing hands and guests are arriving from around the world. A specific payment schedule has to be clearly defined and adhered to. Weddings constitute 90 percent of events in the Atrium.


INTERNAL CATERING: BIG REVENUE POTENTIAL AND OPERATIONAL COMPLEXITY

In 2008 the concept of a wholly internal catering operation emerged. It was greeted with initial reservations by garden event staff who expressed concerns about quality, staffing, and the physical plant. After several code-mandated kitchen upgrades, the internal program launched in 2009. Predictably, several regular caterers at the Atrium were sorely disappointed, revealing the need for new operational standards. A larger staff with specific catering experience was hired. Several set menus have gained in popularity, but custom meals are also offered. The option to use an external caterer still exists, but it entails a substantial fee. All alcohol is handled exclusively by internal catering. Tastings are popular, frequently resulting in full bookings. Currently 95 percent of events use internal catering. An executive chef was added to ensure high culinary standards and operational efficiency. Within two years catering operations produced earnings of several hundred thousand dollars and many satisfied customers. Merging the rental and catering process is an attractive option for clients seeking a full-service garden venue.


THE HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW

Holiday light shows are well-established traditions at many public gardens. However, the initial launch of such a show is a huge endeavor. At Meadowlark the planning process took nearly two years. Consultants, including electrical engineers and high tree contractors, provided important design and installation services. Market research revealed a quality show would produce considerable earnings, tapping the region’s robust economy and attraction to holiday events at cultural institutions. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Brookside Gardens, both of which are located within thirty miles of Meadowlark, have long-standing traditions of  displaying holiday lights. At the conclusion of three seasons, the Winter Walk of Lights earned a half-million dollars. The show’s success with visitors of all ages is owed to its core elements: numerous trees wrapped very high, a strong nature theme, and several software-driven features. The lights are essentially a complex temporary physical plant. Refining, replacing, and refurbishing are ongoing tasks that ensure quality. After concluding in January, the entire show is neatly stored on site in shipping containers. Its impact on the actual gardens is minor, but they still require additional work as spring approaches.


MORE THAN A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, THE THEME OF CONSERVATION IS CONSTANT

The face of a four-year-old glowing with fascination during a light show is magical. A bride and groom search for the perfect photo spot within the garden. Out of sight in a fully licensed kitchen, catering staff puts the final touches on a fine dessert. All this happens while the earthly aroma of fresh leaf mulch wafts across the landscape, fostering a horticultural cornucopia. Horticulturists and volunteers work together, carefully tending ornamental and native plant collections. Beyond all the revenue activity, Meadowlark is ultimately a public garden endowed by the emotive magnitude of nature. Indeed, it’s unlikely these enterprising activities would yield the same revenue if it weren’t for the garden setting, but the Gardens’ core mission must not be lost.


Meadowlark was the first garden in the Washington, DC region to implement the International Agenda for Botanical Gardens in Conservation. In addition, various aspects of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) support the gardens conservation collections, but none more so than Target 14: The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated into communication, education, and public awareness programs. This simple message is emphasized in every aspect of the Gardens’ branding and education programs. Moreover, it’s an important interpretive forum that adds intrinsic value to the enterprise operations. People are eager to support institutions that have a clear conservation message.

Our garden is small, with no research program and limited fundraising staff, so our dependence on our parent agency is central to all our operations. NOVA Parks embodies operational, leadership, and budget and facilities management across a broad spectrum of expertise. While we share these resources with nearly thirty other public parks, we are a specialized site. The success of enterprise operations at any public garden is dependent on various institutional assets, mission focus, and economic geography. At Meadowlark the culmination of focused customer service, the region’s economy, and cultural expectations has resulted in full annual funding. Ideally, a continuum of diversified revenue streams can support the conservation of open spaces, including public gardens, when revenue goals are realized.