Busch Gardens Williamsburg landscapers have repeatedly won the annual “most beautiful park” award — 22 times to be exact — from the National Amusement Park Historical Association. This year, they decided to share some of that talent with a lucky homeowner.
Earlier this year, the park used its Facebook page to announce the Landscaping Giveaway, inviting homeowners in Virginia and elsewhere to submit a photo and story about why they deserved a new look for their yard.
Tammy Bennett of Washington, N.C., wrote this winning essay:
“We bought our house right after my kidney transplant – my (lovely) husband generously donated me one of his kidneys, which I desperately needed. We thought with a second chance at life, we would buy a house and fix it up. And we started remodeling the house, but then we weren’t able to continue and do the outside due to financial stress. The financial burden of my anti-rejection medication, plus all our other medical bills meant the house would have to wait. Unfortunately, it’s still waiting and I would love a chance to win this!”
The Busch Gardens landscaping team approached the project in three phases: consultation, demolition/turf removal and installation, said landscape director Erick Elliott.
Before design and installation, the team learned Bennett had fond memories of her grandmother’s garden where something bloomed all the time. She asked that the yard include a pear tree for spring blooms and some herbs, as well as flowers. A native white-flowering fringe tree was also chosen.
“The team spent a good amount of time reviewing the invasive plant/flower list for her area, before making plant selections,” said Elliott.
“Due to the wind and the agricultural nature of the area where she lives, the team avoided plants with issues with wind-borne seed or berries that could be transplanted by birds out into other areas.”
Plants in the design, which features a stone paver walkway and bench, include:
Bird-friendly plants: coreopsis, hypericum, pennisetum and baptisia.
Butterfly host or nectar plants: carex, baptisia, salvia, lantana and verbena.
Low-water plants: daylilies, lantana, lavender, rosemary, coreopsis, hypericum, juniper, bignonia and salvia.
First, the team eliminated more than 1,000 square feet of lawn, as well as an old tree and stump.
Fragrant plants were placed along the walkway and by the bench. The couple will have flower color in parts of the garden until frost, said Elliott, and any trimming can be done with hand pruners – except for the Knock Out roses, which require loppers for year-end pruning.
The garden is also meant to be a habitat that provides shelter, nesting and feeding places for birds, as well as diverse plant material for beneficial insects to thrive, said Elliott.
Landscaping tips
Here are tips from the Busch Gardens Williamsburg team that you can use for planning and doing your own landscaping:
•Think about what you want to accomplish in the space. Are you reworking an area for a more attractive entrance for your home? Are you creating a space for entertaining? Maybe things are overgrown or damaged. Or do you just need a new look?
•Perform a soil test to help you determine what plants will perform best in your soil and any nutrients you might need to add.
•Call Miss Utility at 811 to determine the location of all underground lines because they can impact the placement of your plants and where you can dig safely. Learn more about the free service at http://va811.com.
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