The University of Iowa has two gardens on its grounds that were accepted into the ACS Conifer Reference Garden Program in 2014, the year that the University made its first foray into dwarf conifers. Inspired by Dennis Hermsen, Ed Rinderspacher, and Pam Maurer among others, the University installed a garden at the Hancher Performing Arts Center. What began as a clandestine project was met with accolades, and the University decided to incorporate more of these gardens into the campus landscape. Currently, there are five installed, although only the two largest, the Dancer's Garden and the Eckstein Medical Research Building Garden, have become part of the Reference Garden Program.

The first Reference Garden, the Dancer's Garden, is the crown jewel of the University’s conifer collections. The garden’s location had long been the only green space between two buildings on the main campus. One, Halsey Hall, was for years an athletic center for female students. (It later achieved a small amount of fame for being shown on the sitcom Coach as the building that housed his office.) Today, it is used by the Dance department and as a gymnasium. The other building, Calvin Hall, houses Financial Aid and Admissions offices among others, so almost every student enters this building at some time. In addition, many new student orientations and campus tours visit these two buildings. For years the green space between these two buildings was known as PI Hill (poison ivy) and was viewed as an embarrassment by the University. Starting in the fall of 2011, the landscape services team received permission to install a conifer garden in this area. They began by removing all the groundcover and seven trees. They graded the slope slightly and then four semi-loads of limestone were installed by the in-house installation crew. This stone accentuates the topography of the site and gives the illusion that these “bluffs” have always been here. Tucked in amongst the plantings is a waterfall, which, during the summer, draws both avian and human visitors!

The tiered installations make every view of the garden a feast for the eyes. The garden includes 16 genera (four of which are deciduous), comprising 31 species, and 46 cultivars. Notable specimens include a Picea mariana ‘Wellspire’ that was salvaged from the original conifer garden that was flooded in 2008 and a Pinus strobus witch’s broom found on campus. All plants are labeled, to educate those wondering “What kind of plant is that?” This is a hidden gem that people enjoy because of its private nature. 

The Eckstein Garden

The second Reference Garden is the Eckstein Medical Research Building (EMRB) garden. The first phase was installed in the fall of 2010 and the second phase completed in 2013. This garden is another pocket of green space in a sea of concrete. This area surrounds a popular patio outside a café. People enjoy sitting outdoors eating lunch or chatting; however, the surrounding area was very unattractive and overgrown. The landscape services team removed the overgrown plantings, built raised beds and installed a variety of conifers to make a secret garden “room” which now draws people in to explore. This garden features 17 genera (four of which are deciduous), 36 species and 40 cultivars. Notable plants include a large Ginkgo ‘Spring Grove’ and a Picea polita originally planted at another site in 2002. All plants are labeled for the benefit of the viewer.

Both of these gardens generate many positive comments as well as photo opportunities. These two projects have had a very positive impact on the campus landscape and always seem to be included on campus tours. The University of Iowa has hosted the Iowa Garden Rendezvous as well as the Big Ten Grounds Managers tour at these gardens, and the University is now starting to incorporate more and more species of conifers throughout the campus landscape, now approaching 80 different species planted throughout.

Halsey Hall, University of Iowa

Eckstein Medical Research Building EMRB Café

Gardens of the Big Bend is in Florida, just 10 miles south of the Georgia-Florida border in the so-called 'Big Bend' where the Florida panhandle meets the peninsula. This results in the Gardens being more closely affiliated with Southern culture and continental climate and soils than with the theme parks and tropical beaches of peninsular Florida. The Gardens are easily accessible to Gulf Coast residents of the Florida panhandle, lower Alabama, lower Mississippi and Louisiana thanks to our location on Interstate 10, the primary east-west expressway for the Gulf Coast.

As a new addition to the ACS Conifer Reference Garden program, Gardens of the Big Bend hopes to excite visitors by displaying exotic conifer species adapted to the Gulf Coast as well as presenting ornamental selections of native conifers. Most specimens in our plantings are not dwarf forms as beloved by many conifer growers; instead our conifers aim to be shrub and tree components of Gulf Coast landscapes providing unique textures and forms as well as evergreen foliage. As a young garden, our modest conifer collection has been inspired by the breadth and depth of the collection amassed by Dr. John Ruter (University of Georgia) in Tifton, Georgia, about 90 miles northeast.

Gardens of the Big Bend formally began in 2008 thanks to the happy marriage of a new volunteer organization coupled with facilities and plant collections at a University of Florida research facility. The North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy had been developing collections of conifers and other landscape plants as part of university research projects. The new volunteer organization, Gardening Friends of the Big Bend, Inc., was formed in 2007 to support horticulture research and education. This group quickly seized on the idea of transforming and transplanting NFREC's existing plant collections into a series of public gardens.

The goals of these gardens are to evaluate new plants, promote garden plants adapted to the region, demonstrate environmentally sound principles of landscaping and provide a beautiful and educational environment for students, visitors, gardeners and Green Industry professionals. In addition to being named an ACS Conifer Reference Garden, Big Bend's Magnolia Garden has recently been recognized as part of the National Collection of Magnolia as overseen by the North American Plant Collections Consortium. Other major collections include crape myrtle, hydrangea and rose.

Gardens of the Big Bend currently occupies about 8 acres plus the 3-acre Magnolia Garden. Additional land is available as the Gardens grow. Conifers are planted throughout the Gardens and elsewhere on the NFREC campus, and a new garden will focus on conifers.

Gardens of the Big Bend are free and open to the public during daylight hours year-round; staff is available during normal business hours. The Gardens are located just 1/8 mile north of Florida Exit 181 on Interstate 10. 
Dr. Gary W. Knox, University of Florida, NFREC

The Dawes Arboretum was established in 1929 by Beman Dawes and his wife, Bertie. The idea for an arboretum came to Beman during his youth in Marietta, Ohio, where his father’s lumber business supported the family.

About 1917, Beman Dawes purchased 140 acres of the old Brumback farm in Licking Township. The farm, known as “Woodland,” had gently rolling hills and several acres of mature trees native to central Ohio. Beman felt that the farm was well situated; it was located practically in the center of the state with diversified soils and good climate for hardy trees.

The family renamed the farm “Daweswood” and the brick, half-century-old farmhouse became their country home. By this time, Beman and Bertie Dawes had passed their love of nature on to their four sons and their daughter. Daweswood served as both a retreat from the family’s East Broad Street residence in Columbus, as well as a place to pursue their horticultural interests.

It was Beman Dawes’ aim to inspire people to plant trees. He planted trees at Daweswood, striving to obtain specimens from all over the world that would survive in central Ohio. The first planned tree planting began in 1917 with 50 sugar maples. By the time The Dawes Arboretum was founded, over 50,000 trees had been planted and the grounds had almost doubled in size to 293 acres. Beman and Bertie Dawes created The Arboretum as a private foundation: “To encourage the planting of forest and ornamental trees … to give pleasure to the public and education to the youth.”

Today, The Dawes Arboretum displays nearly 5,000 different types of woody plants. Active records are kept on more than 30,000 individual plants. To ensure the continuation of The Arboretum, Beman and Bertie Dawes established an endowment fund. Today, the endowment continues to be the major source of funds for The Dawes Arboretum that has now grown to over 1,800 acres.

The Conifer Glen

The Conifer Glen is an eight acre tract located in the south end of the Arboretum, east of Dawes Lake. The entire tract was developed to display large, compact, dwarf, and miniature conifers. Planting of dwarf conifers began in early 1990’s.

Inspiration for the conifer garden was from a photograph of a conifer planting in Bedgebury Pinetum and Forest in Kent, England. An important element was leaving the center view open, making use of existing larger conifers as a framework, placing dwarf conifers on either side, emphasizing this view. The result is a panoramic view both to the north and south, occurring at various elevations. At the lowest elevation an intermittent stream meanders from east to west emptying into Dawes Lake.

Large sandstone boulders have been strategically placed to simulate geologic outcroppings. The rocks provide backdrops and microclimates for plants. The sloping terrain, remaining large deciduous trees, and various soil conditions and exposures create planting sites for a diversified and comprehensive collection that not only provides a palette of beautiful specimens but is a garden both unique and inspiringt.

Old, weathered logs are used to add an element of 'aging'. Some are used as vertical snags; others cross the stream area here and there or simply lie on the ground to rot, eventually adding to the enrichment of surrounding soil.

A bridge and bridge/boardwalk combination have been constructed for easy access. The stream will have additional granite boulders installed and more sandstone ledges will be added in higher elevations.

Plants are mapped using Global Positioning Satellites and labeled with UTM coordinates. All pertinent records data are stored in Iris BG Plant Collections Management System

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Mendocino County, CA is a favorite spot for tourists, with its dramatic coastline, the sweeping vistas and thundering waves of the Pacific Ocean and the iconic stands of ancient redwoods. It is also a great spot for plant lovers, as its climate is exceptionally mild and moister in summer than most of the state. The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, which Sunset Magazine ranked #2 in 2013 of public gardens in the Western States is perched on the coastal headlines and is the perfect destination for visitors of all interests. The MCBG also has an extensive conifer collection, and in late 2013 became a Western Region Reference Garden.

The Gardens’ first notable collection was rhododendron, reflecting both the unique growing conditions and a resident population of horticulturalists engaged in hybridizing many of the most popular early introductions. Today the MCBG is still known for these beautiful shrubs and it is one of the few places in the world where every kind of rhododendron can be grown, including many tender species from the cloud forests of Southeast Asia and the Himalayas. Every May the MCBG and the Noyo Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society host the largest Rhododendron show in California, when the majority of these shrubs are in glorious bloom.

Conifers were also part of the MCBG from its beginnings, as the native stands of Pinus contorta(shore pine) provide a crucial windbreak to the Gardens from the prevailing westerlies off the ocean. The first efforts involved replenishing and adding to those trees along the shoreline.

Today, the Gardens total 47 acres and the conifer collection includes natives, rare and unusual species from the world’s temperate regions, and also interesting dwarf and miniature cultivars that are planted both in conifer-centric beds and interplanted with perennials and other woody plants. about 50% of the Gardens are maintained in their natural state, which affords visitors the opportunity to experience both carefully cultivated plantings and the scenic woodland with towering native trees and lush undergrowth. These ‘wild’ areas are managed to protect both native flora and fauna.

There are plans for expanding and enhancing the Gardens’ conifer collection. Director Molly Barker is a fan, ‘Conifers provide winter interest in our perennial beds and year-round curb appeal in our problem entry area, which is open to deer, exposed to the reflected heat of the parking lot and is extremely windy. The conifers take the abuse and still look great!’ She notes that the entry beds are currently being renovated, ‘Our goal is to make the entry garden reflect the Gardens’ overall collection, as this is the first bed that our visitors see when they arrive, and it’s a great introduction to these wonderful plants.’ There are also plans to add pathways and conifer cultivars to the Woodland Garden. The Nursery at the MCBG sells a large diverse selection of dwarf and miniature cultivars, many of which can be seen planted in the various gardens.

In addition to the rhododendron and conifers, the Gardens have significant collections of heaths and heathers, camellias and magnolias and native upland and riparian plants of the North coast. The heaths and heathers collection is recognized by the American Public Gardens Association. There is also an astoundingly colorful dahlia display in autumn.

The Gardens were part of the September 2015 ACS annual meeting post-conference tour. Read more about the MCBG on the Gardens’ website.

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View the dwarf conifer collection

Mary (Polly) Wakefield created the gardens and the arboretum of the Wakefield Estate over a 40 year period. When Polly passed away in 2004, she left her 22-acre property in a private trust to be used for education and community enjoyment. A trained landscape designer and horticulturalist, Polly created formal gardens, plant nurseries, woodland trails, and planted wetlands, growing much of the plant material from seed or cuttings. She worked closely with the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University to develop her collection. The gardens most important feature is more than 300 Cornus kousa dogwoods, all originating from the same seed source at the Arnold Arboretum. Polly also planted many varieties of maples, magnolias, and conifers.

In 2017, the Mary May Binney Wakefield Arboretum became an Arbnet Class II certified arboretum and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The gardens have been lovingly restored with careful pruning, the addition of new plant material, and unique hardscape features.

The dwarf conifer garden was added to the collection in the summer of 2018. This garden currently boasts more than 30 dwarf conifer varieties surrounded by many gardens with a broad range of full-size conifers planted with other species. The dwarf conifers were selected for hardiness and year-round display. Polly Wakefield worked with Arnold Arboretum plant propagator Al Fordham, a pioneer in work with dwarf conifers and began experimenting with dwarf species herself in the late 1970's and later creating her “witches garden with dragon gate”. Several of her dwarf conifers remain in the gardens today.

Open hours: The Wakefield Estate welcomes visitors to tour the property during regular business hours (9-4 Mon-Fri). In addition, the estate is open on weekends for special events or by appointment (see our website: wakefieldtrust.org for event listings). To arrange "by appointment", visits please call 617-333-0924 x22.