Feature: The MSU Gardens

WHERE PLANTS AND PEOPLE GROW TOGETHER

            The MSU Gardens, a magnificent sanctuary on campus, remains a top attraction for alumni and friends of all ages. One common thread among alumni of Michigan State University is their love of the beautiful campus—a park-like setting covering 5,192 acres and containing a veritable arboretum with 14,000 planted trees featuring 7,000 varieties. Nestled within the beautiful campus are several exquisite areas that together are known as the “MSU Gardens.”

            This “consortium” of gardens, which even includes one near Jackson, remains one of the most popular features of the MSU campus. Thousands of visitors come each week. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Symphony No. 4, “The Gardens,” was commissioned by Jack, ’54, MBA ’71, and Dottie Withrow, ‘55 (see Spring 2000, pp. 28-29), who wanted a musical tribute to the gardens that so inspired them as students. Most alumni, indeed, have memories of their alma mater that include specific garden scenes.

            The MSU Gardens consists of a “magnificent seven” major units. Most famous is the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden, now in its 128th year. The newest is the Horticultural Demonstration Gardens, a place for learning and relaxation near the Plant & Soil Sciences Building. Within it lies the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden, arguably “the most creative half acre in America.” Other components are the Botany Greenhouse and Butterfly House, the Clarence E. Lewis Landscape Arboretum, the Campus Woody Plant Collection, and the Hidden Lakes Gardens in Tipton, MI, southeast of Jackson.

            The American Society of Landscape Architects has given the prestigious Medallion Awards to MSU in recognition of the beauty of the campus and the design of the Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden. “Look for their bronze plaques at Beaumont Tower and the Children’s Garden,” notes William Carlson, University distinguished professor of horticulture and director of the Horticultural Demonstration Gardens.

            This special feature story aims to showcase the MSU Gardens and also to help guide alumni who might wish to visit them during their next return trip to the MSU campus.

            You can call 517-355-0348 to arrange a tour of the MSU Gardens (or 517-355-7750 for Beal).

            Web site: http://www.hrt.msu.edu/gardens

W. J. BEAL BOTANICAL GARDEN

             Founded in 1873 by professor William J. Beal, this garden has served students, faculty, staff and the public as a source of knowledge, inspiration, and relaxation for 128 years—making it the oldest, continuously operating botanical garden of its kind in the U.S. Visitor gain a view of plant diversity, ecology, conservation and insight into how we use plants in our daily lives. '(It’s) the most diverse and well-cared for collection of any botanical garden in the state,' describes Tony Renicek, the curator of vascular plants at the University of Michigan Herbarium. The garden is divided into sections unified by themes, including flowering plants, economic plants, endangered plants, and forest and landscape plants.

            In 1877, Beal became the first scientist to cross-fertilize corn for the purpose of increasing yields, and his work eventually led to the 20th century miracle—hybrid corn. In 1879 Beal started his famous “Seed Viability Study”—the longest continuously operating experiment in the world—in which buried bottles of seeds were opened in various years.

            This year, an original bottle buried by Beal was unearthed and tested to see which seeds germinate. The previous one was unearthed in 1980, while the next opening is slated for 2020. The only plant to germinate consistently over time has been moth mullein, the flower of which the Garden adopted for its logo in 1998.

            Although extensive labels describe the plants in the garden, a new outreach program has trained volunteers to lead tours as docents and serve as ambassadors greeting visitors, thus adding a human touch.

            A Virtual Garden: New database and mapping software have been installed for tracking of the Beal Botanical Garden collections as well as those of the Campus Woody Plant Collection. Soon web surfers will be able to visit the garden and do a “virtual” search its collections, and to also see it via a remote web cam.

             The W. J. Beal Botanical Garden is located on West Circle Drive between the Library and West Circle Intramural Sports facility. Parking is available in the public paylot during business hours (free all other times). The lot is located south of the Red Cedar River just northwest of Spartan Stadium. It’s a short walk across the Kalamazoo Street Bridge or the pedestrian bridge by the Library.

            Call 517-355-9582 for information, or 517-355-7750 at least two weeks in advance to arrange tours ($15 minimum group charge).

            Web site: http://www.cpp.msu.edu/beal/

HORTICULTURAL DEMONSTRATION GARDENS

            Here visitors and students can experience first hand the blooms of thousands of annuals, the color and texture of herbaceous perennials, and the fragrance of roses set off by trees, shrubs, and striking architectural elements.

             Though planned to meet the teaching needs of the Dept. of Horticulture, the gardens also provide ideas and inspiration to gardeners and a place of repose for all who enjoy the pleasures of plants. More than $2 million was donated in private funds to make possible this “living classroom,” begun in 1993, where annuals, perennials, roses, herbs, trees and shrubs illustrate horticulture--the art and science of gardening. The 7-1/2 acres contain five different gardens:

1. Judith A. DeLapa Perennial Garden—The first garden in the complex to be developed, it contains more than 425 species of bulbs, perennials and ornamental grasses. The garden is meant to showcase plants that will grow well in Michigan with a minimum of care, and is arranged so that plants bloom and grow in seasonal complementary groups. “The DeLapa Perennial Garden serves as an educational resource for students and professionals,” notes Carlson. “All plants are labeled with their scientific and common names, providing a living catalog. Many classes, workshops and tours use the garden for study and discussion.”
2. Florence and Amien Carter Annual Trial Garden—Contains a fountain, sculpture, and reflecting pool while showcasing more than 1,000 varieties of the very best annuals, or bedding plants. Enjoy the explosion of color when this All-American Selections Trial Garden is in full bloom each summer with more than 35,000 plants each year.
3. Frank’s Nursery and Crafts Rose Garden. You can evaluate the latest All-America Rose Selections winners and enjoy the color and fragrance of hundreds of roses. The All-America Rose Selections organization was started in 1938 to improve the quality of roses available to the public. Each year approximately 50 new cultivars that have never been sold in the United States are sent to test gardens for evaluation. The garden also contains the last ten years of AARS winners.
4. The Idea Gardens are primarily an area where different plant materials and garden planting designs can inspire the public to apply in their own gardens. One garden, the Cactus Garden, is maintained by the Genesee County Master Gardener group.

             The Horticultural Demonstration Gardens are located by the Plant and Soil Sciences Building, with the main entrance on Bogue Street south of Wilson Road. The visitors parking lot requires tokens to exit. The gardens are open year round, dawn till dusk, and admission is free.

            For guided group tours, call 517-355-0348 at least two weeks in advance ($15 minimum charge).

            Web site: http://www.hrt.msu.edu/demogarden.html

BOTANY GREENHOUSE AND BUTTERFLY HOUSE

            In the fall of 1998 administration officials could no longer keep the North campus location open to the public due to liability concerns and decided that the 1922 structure should be removed. The various functions of the facility were relocated to different locations on campus. The Botany Live Plant Collection maintains a diverse collection of plant specimens from over 75 plant families used primarily for teaching, research and public outreach purposes. These collections are housed and maintained in four locations on campus.

             The vast majority of the collections are maintained in the Plant and Soil Science Greenhouse- South, located at the Horticulture Farms. Fifteen thousand square feet of greenhouses are maintained with special collections of orchids, bromeliads, ferns, cacti and succulents, carnivorous plants and tropical foliage plants. A four thousand square foot botany teaching greenhouse was built to the west of the Plant Biology Laboratory, connected by tunnel, to the Botany department teaching laboratories. This state of the art greenhouse features precise heating, cooling and lighting systems and rooms for transgenic plant research.

             The North campus facility, located east of the Old Botany building, has been modified into arid and tropical habitats to fit teaching needs. The Butterfly House has been reconstructed in the Plant and Soil Science Teaching Greenhouse, connected to the south end of the Plant and Soil Science Building. Plans are underway to to build a new facility that will contain an arid house, butterfly house, subtropical house, a large rainforest and special display rooms with orchids, ferns, carnivorous plants and evolution displays along with a gardens' visitor center on the north east corner of Farm Lane and Service Drive.

4-H CHILDREN'S GARDEN

             The 4-H Children's Garden is the smallest of the MSU gardens, just over a half acre, yet it brings joy, delight, wonder and excitement to thousands of children and adults each year. It is an amazing place, that will bring a smile to your face, and touch your heart.

            What makes this a children's garden? It is a careful blending and integration of many pieces.

• Scale - it is child size, from the height of the seats to the size of the theme areas.
• Themes - it is filled with small theme gardens that children recognize and know (ABC garden, Peter Rabbit Herb garden, Pizza garden, Butterfly garden, Alice in Wonderland Maze, Secret garden).
• Interactivity - each theme garden is designed to be interactive, children can sit on the statues, walk through the Cereal Bowl garden, step into the Pizza garden, touch the sensitive plants and touch the handprints in the sidewalks.
• Color - it is brightly colored with a Sunburst Entrance, Rainbow Gardens and structures that are pink, purple and teal.
• Signage - all signs are large print, easy to read and contain only common names, so children can read them.
• Education - it has educational programs for children designed to help them understand the important roles plants play in their daily lives.

            As we look ahead, what is next?

1. The 4-H Children's Garden has already begun, and will greatly increase, the integration of technology into the garden. We will use technology to enhance and expand the in-garden experience. We will use it to overcome the limitations of time and space, enabling anyone, anywhere, anytime to visit, interact and learn in the garden. We will have interactive computer kiosks in the garden where children (and adults) can explore and learn more about the garden in new and innovative ways.
2. We will continue to expand our interactive web page.
3. We will be working closely with schools to create interactive field trips, and enhance and expand them using technology, through a program called 'Connected Classrooms'.
4. We are planning to work with the College of Education to create opportunities for pre-service teachers to be exposed to the 4-H Children's Garden as a valuable tool in their teaching.
5. In addition, we will be working to establish children's gardens at schools, in communities and where ever there is interest, through a program called 'Growing Gardens'.

            There are undoubtedly other opportunities that we can't even imagine yet. As these arise, we will be using them as appropriate to improve the 4-H Children's Garden so that it does an even better job of promoting understanding of plants and their roles in our daily lives, nurturing the wonder in a child's imagination and providing a place of enrichment and delight for children of all ages. Come, join the FUN!

            Here is the brief text about the American Society of Landscape Architects Medallion awards presented to MSU in recognition of the MSU Campus and the 4-H Children's Garden.

MSU CAMPUS AND 4-H CAMPUS

            MSU Campus and 4-H Children's Garden Awarded ASLA Medallions

            The Michigan State University Campus and the 4-H Children's Garden were each awarded Centennial Medallions. The American Society of Landscape Architects' Medallion Program was created to honor America's existing landscapes and to recognize the accomplishments of landscape architects over the past 100 years. These awards represent the timeless campus beauty as well as new inovative landscape designs. Look for these stately bronze plaques at Beaumont Tower and in the 4-H Children's Garden. --Clarence Lewis

             The late Clarence E. Lewis once suggested that 'an arboretum should be named after a tree or a person who has stimulated others to become enthralled with the wonders of the plant world.' He was certainly one of these... a person who inspired thousands to seek out the fascinating world of plants.

            Clancy Lewis was known for his devotion to horticultural excellence and for his positive influence on students, nurserymen/women, landscape architects, and the public in developing an appreciation for landscape plants. As an accomplished landscape horticulturist and professor emeritus in the MSU Department of Horticulture, Clarence E. Lewis certainly was deserving of having the landscape arboretum named in his honor. He was thrilled and honored at the dedication of the Clarence E. Lewis Landscape Arboretum on July 10, 1984. He passed away in 1985, but his legacy lives on.

            He was respected nationally for his professional expertise in ornamental horticulture, and he contributed thousands of articles and photographs to leading horticulture and trade publications. He gave slide presentations to numerous horticultural and other audiences, and these illustrated lectures were legendary.

            The Clarence E. Lewis Landscape Arboretum is located on south campus. As you travel south down Bogue Street passed the Plant and Soil Science Building, look to your right, there lies a six-acre parcel of land. You may remember this westward stretch as the old campus nursery. Many remaining specimen trees lend a mature characteristic to this site. This quiet oasis of green changes through the year, offering a spectacular scene in every season. In springtime, the redolent trail through the flowering magnolias, viburnums and witchhazels accentuates a spectacle of pastels.