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An Arboretum of the Highest Status

The historic Cheekwood Estate and Gardens is comprised of 55 acres. The woodlands surrounding the estate comprise 15 of these acres where mature oaks, cedars, ash, and hickories have grown for hundreds of years and created a lush canopy of signature Tennessee forest. Similar species are represented throughout the main campus, as well, along with understory companions like redbud, dogwood, stewartia, and paw paw. Since its inception as a public botanical garden in 1960, Cheekwood has strived to collect and showcase tree varieties bred for improved performance, new flower colors, and stronger environmental tolerances. The result of collecting with these botanical qualities in mind, along with horticultural donations given over the years (i.e. Carell Dogwood Collection), is a rich and diversified arboretum providing a space for guests and students to explore, enjoy, and learn.

An arboretum is a living collection of trees and shrubs cultivated and labeled for scientific and educational purposes. An arboretum functions to demonstrate a tree’s performance under cultivated conditions, educate and provide a resource for the community, and to conserve trees like the Torreya taxifolia (Stinking cedar) whose natural habitat is threatened.

The arboretum program in our state was initiated by the Tennessee Division of Forestry in 2000 and the process was a simple one. To apply for arboretum status, a site only needed to be one of public access with at least 30 tree species identified and labeled. The Tennessee Urban Forestry Council (TUFC) took over the program in 2007 and the rules for becoming a legitimate arboretum have expanded. At the time of this writing, over 90 sites across the state are certified arboretums. They include school campuses, cemeteries, parks, museums and, like Cheekwood, public estates.

In 2001, the Tennessee Division of Forestry deemed Cheekwood an arboretum with a level 1 status. This helped establish a foundation for a more structured collections management policy and thoughtful interpretation for our tree collection. The new arboretum status was also the impetus for an Arboretum Maintenance Plan. This plan covers guidelines related to inspection, mulching, planting, staking, pruning, and watering.

Cheekwood qualified for level 4 Arboretum status with the TUFC in 2010.  With 12 distinct gardens, a new children’s garden and renovated sculpture trail on the way, as well as our Nationally Accredited Cornus (Dogwood) Collection™, we offer more than 120 labeled and identified trees on site, representing the best trees to grow in Middle Tennessee.

Maintaining a level 4 arboretum status is relevant to upholding our organization’s core value system:

– Preservation of our landscape, structures, art and botanical collections.
– Education and the institution’s ability to serve as a resource for the entire community.
– Beauty and the recognition that individuals define and appreciate beauty in their own ways and for their own purposes.
– Creativity, discovery and exploration of the world around us.
– The sense of place that is Cheekwood and the memorable experiences it creates.
– Honesty, integrity and respect for all.

In 2016, Cheekwood was designated a Center of Excellence by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council. The Center of Excellence program serves as a form of outreach and enhances urban forestry at regional sites throughout the state of Tennessee.

To meet the requirements necessary for a Center of Excellence designation, a site must meet the following criteria:

– Hold a qualified Level 4 arboretum status
– Have a certified arborist on staff or on retainer as a member of a designated “tree team,” comprised of at least four volunteers including a Master Gardener or Master Urban Forester
– Serve as a community resource for tree information and education including at least four education programs each year on arboriculture or urban forestry

Cheekwood strives toward excellence in all we do, and our team works diligently to maintain this integrity through various initiatives, including arboretum tours, special garden days and tree celebrations. Follow along with us on our website, blog and social media platforms as we continue to grow and expand, always keeping our core values in mind to best serve our community. Our arboretum map can be found on our website here or you can pick one up at Visitor’s Services for a self-guided tour.

Riverview Gardens

Did you know the gardens and art installations at Riverfront Park are maintained by Cheekwood? In 2015, we partnered with the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreations to present a garden and art installation at Riverfront Park. The half-acre garden features perennials, annuals, shrubs, bulbs, and other plants.

Our garden team contributes to the overall care and oversight of the garden. They visit once a month to conduct weeding, light pruning, watering, and additional cleanup. Maintenance of the gardens also include monitoring water levels, maintaining plant identification labels, and installing public art installations.

Throughout the year, the garden team will assist Metro Parks with the planning and design of Riverview Gardens. These gardens see two major plant changes a year that mirror the seasonal displays at Cheekwood. Summer annuals are on display from May until the end of August. Once summer annuals are removed the next maintenance task is to cut back any perennial shrubs and grasses in preparation for the winter. During the winter, specifically December to January, the team will begin planting hyacinths and tulips in preparation for Cheekwood in Bloom. These plantings last from March to the end of April, then once again the gardens will be prepared for summer.

Carmen Ferrer, Grounds Supervisor, currently manages our Riverview Gardens along with Eric Fountain, Tristan McAlister, and interns from our Tennessee State University summer intern program.

“I look forward to visiting Riverview because it is a change in scenery and makes me appreciate Cheekwood’s footprint beyond the 55 acres in Belle Meade,” Carmen​ Ferrer, Grounds Supervisor.

Gardeners’ Top Picks July 2019

Say hello to summer by taking a stroll through our gardens! Our garden team has hand selected their top plant picks for July from 8 of our distinct gardens. Use this as your guide as you explore the grounds.

Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria)

Bloom Time: June – July

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part sun

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees

Tolerates: Shade

Native to North America: No

Other: Deadhead regularly for the maximum number of blooms

Zones: 7 – 10

Location: Burr Garden

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)

Bloom Time: May – June

Sun Requirement: Full sun

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees

Tolerates: Dry soil and part shade

Native to North America: No

Other: Grow this plant for the flowers and the seed pods

Zones: 2 – 11

Location: Signourney Cheek Literary Garden

Pineapple Lily (Eucomis ‘Oakhurst’)

Bloom Time: July

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees

Tolerates: Drought and shade

Native to North America: No

Other: Low maintenance and great for containers

Zones: 7 – 10

Location: Turner Seasons Garden

Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorus)

Bloom Time: June – August

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees and butterflies

Tolerates: Acidic soil

Native to North America: No

Other: Great for Children’s Gardens

Zones: 4 – 9

Location: Rock Wall (behind Frist Learning Center)

Canna (Canna ‘Cannova Bronze Orange’)

Bloom Time: July – August

Sun Requirement: Full sun

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees, bats, and hummingbirds

Tolerates: Moist soils

Native to North America: No

Other: Ideal plant for containers and rain gardens

Zones: 7 – 11

Location: Color Garden

Hardy Begonia (Begonia grandis)

Bloom Time: July – October

Sun Requirement: Part shade – full shade

Water Requirement: Medium – Wet

Wildlife: Bees

Tolerates: Heavy shade

Native to North America: No

Other: Naturalizes easily

Zones: 6 – 7

Location: Wills Perennial Garden

Buttonbush (Cephalanthes occidentalis)

Bloom Time: June – July

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium – Wet

Wildlife: Bees and butterflies

Tolerates: Wet soil

Native to North America: Yes

Other: Perfect for planting near water

Zones: 5 – 9

Location: Frist Learning Center

Golden Seal (Hydrastis canadensis)

Bloom Time: April – May

Sun Requirement: Part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees

Tolerates: Deer

Native to North America: Yes

Other: Medicinal; Berries are attractive, providing garden interest

Zones: 3 – 8

Location: Herb Study Garden

By the time July rolls around with its barbeques, pool parties and fireworks, a lot of us die-hard gardeners feel like burnt toast. The joy of gardening is beginning to feel a little more like a combat mission with the challenges of heat, pests and disease posing risks at every turn. Do not fret. There are plenty of tactics that can be utilized to combat our garden concerns and keep our plants flourishing while also making sure that we aren’t wilting (or melting) in the process.

Select Tough Plants

Being a true Southerner, I appreciate nothing more than a tough, heat-resistant plant.  ‘Want to earn my respect, plant? Then stand up to the fiery heat ball in the sky and don’t except much rain for an undetermined amount of time. Then, if it does happen to rain, be prepared to steam.’  I do enjoy tending a garden and creating special bonds with individual plants. Though my plant addiction does not pair well with the fact that there is only 24 hours in a day. If a plant is somewhat autonomous, they are welcome to join my family. Focusing on heat and humidity-resistant plants can save you time and heartache in the long run. Many garden centers will group plants according to their special strengths, making these tough plants easy to find.

Feed Me Seymour

By now, many of your plants have likely bloomed or are blooming, and surely your vegetables are producing. A mid-season dressing of compost or a broadcast fertilizer will help to replenish nutrients expended by this point in the plants’ cycles. Taking this measure will increase your plants’ performance all the way until the first frost.

Prune

Summer flowering shrubs are best pruned right after blooming. Doing so prevents the flowers from producing seed, which requires a considerable amount of energy. In warmer climates such as Middle Tennessee, this step is vital to plant health because it allows the shrub to use its energy to combat summer stressors that it would otherwise be using to reproduce. On a related note, do a final pinching of fall bloomers, like asters and mums, by mid-July. When pruning, be sure to remove any dead wood and weak branches in addition to spent flowers. This will lessen disease and pest pressures.

Speaking of Unwanted Visitors…

The familiar integrated pest management protocol of scouting is highly critical at this point of the season. Many eggs have hatched and many more are being laid. Thrips, aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, and that cartoon-looking tomato hornworm are all common threats we are familiar with. Catching these unwanted visitors early on can make all the difference in controlling these enemies. Pressurized water, insecticidal soaps and neem oil are all effective management tactics. Even dipping smaller plants entirely in water is an option. Be aware of what you are seeing as you come across eggs in your garden and ensure that you know what you’re dealing with before deciding to eradicate – it could be spider babies (our allies against many garden pests) or pollinator eggs.

Simmer Down Now

Although often tempting, we have no business planting trees and shrubs in the middle of the summer. Even smaller perennials are risky, as July and August are just too hot and dry for planting. Transplanting in early spring, or better yet, in the fall is good timing for healthy root production and overall establishment. However, if you have a potted plant that is rootbound and struggling to survive, please do get it in the ground, even if that means placing a full sun plant in a temporary shady spot. Then, in the fall, select a spot with more sun exposure for its forever home.

Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor

Sit back in the shade, admire your beautiful work, and sip on something refreshing. Using basil and strawberries from your garden, make this delicious cocktail courtesy of  No Spoon Necessary (https://www.nospoonnecessary.com/strawberry-basil-vodka-cocktail/).

Strawberry Basil Vodka Cocktail

Ingrdients:

• 2 ounces Strawberry Syrup (1/4 cup)
• 3 Basil Leaves
• 1 1/2 ounces Vodka
• 1/2 cup 7UP , chilled (or more to taste)

Strawberry Syrup: (yield = about 1 ½ cups)

• ½ Pint Strawberries , hulled and sliced (8 ounces)
• ¼ Cup Agave , or more to taste*
• 1 ounce Lime Juice

Optional Garnishes: Lime Wedges, Sliced Strawberries, Basil Leaves, Sugar for Rim

Instructions

1. Make the strawberry syrup:Combine the strawberries, agave and lime juice in a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Optional: Strain half, or all, of the syrup through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
3. For each cocktail: In a cocktail glass*, gently muddle basil leaves. Fill the glass with ice. Pour in ¼ cup of the strawberry syrup. Add in the vodka, and top with 7UP. Stir. Repeat if making additional cocktails.
4. Garnish the glasses with strawberries, basil leaves and lime wedges. Enjoy!