Category: Gardens

With over 150,000 blooming bulbs in our gardens, there’s plenty to see this spring during Cheekwood in Bloom! Cheekwood’s Plant Collections Manager, Shanna Jones, shares her top plant picks for March. Use this as your guide as you explore the grounds!

Grecian Windflower (Anemone blanda)

Bloom Time: March – April

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Deer

Tolerates: Average garden soils

Native to North America: No

Other: Naturalizes well. Enters dormancy after flowering.

Zones: 5 – 8

Location: Fern Garden

Buttercup Winterhazel (Corylopsis pauciflora)

Bloom Time: March – April

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees

Tolerates: Average garden soils

Native to North America: No

Other: Delicate in color and form, the flower is also fragrant.

Zones: 6 – 8

Location: Turner Seasons Garden

Twig Dogwoods (Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ & Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’)

Bloom Time: May – June

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Birds, butterflies

Tolerates: Deer

Native to North America: No

Other: Excellent winter interest. Thin to prune in late winter or early spring while still dormant to intensify overall color.

Zones: 4 – 8

Location: Carell Dogwood Garden

Pig-squeak / Heart-leaf Bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia ‘Pink Dragonfly’)

Bloom Time: April – May

Sun Requirement: Part shade – full sun

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees

Tolerates: Deer, drought, & rabbit

Native to North America: No

Other: Groundcover. Excellent winter color.

Zones: 4 – 8

Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden

Pieris (Pieris japonica ‘Mountain Fire’)

Bloom Time: March

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees

Tolerates: Deer & heavy shade

Native to North America: No

Other: Evergreen. ‘Mountain Fire’ is a heavy flower producer with fiery red emerging foliage.

Zones: 5 – 8

Location: Blevins Japanese Garden

Evergreen Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)

Bloom Time: April – May

Sun Requirement: Full sun

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Butterflies

Tolerates: Deer, drought, & rabbits

Native to North America: No

Other: Wonderful selection for rock gardens and garden edges. Benefits from snow cover which helps with desiccation.

Zones: 3 – 8

Location: Wills Perennial Garden

Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata)

Bloom Time: March

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Tolerates: Clay Soil

Native to North America: No

Other: The flowers are often affected by late spring frosts. To lessen the risk of frost damage, plant in a sheltered location.

Zones: 4 – 8

Location: Turner Seasons Garden, Wills Perennial Garden, & Herb Study Garden

Spring Starflower (Ipheion uniflorum)

Bloom Time: April

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Tolerates: Clay Soil

Native to North America: No

Other: An easy bulb to grow – great for the beginning gardener! When crushed, the foliage smells like onions.

Zones: 3 – 8

Location: Wills Perennial Garden

Cornelain Cherry (Cornus mas)

Bloom Time: March

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Birds love the fruit

Tolerates: Deer & clay Soil

Native to North America: No

Other: Prefers well-drained, moist, nutrient-rich soils. Strong resistance to dogwood borer and anthracnose.

Zones: 4 – 8

Location: Carell Dogwood Garden & Turner Seasons Garden

All About Orchids

Publish Date: 2/22/2021

For its third year at Cheekwood, Orchids in the Mansion brought the beauty of nature into the elegant and historic Loggia of the Historic Mansion & Museum.

The display consists of orchids including Cymbidium, Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, and Cattleya of various sizes and in shades of pinks, purples, and buttery, watery yellows. The orchids decorate several orbs throughout the room, arranged in cascading chandeliers and filled out with hundreds of ferns and greenery. In the middle of the room is a 28’ long mirrored panel, which is meant to suggest a water feature running through the room and reflects the orchids from above, as well as balances over a dozen vases of orchids to fill out the display.

This exhibition, meant to make you feel warmth and get a small taste of spring, may have you wanting to own and grow your own orchids. The next couple sections will guide you through the process of creating your own orchid oasis.

Buying Your Own Orchids Guide

A blooming orchid is an elegant way to brighten your home over the grey winter months, yet the plants remain rather unapproachable to the average home gardener and decorator. Where to find orchids along with credible information about growing orchids is the first step to installing your potted beauty on that empty kitchen windowsill. Find your first orchid at one of the five places described below and begin to break down the barriers to the unnecessarily elusive plants.

Don’t be afraid to buy orchids from the grocery store, unless they’re blue. Bright blue orchids are no more exotic than your third-grader’s dyed carnations, and these inked impostors should not distract you from the often-surprising quality and selection of plants lining the sun-filled windows beyond the checkout aisles. Phalaenopsis, or moth orchids, dominate the supermarket inventory, and make an appropriate selection for entry-level growers. Trial and error are important to developing any skill and the lower commitment level to a plant from the grocery store may render the endeavor less daunting.

Ask the folks at the Middle Tennessee Orchid Society for friendly advice when you’re ready to graduate from your grocery store grabs. The local orchid society is affiliated with the American Orchid Society, which offers a wealth of information online to help you select and grow orchids successfully in your home. The Middle Tennessee Orchid Society also produces a display garden and presents in information table at the annual Lawn & Garden Show presented at the fairgrounds in March.

Trade shows, such as the Lawn & Garden Show, provide a unique opportunity to access a greater diversity of plants from specialized vendors and interface directly with the experts in the booth. Vendors arrive to display and sell only their highest-quality plants, often staged in a way as to demonstrate how to grow and display the plants in your home.

Online shopping can fulfill most all our wants and needs and should not exclude live plants. Orchids travel well and the iconic Cattleya orchids were even discovered as packing material used to ship plants back to Europe during nineteenth century plant collecting expeditions. Almost all orchids prefer soil-less growing media and can survive without additional water for several days, making them ready candidates to drop in the mail. Be wary of shipping and receiving orchids in the winter, as the mostly tropical plants will not enjoy sitting on your doorstep waiting for you to arrive home.

Cheekwood may not be the first place you think of to purchase plants, but the garden team will be eager to share the gently used inventory of orchids coming off display in early March in our Mansion Gift Shop.

Caring for Orchids

If you were inspired by Cheekwood’s Orchids in the Mansion display but unsure of how to start growing orchids of your own, here are some quick tips for achieving your orchid oasis.

Orchids are tropical plants, but they aren’t as high maintenance as we might think. There are three main considerations when growing orchids to ensure healthy, flowering plants: light, water, and temperature.

1. Light

Light intensity, or light strength, is a key factor in helping your orchid bloom. Light intensity is measured through foot-candles, or the amount of light a one-foot radius sphere would receive from the center of a candle. Common orchids need between 1,000- and 3,000-foot candles of light intensity while others may require up to 5,000-foot candles or more.

How do you know if your orchid receives enough light? You could purchase a light meter, but if you’re looking for a quick test, try this on a bright, sunny day: hold your hand about six inches from your orchid to see if your shadow casts on the plant. A strong shadow means there is enough light to grow high light orchids such as Cattleya (corsage orchids), Ascocenda, Phragmipedium (slipper orchids), Brassia (spider orchids), and Dendrobium. A fuzzy shadow indicates that low light orchids like the common Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) or Paphiopedilum (lady slipper orchid) are suitable for growing. Another way to measure light intensity is by monitoring your plant’s leaves. Too little light can leave your plant’s leaves small and thin, while too much light results in a sunburned plant with red or brown spots on leaves. Strong, light green leaves indicate your plant is receiving adequate light intensity.

The duration of exposure, or photoperiod, as well as the quality of light are also important factors to consider for your orchid. Since orchids often grow in tropical forests near the equator, they like to receive equal parts daylight and darkness. If you’re growing your plant indoors, consider placing it near south and west-facing windows to achieve enough light intensity and consistent exposure. However, keep in mind the quality of light these locations provide, and that some windows block ultraviolet light. Consider using artificial lights to help your plant achieve the full spectrum of light needed to grow.

2. Water

A common mistake for many beginner orchid growers is overwatering, which causes the roots to rot and often results in the plant’s demise. Most orchids like to dry out slightly between waterings and only require watering twice per week. Water early in the day so foliage dries by night and use tepid water to drench your plant’s roots, draining completely. While a common suggestion for orchid beginners, never use ice cubes for watering since orchids prefer mild temperatures. Lastly, use potting medium to control your plant’s moisture levels. A good potting mix for orchids consists of coarse bark product, natural lump charcoal, and perlite. For more moisture, you can add sphagnum peat moss or high-quality potting soil.

3. Temperature

Many orchids rely on fluctuations in temperatures to induce flowering, preferring a drop in temperature of five to seven degrees. To help your orchid know when to set spikes for winter and flower in the spring, give your orchid cooler temperatures in the fall!

More Resources for Growing Orchids

Interested in learning more about orchid care? Visit these websites for more information and orchid growing supplies.

• American Orchid Society 

www.aos.org   

• Orchid Society of Middle Tennessee 

www.tnorchid.org  

• OFE International  

www.ofeintl.com

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Top Plant Picks February 2021

We may be gearing up for spring, but these featured winter plants are not to be missed! Cheekwood’s Plant Collections Manager, Shanna Jones, shares her top plant picks for February. Use this as your guide as you explore the grounds!

Bushy Bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus)

Bloom Time: September – February

Sun Requirement: Full sun

Water Requirement: Medium – wet

Wildlife: Provide food & nesting material for birds and small mammals.

Tolerates: Deer

Native to North America: Yes

Other: Excellent winter interest. Ideal for rain gardens and other low lying areas.

Zones: 5 – 9

Location: Howe Garden

Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox)

Bloom Time: January – March

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Birds enjoy the fruit.

Tolerates: High resistance to disease and insects.

Native to North America: No

Other: Fragrant & showy blooms provide winter interest.

Zones: 7 – 9

Location: Carell Dogwood Garden

Common Filbert (Corylus avellana)

Bloom Time: March – April

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: The nuts are a good food source for squirrels and birds.

Tolerates: High winds and shade.

Native to North America: No

Other: The male catkins display ornamental value in winter.

Zones: 4 – 8

Location: Carell Dogwood Garden

Texas Sotol (Dasylirion texanum)

Bloom Time: July

Sun Requirement: Full sun

Water Requirement: Dry

Tolerates: Deer

Native to North America: Yes

Other: Tough, evergreen plant with attractive round shape composed of blue-green spines. Perfect for rocky soil gardens.

Zones: 7 – 11

Location: Sigourney Cheek Literary Garden

Chinese Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha)

Bloom Time: February – March

Sun Requirement: Part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Early emerging bees and butterflies seek the pollen in late winter.

Native to North America: No

Other: Extremely fragrant. Wonderful use as a specimen plant or a small mass planting.

Zones: 7 – 9

Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden

Possumhaw (Ilex decidua)

Bloom Time: May

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Birds, deer, & possum feed on the berries.

Tolerates: Clay Soil

Native to North America: Yes

Other: Works well in the landscape as a specimen or a hedge component. Also a good selection for wet areas.

Zones: 5 – 9

Location: Turner Seasons Garden

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana ‘Burkii’)

Sun Requirement: Full sun

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Birds enjoy the berries.

Tolerates: Deer & drought

Native to North America: Yes

Other: ‘Burkii’ is a male cultivar. The foliage presents a purple tinge in the fall and winter months.

Zones: 2 – 9

Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden & Sigourney Cheek Literary Garden

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica x fauriei ‘Muskogee’)

Bloom Time: July – September

Sun Requirement: Full sun

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Butterflies

Tolerates: Drought

Native to North America: No

Other: Mildew resistant. Exfoliating, handsome bark, in a combination of shades, provides a gorgeous backdrop to the garden in all seasons.

Zones: 6 – 9

Location: Bradford Robertson Color Garden

Top Plant Picks January 2021

Kick off the new year by checking out a few of our featured plants! Cheekwood’s Plant Collections Manager, Shanna Jones, shares her top plant picks for January. Use this as your guide as you explore the grounds!

Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum)

Bloom Time: April

Sun Requirement: Sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Birds

Tolerates: Clay Soil

Native to North America: No

Other: Wonderful small specimen tree for winter interest with attractive exfoliating bark.

Zones: 4 – 8

Location: Arboretum – Edge of Parking Lot B

Weeping Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria ‘Pendula’)

Bloom Time: April

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium – wet

Wildlife: Birds

Tolerates: Variety of soils

Native to North America: Yes

Other: Evergreen, weeping form. Must have a male plant nearby for female plants to set fruit. Fragrant flowers.

Zones: 7 – 9

Location: Sigourney Cheek Literary Garden

Hardy Anise Shrub (Illicium parviflorum ‘Florida Sunshine’)

Bloom Time: May – June

Sun Requirement: Part shade – shade

Water Requirement: Medium – wet

Tolerates: Deer, wet conditions

Native to North America: Yes

Other: For winter color interest, this is a winner! Leaves emit an aromatic fragrance when crushed.

Zones: 6 – 9

Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Bloom Time: December – February

Sun Requirement: Full sun

Water Requirement: Dry – medium

Wildlife: Birds eat the berries

Tolerates: Deer, drought & erosion

Native to North America: Yes

Other: Wonderful native tree for evergreen screens and interest.

Zones: 2 – 9

Location: Robinson Water Garden / Ann and Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail

Braun’s Arborvitae Fern (Selaginella braunii)

Sun Requirement: Part sun – shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Tolerates: Deer & heavy shade

Native to North America: Yes

Other: This spikemoss is evergreen in Nashville and can act as a weed barrier. Adds interesting texture to the garden, resembling that of ocean coral.

Zones: 6 – 9

Location: Blevins Japanese Garden

Northern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

Bloom Time: May

Sun Requirement: Part shade – full shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Birds. Black bears use large hollow trees for dens.

Tolerates: Heavy shade

Native to North America: Yes

Other: Attractive cones hang like ornaments. Mulch heavily in the winter months.

Zones: 3 – 7

Location: Arboretum – Lower Stream

Lantanaphyllum Viburnum (Viburnum x rhytidophyllum ‘Willowood’)

Bloom Time: April – May

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Birds & butterflies

Tolerates: Erosion

Native to North America: No

Other: Attractive fall and winter color of gold, peach, and oranges.

Zones: 5 – 8

Location: Between the Carell Dogwood Garden & the Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden

Johnny-Jump Up (Viola ‘Tiger Eye’)

Bloom Time: September – May

Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade

Water Requirement: Medium

Wildlife: Bees & butterflies

Tolerates: Cold weather

Native to North America: No

Other: A cool season annual, ‘Tiger Eye’ presents attractive markings and a pop of color.

Zones: 4 – 9

Location: Chihuly Installation – Scarlet and Yellow Icicle Tower

Burr Terrace Garden

In celebration of Cheekwood’s 60th anniversary as a public institution, we’re highlighting one of our 12 distinct gardens each month to showcase our wide variety of garden offerings. With 55 acres of rolling hills and 12 intricate, unique gardens, there’s something for everyone to experience and love at Cheekwood.

In October 1971, it was formally announced that a new garden would be added to Cheekwood on the elevated terrain, just above the Howe Garden. Precisely one year later, on Sunday, October 15, 1972, the public celebrated the opening of the Elizabeth Burr Memorial Garden (as it was known at the time). On this day, the garden’s boldly colored chrysanthemums were in full bloom and bordered by heirloom roses planned and executed by the Nashville Rose Society and the Junior Department of the Woman’s Club of Nashville. In the few years following, a walkway was installed to provide ease of access between Cheekwood’s newest garden and the Howe Garden, Today, the landscape surrounding the walkway has matured with winter-blooming witch hazel, spring-flowering dogwood, and wine-colored crepe myrtles.

Elizabeth Burr was an enthusiastic gardener and an active member of the Belmont Garden Club, whose own garden was a source of great enjoyment to friends and family. When her daughter, Ruth Puryear expressed ideas for her mother’s memorial garden to W. James Coile, a local and very notable landscape architect, she emphasized two main concepts for a design: to stimulate the senses and to provide accessibility all.

Coile put these ideas to work to develop a concept based on Orto Botanico di Padova (The Botanical Garden of Padua, Italy). Built in 1545, the garden in Padua is the oldest surviving botanical garden. A round plot surrounded by water; it was designed to represent the world.

The Burr Terrace Garden sits within the Cheekwood landscape like a jewel box, displaying the truest sentiment of love from daughter to mother. Guests can see the similarities between the Burr Terrace Garden and the Orto Botanico di Padova in the rounded, hardscaped garden outlines, the organic shapes of the beds, the central water feature, and the use of focal points to draw the eye further into the landscape.

From an interpretation and usage standpoint, the likeness to its Italian garden counterpart can be observed in the first and second circular plots. The Burr Terrace Garden represents phases in time as they relate to historical gardening themes. Within the entrance garden, visitors will find present-day horticulture trends, often corresponding to the seasonal display design found in the Bradford Robertson Color Garden.

A small, traditional knot garden was designed into the second level of the Burr Terrace as a nod to the intricate designs commonly exhibited in gardens of the Italian Renaissance Era (1330-1550). Knot gardens were intended to be viewed from above and James Coile’s placement of the one designed into the Burr Terrace Garden is perfect in that effect.

The petite knot, as well as the surrounding beds, originally contained culinary, medicinal, and other household herbs. For a time, this portion of the garden was important in serving the visually impaired community and was maintained in conjunction with the Herb Society of Nashville. Both the principal and superintendent of the Tennessee School of the Blind were consulted about the design. They encouraged Coile to feature plants to stimulate multiple senses into the design. In addition to using aromatic and textural plant material, raised beds, water, and braille labels were also utilized to assist the visually impaired.

Lastly, another few steps down from the second tier leads to an intimate space, planted with elegant oak-leaf hydrangeas, big-leaf hostas, textural plum yew, and Italianesque columnar boxwoods. This subdued, shaded area, complemented by the sound of the running fountain, provides a setting for stillness and relaxation. The sculpture, Figure on a Box, by Olen Bryant of Clarksville, Tennessee, adds a serene presence to this final tier.

With an arbor framed in the summer months by fringed passionflower and languid black-eyed Susan vines, the third and final section of the installation serves as a viewing platform for the Howe Garden. This viewshed is historically significant as the installation for the Burr Terrace Garden began only two years after the opening of the Howe. In a way, they are sister gardens.

More recently, this overlook provides a view into the nearby Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden as well. The connection isn’t only visual, it also tells a story, tying Cheekwood’s oldest garden installations with its newest.

Be sure to visit the Burr Terrace Garden during your next visit to Cheekwood. Click here to read about our other distinct gardens. For a look at what’s currently blooming in the gardens, check out our Gardeners’ Top Picks here.