Elizabeth Park, Hartford

Last updated

Elizabeth Park
Elizabeth Park greenhouse and herb garden, August 10, 2008.jpg
The greenhouse and herb garden at Elizabeth Park
LocationAsylum Ave
West Hartford, Connecticut
Coordinates 41°46′34″N72°43′08″W / 41.77611°N 72.71889°W / 41.77611; -72.71889
Area102 acres (41 ha)
MPS t
NRHP reference No. 83001259
Added to NRHPMarch 10, 1983

Elizabeth Park is a city park located in Hartford and West Hartford, Connecticut. It covers 102 acres and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park is owned by the City of Hartford, and jointly maintained by the City and the Elizabeth Park Conservancy working together. [1]

Contents

The site was previously owned by financier Charles M. Pond of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad and Hartford National Bank, and a treasurer of Connecticut (1870–71). In 1894 he bequeathed his estate to the City of Hartford with the stipulation that it be named for his deceased wife, Elizabeth. The city took possession in 1897 and engaged the famed Frederick Law Olmsted for initial design and landscaping. In March 1896, the Hartford Board of Park Commissioners hired Swiss landscape architect, Theodore Wirth, as the first professional superintendent of parks for the City of Hartford.

In 1904, Mr. Wirth created its world renowned Rose Garden which today covers 2.5 acres. It is the oldest municipal rose garden in the United States, currently containing about 15,000 bushes of 800 rose varieties. In the 1970s the city decided it could no longer afford the garden, and initially proposed plowing it under, until volunteers banded together and came to the rescue. Today the Helen S Kaman Rose Garden, named after the first Conservancy president, thrives and has become one of the top tourist attractions in Connecticut. The beauty of the roses and arches in full bloom is beyond description. "Breathing taking." Combined with the other gardens, greenhouses, paths and woods, this park is a botanical gem in the northeast.

In 1977 volunteers banded together with Vic Jarm (Park Superintendent at the time) to form the Friends of Elizabeth Park and save the Rose Garden. Their first mission was to raise $10,000 to replace many of the rose bushes that died from lack of care. Since then the Conservancy has assisted the City of Hartford in maintaining the Rose Garden as well as the other horticultural gardens in the park and have raised funds for the restoration of the historic greenhouses and the Elizabeth Pond Memorial in 1997, also known as the Pond House Café. Most of the financial support for the park through the efforts of the Conservancy comes from individuals, grants and foundations such as the Ethel Donaghue Trust and the Kaman Foundation. In 2011, the name was changed to Elizabeth Park Conservancy to reflect their expanded mission and purpose beyond the rose garden.

Today the park encompasses many garden areas, pathways, century-old Lord and Burnham greenhouses, lawns, bowling greens, tennis courts, a picnic grove, and a scenic pond. The border between Hartford and West Hartford has moved since the park was established, with the odd result that one of Hartford's largest parks is now located primarily within the Town of West Hartford. However the park is owned and maintained by the Conservancy and the City of Hartford Department of Public Works and Parks alone. The Elizabeth Park Conservancy has full management of the Helen S Kaman Rose Garden, and the seven other specialty gardens. The four greenhouses and garden head house are used to start plants from seeds and cutting, force bloom of tulips for the annual greenhouse show, and host exotic and tropical plants. The Conservancy holds garden, tree and history tours, garden workshops, greenhouse shows, and their immensely popular summer concert series for the public. In addition to their mission to maintain and preserve the gardens and the park, the Conservancy prides itself on bringing people from all backgrounds together as a community. [2]

East Lawn

The East Lawn was designed by Theodore Wirth in 1896 and has been a communal space since the park opened in 1897. The Sunrise Overlook on the East Lawn offers views of the city's downtown area, with the area catching sunlight during early hours, earning the name Sunrise Overlook. A formal promenade and flower beds are placed on the highest point of East Lawn. Sunrise Overlook was redesigned in 1994 after the original design was neglected and overgrown. The promenade and flowerbeds were replaced by a semicircle of sitting walls, viewing terraces, and walkways. New trees were planted, alongside a variety of flowering shrubs, native plants, and perennials. [3]

Under the vantage point of Sunrise Overlook, a vista of the city is placed, complete with bordering trees. Alongside the borders are over 20,000 shrubs and 275 trees. Over time, two baseball fields were added on the east side of the border, and a children's playground on the south border. There are also two basketball courts and a gravel path for visitors. [3]

Horticultural Gardens

The horticultural gardens in Elizabeth Park are collaborations with other organizations. The care and management of these gardens are the responsibility of whichever group planted them. [4]

Herb Garden

A collaboration with the Connecticut Unit of the American Herb Society, the Herb Garden was planted in 1998 as a dedication to Anne Pinto, the former society president. The American Herb Society to promote the knowledge and use of herbs throughout communities, and this garden is used to push their mission by showing visitors to the park a variety of different herbs and their general information. [4]

Dahlia Display Garden

A collaboration with the Connecticut Dahlia Society; the society holds an annual dahlia show every year, as well as a dahlia sale. The society uses their garden in the horticultural gardens of Elizabeth Park to promote their yearly events and attempt to get more people to participate in and spectate their shows. [4]

Connecticut Iris Society Display Beds

A collaboration with the Connecticut Iris Society, these display beds hold several New England irises. The society also has a smaller set of display beds on the south side of the greenhouse, housing irises from Virginia. Most of these beds tend to bloom from April to June, with the garden being closed for the rest of the year. The society holds iris shows during peak growth season around May. [4]

University of St. Joseph School of Pharmacy, Sara Knuth Medicine Garden

A collaboration with USJ School of Pharmacy, featuring a variety of medicinal plants around the world. These plants are frequently used in pharmaceuticals worldwide. [4]

Julian and Edith Eddy Rock Garden

The Julian and Edith Eddy Rock Garden features herbs, perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, and trees. First planted in 1915, the rock garden takes inspiration from earlier alpine gardens found in Austria. Most of the early plants did not acclimate well, and the garden went through three total restorations, with the final one being in 2016. In order to maintain the new garden, a combination of volunteers and park workers remove debris from the gardens and trim shrubs to promote new growth. The entire garden is surrounded by a border of deciduous trees. [5]

Heritage Rose Garden

The Heritage Rose Garden is a test garden planted by the All American Rose Selection, and contains a variety of roses including wild, Albas, Bourbons, and Hybrids amongst other species. The garden was renovated by the Connecticut Valley Garden Club in 2017, adding new variety's of international roses to the gardens. The garden itself is shaped like a rosette, with five distinctive districts shaped like petals. The garden remains as one of the few heritage rose gardens throughout the United States. [6]

Perennial Garden

The old Perennial Garden was one of the first gardens created in Elizabeth Park, under the direction of George Parker. The original garden fell into disrepair around the 1980s, with it undergoing renovations in 1987. After the renovations, over 1600 perennials were added to the garden, spread out over eight large flowerbeds. The beds are separated by "warm" and "cool" colors, directly opposite to one another to showcase the difference. [7]

Helen S Kaman Rose Garden

The Helen S Kaman Rose Garden is the first rose garden in the United States and the third largest rose garden in the country. Named after the park's first president, the garden opened in 1904 showcasing over 200 varieties of roses around the world. Since 1950, the garden has expanded to encompass over 1000 rose species. Every year, the park raises over $100,000 USD with the sole dedication to the rose garden. [8] The shape of the rose garden is the same as the logo of the park; a square shape with a circle in the centre and 8 pathways leading from the circle to the square. Over time, a semicircular segment was added to the north and south sides of the garden, to accommodate more visitors and showcase more roses. [9]

The following contains a partial list of some of the main rose species growing in the Helen S Kaman Rose Garden: [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardens at Heather Farm</span>

The 6-acre (2.4 ha) Gardens at Heather Farm are a set of gardens located at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek, California, United States. The gardens have a view of Mount Diablo, and are open to the public 7 days a week during daylight hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Botanic Gardens</span> Botanical gardens in New Zealand

The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand, were founded in 1863 when an English oak was planted to commemorate the solemnisation of the marriage of Prince Albert and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The gardens sprawl over an area of 21 hectares and lie adjacent to the loop of the Avon River next to Hagley Park. The Christchurch Botanic Gardens have a variety of collections of exotic and local plants of New Zealand, several conservatories, a nursery, playground and Climatological Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Rose Garden</span>

The National Rose Gardens are a heritage-listed rose gardens located in Parkes, a suburb of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory of Australia. The rose gardens were added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park</span> United States historic place

Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, which includes the Coe Hall Historic House Museum, is an arboretum and state park covering over 400 acres (160 ha) located in the village of Upper Brookville in the town of Oyster Bay, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens</span> Botanical garden in East Lansing, Michigan

The Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens are horticultural gardens, with a landscape arboretum, located on Bogue Street on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing, Michigan. The gardens are open to the public daily without charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutgers Gardens</span>

Rutgers Gardens is the official botanical garden of Rutgers University, located on the outskirts of Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, at 112 Log Cabin Road, North Brunswick, New Jersey, 08902. The grounds include 60 acres of designed beds, specialty gardens, tree and shrub collections, lawns, and walking paths, and the adjoining 70-acre Frank G. Helyar Woods. The gardens are open year-round, without fee, and feature horticultural collections arranged in garden settings. In 2017 it was granted landmark status by the American Society for Horticultural Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingwood Center</span> Historic house in Ohio, United States

The Kingwood Center Gardens is a historic 47-acre (190,000 m2) site with a house, Kingwood Hall, gardens and greenhouses located in Mansfield, Ohio.

Fellows Riverside Gardens are public botanical gardens, part of the Mill Creek Metro Parks system. The gardens are located at 123 McKinley Avenue, in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. They are open daily with no admission fee.

This is an alphabetical index of articles related to gardening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luther Burbank Home and Gardens</span> Historic house in California, United States

Luther Burbank Home and Gardens is a city park containing the former home, greenhouse, gardens, and grave of noted American horticulturist Luther Burbank (1849-1926). It is located at the intersection of Santa Rosa Avenue and Sonoma Avenue in Santa Rosa, California, in the United States. The park is open daily without charge; a fee is charged for guided tours. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark as well as a California Historical Landmark (#234).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Worth Botanic Garden</span> United States historic place

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is a botanical garden located at 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas. The garden was established in 1934 and is the oldest major botanic garden in Texas. It is located in the heart of the cultural district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornamental Gardens, Ottawa</span>

The city of Ottawa is considered "a city of gardens" with over 75 public gardens. The Ornamental Gardens are located at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The 3.2 hectares were once used as a test facility for the development of winter hardy roses, weigela and peonies. But now acts as the steward to several large collections of ornamentals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservatory Garden</span> Garden in New York Citys Central Park

The Conservatory Garden is a formal garden near the northeastern corner of Central Park in Upper Manhattan, New York City. Comprising 6 acres (24,000 m2), it is the only formal garden in Central Park. Conservatory Garden takes its name from a conservatory that stood on the site from 1898 to 1935. It is located just west of Fifth Avenue, opposite 104th to 106th Streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose garden</span> Garden or park which consists mainly of roses

A rose garden or rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses, and sometimes rose species. Designs vary tremendously and roses may be displayed alongside other plants or grouped by individual variety, colour or class in rose beds. Technically it is a specialized type of shrub garden, but normally treated as a type of flower garden, if only because its origins in Europe go back to at least the Middle Ages in Europe, when roses were effectively the largest and most popular flowers, already existing in numerous garden cultivars.

The Botanischer Garten Solingen is a 6-hectare (15-acre) botanical garden located at Vogelsang 2a, Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is open daily without charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Side Community Garden</span> Community garden in Manhattan, New York

The West Side Community Garden is a privately owned park in Manhattan, New York City, United States. It is located between West 89th Street and West 90th Street in the middle of the block between Amsterdam Avenue and Columbus Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Untermyer Park and Gardens</span> Public park in Yonkers, New York featuring the remnants of Samuel Untermyers noted gardens

Untermyer Park and Gardens is a historic 43-acre (17 ha) city public park, located in Yonkers, New York in Westchester County, just north of New York City. The park is a remnant of Samuel Untermyer's 150-acre (61 ha) estate "Greystone". Situated on the steep land arising from the eastern bank of the Hudson River to the bluff on top of it, the park's principal feature is the Walled Garden, inspired by ancient Indo-Persian gardens, in which are found a small Grecian-style open-air amphitheater with two opposing sphinxes crouching atop paired Ionic columns; a classical pavilion; a stoa and loggias; and a circular, open-air tempietto called the Temple of the Sky. A long staircase leads from the Walled Garden to an Overlook with views of the river and the Palisades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauritzen Gardens</span>

Lauritzen Gardens are a botanical gardens and arboretum located at 100 Bancroft Street in the South Omaha neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. The gardens are open daily during business hours; an admission fee is charged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus Park of Roses</span> Park and rose garden in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.

The Columbus Park of Roses, also known as the Whetstone Park of Roses, is a public park and rose garden in Columbus, Ohio. The 13-acre (5.3 ha) park is located within the city's larger Whetstone Park in the Clintonville neighborhood. The free public park is operated by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.

References

  1. ↑ "Homepage". www.elizabethparkct.org. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  2. ↑ "GardenSmart-EPISODES-2006 show37". www.gardensmart.tv. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Overlook and East Lawn". www.elizabethparkct.org. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Horticultural Gardens". www.elizabethparkct.org. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Shade Garden". www.elizabethparkct.org. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Heritage Rose Garden". www.elizabethparkct.org. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Perennial Garden". www.elizabethparkct.org. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  8. ↑ Bair, Diane; Wright, Pamela (June 11, 2021). "Rejoice, because there are rose gardens nearby - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Rose Garden". www.elizabethparkct.org. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  10. ↑ "List of Roses". www.elizabethparkct.org. Retrieved March 18, 2024.

Alicia Cornelio, Elizabeth Park: A Century of Beauty, Donning Publishers, 2004. ISBN   1-57864-242-6.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.