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Most of the succulents are no bigger than a quarter. Here, the Garden Coach carefully places a quarter for refernce, but does not touch the plants. It will be interesting to see by the end of the season if they spread out and touch, covering the pea gravel.
A little garden elf gave me a tip about a really cool display at the Missouri Botanical Garden....and no, I don't mean the Lantern Festival gig. Don't get me wrong—there's no missing the lanterns. But after walking past the huge displays at the front gate, it made me chuckle to think of how different they were compared to what I had come to see. The garden that drew me here was so small, you could miss if you walked past it too quickly, while the lanterns are shockingly enormous.
On the left, the Garden Coach's mom in front of the four-headed Buddha display, part of the Garden's "Art by Day, Magic by Night," display of Chinese lanterns. On the right—look hard or you may miss it—is the Pincushion Garden.
So, what is this really cool display? It's the Pincushion Garden, which is part of The Doris Harris Waters Lichtenstein Victorian District. In 2007, the Garden received a substantial donation from Mrs. Lichtenstein, which was used to create an area that could take visitors back to the days when Henry Shaw lived here; the district is just east of Henry's old house.
These meticulous designs, made with succulents, make these garden displays a visual delight.
But back to the Pincushion Garden (which is fun to say AND to see). This past winter, while walking the gardens, I noticed construction in progress on these unusual concentric circles, including the installation of an extensive irrigation system. It fascinated me so much, I took a photo. I remember thinking that maybe they were putting in some fountains—well, now the mystery is solved. The circles were for garden beds housing teeny-tiny plants, mostly succulents from what I can determine. And now I know that this strong, formal, elegant garden style was part of the Victorian era.
You have to get VERY close to see these dwarf succulents in bloom.
I couldn't find much on the MBG website about the Pincushion Garden, nor was there any signage or pamphlets at the site, so I do not know if there was any special consideration for soil and irrigation. The description on the website does mention that these little plants are annuals...which means these gardens will have to be meticulously replanted again, in the same defined shapes, each year.
Beth Gellman, the Garden Coach, is a landscape designer and consultant. Beth works primarily with landscape contractors in Design + Build capacities. Integrating beauty and function with outdoor spaces to create sustainable healthy practices drives her personal and professional life.
