By Gregory A. Kirkman, Pavestone Company

Having limited space to work with, Joe Howell of Howell and Vancuren, Inc. found the hardscape materials critical in tying together the many plants, bushes and shrubs as well as the water garden.

If you build it, they will come. Just like the character in the famous baseball movie, Barry Fugatt, director of horticulture at the Tulsa Garden Center, heard a voice he could not ignore. The result is a teaching garden unlike anything in the country. And like in the movie, the people have come.

The Carl Linnaeus Teaching Garden in Tulsa, Oklahoma is a magnificent example of the power of dreams and the amazing potential of the human spirit. While working as extension director and senior horticulturist for Oklahoma State University, Barry always dreamed about a teaching garden for his students and the citizens of Tulsa. Once he retired from OSU, Barry accepted a position at the Tulsa Garden Center where he found a small piece of overlooked property and Barry set out to build his field of dreams.

 

Dr. Linnaeus is best known as the father of botany for his binominal (genus-species) naming system of plants. A nine-foot bronze statue of Dr. Linnaeus stands at the entrance of the garden welcoming all who visit promising an experience they won?EUR??,,????'???t soon forget.

The result is The Linnaeus Teaching Garden. Named after eighteenth century Swedish physician Dr. Carl Linnaeus, the garden is a shining example of the collaborative effort of private donors, the landscape industry and an almost fanatical group of volunteers.

Now he needed a team and the funds to construct and operate the garden. His first call was to Joe Howell, one of the principals at Howell and Vancuren, Inc., Landscape Architects. Once the architect was on board, it was time to choose a general contractor. For that, Joe and Barry picked Aaron Rogers of Rforma Design and Build. Once the team was in place the next step was to find funding. Many private citizens stepped up to donate money to the project. The industry contacts that were so vital to the gardens?EUR??,,????'??? success quickly came on board. Pavestone Company out of Dallas, Texas came in as a major sponsor for the hardscape portion of the project and many plant, nursery, and water feature industry leaders also gave major contributions.

Over 16 different styles of pavers were included in the design including a permeable paver used in the green house that allowed the water to move through the floor directly back into the sub soil.

The garden was built and funded completely by private money. No public funds have ever been used to support the operation. Barry said ?EUR??,,????'??This is almost a perfect marriage between industry leaders, private citizens and volunteers to create a wonderful teaching garden that is available to all of the people of Tulsa and the Midwest.?EUR??,,????'??

With funding in place, it was time to begin the construction phase. The placement of hardscaping elements (walks, paths, pavilion and retaining walls) was particularly critical to the success of the garden. Pavestone hardscaping materials literally became the ?EUR??,,????'??bones?EUR??,,????'?? of the project, tying together the garden?EUR??,,????'???s many use areas (water garden, herb garden, veggie garden, perennial garden, etc) into a coherent whole.

At almost two years old, the garden has blossomed into one of the most unique places in the country. The two-acre site holds over 500 species and 12,000 individual plants and bushes as well as a large water feature and upwards of 10,000 square feet of hardscape pavers and retaining walls creating an environment that truly has something for everyone. The facility is worth more than two million dollars.

Using pavers allowed Joe to lead the visitors through the many sections of the garden on a beautiful and functional pathway. An ADA accessible ramp was designed into the master plan to ensure that wheelchair bound visitors could enjoy the garden.

However, the project was not without its obstacles. Again the design team took the opportunity to showcase how it could serve as a teaching facility and not just a pretty face. A long line of very old trees at the main entrance were critical to the look and feel of the garden. Joe and Aaron decided to move away from the traditional paver installation method that would require excavation of 6 to 8 inches of soil and replace it with a base material that had very little drainage capabilities. Instead of disturbing the delicate root system they raised the elevation of the walkway and used a clean well draining rock as the base.

The volunteer maintenance staff of over 200 must pass a grueling interview even to be considered for the program, only one out of five is accepted. They go through twelve intense weeks of studies and tests to learn about the garden and all of its pieces so they can teach and help the public with the experience. Each student must then volunteer a minimum 50 hours in the first year to earn their rightful place as a Linnaeus Teaching Volunteer.

Along with space constraints there were also elevation changes that needed to be addressed. The design flexibility of retaining walls proved to be a perfect solution. Joe and his team were able to use the retaining walls to separate the garden into many different areas, each with a unique and different feel.

Now that the garden is established and has grown into a full-fledged teaching facility with a well trained staff to look after it, the next step was inevitable. In the next few years, Barry has plans to start several programs to benefit the citizens of Tulsa. A children?EUR??,,????'???s program is in the works for this fall as well as a program for senior citizens living in assisted facilities and a horticulture therapy program that will work with local hospitals to provide a unique setting for mentally and physically disabled patients to benefit from the beauty and healing powers of such a wonderful place.