CHADWICK ARBORETUM & LEARNING GARDENS

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In September, 2005, in the heart of the Midwest, Blooms of Bressingham, the Perennial Plant Association and Ohio State University Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens joined together to create this perennial demonstration garden on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Designed and installed by Adrian Bloom, with plants generously donated by local growers, it emphasizes his vision of building display gardens designed for year-round interest.

In just one day, Adrian Bloom transformed a 4,500 square-foot space outside Howlett Hall, home to Ohio State’s horticulture department, into a dramatic garden showcasing about 1800 plants and 200 different cultivars. The garden has become an integral part of the university’s educational program.

As the site is surrounded by concrete sidewalks, with tall buildings on two sides, Bloom envisioned creating the garden as an oasis to be viewed from the outside rather than from within, with no paths breaking up the landscape. Unique to this site is the opportunity to view the garden from several vantage points at ground level, at a slightly elevated level from a small café inside one of the buildings and from classrooms several stories above.

Participants found it truly inspiring to watch Adrian Bloom lay out the garden, which was ably planted by volunteers from Ohio State University’s horticulture department and the Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens, among others.

In recognition of Steve Still’s 25 years of teaching at Ohio State University, the garden was named Stephen Still Garden in an official dedication ceremony on August 8, 2007. Dr Still is the university’s Emeritus Professor of Landscape Horticulture and also the founder of the Perennial Plant Association.