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{{Short description|Botanical gardens and event venue in Vienna, Virginia, US}} |
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{{Infobox park |
{{Infobox park |
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| name = Meadowlark Botanical Gardens |
| name = Meadowlark Botanical Gardens |
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| type = [[Botanical garden]] |
| type = [[Botanical garden]] |
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| location = 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court [[Vienna, Virginia|Vienna]], [[Virginia]] |
| location = 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court [[Vienna, Virginia|Vienna]], [[Virginia]] |
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| coords = {{coord|38.93775|N|77.2809722|W|region:US-VA|format=dms|display=inline,title}} |
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| lat_d = 38.9377500 |
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| long_d = -77.2809722 |
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| region = US-VA |
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| area = |
| area = |
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| created = |
| created = |
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| operator = |
| operator = [[NOVA Parks]] |
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| visitation_num = |
| visitation_num = |
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| status = |
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| open = |
| open = |
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| website = {{URL| |
| website = {{URL|https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens}} |
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'''Meadowlark Botanical Gardens''' ( |
'''Meadowlark Botanical Gardens''' (95 acres) are [[botanical garden]]s and an event venue located at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, in [[Vienna, Virginia]]. |
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They are open daily except for major holidays and ice; an admission fee is charged. Garden admissions end when the Visitor Center closes. The Visitor Center is open from 10AM until 3:30PM from November through March and from April through October 10AM until 6:30PM.<ref>{{cite web |title=Meadowlark Botanical Gardens |url=https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens |website=novaparks.com |publisher=NOVA Parks |access-date=2022-02-27}}</ref> Meadowlark Botanical Gardens closes 30 minutes after the Visitor Center's posted closing. The property is protected and operated by the [[NOVA Parks]] agency of [[Northern Virginia]]. |
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The property is operated by NOVA Parks. |
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==Features== |
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A Brief History |
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A significant structure, the Atrium, is used as a wedding and event venue. The gardens aspect of the property features three ponds, three [[gazebo]]s, an island bridge, more than twenty varieties of [[cherry]] trees, aquatic plants, an [[azalea]] collection, a [[fern]] and [[hosta]] collection, an [[herb]] garden, a [[lilac]] garden, and perennials. They also contain three native plant collections as part of the [[International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation]]: |
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* Potomac Valley Collection – plants native to the [[Potomac River]] basin. |
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a man of bold ideas. The New Deal was his greatest domestic policy achievement. Every working American for the past 60 years has benefited from one of those New Deal programs- Social Security. Implementing such a vast social initiative required experts in many fields. Among these dynamic thinkers were Harvard-trained economist Gardiner Means and social historian Caroline Ware. In 1935, they bought a 74-acre farm in Virginia’s rolling Piedmont, outside Washington, D.C. |
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* Virginia Native Tree Collection – native trees for use in a home setting, including ''[[Asimina triloba]]'', ''[[Carpinus caroliniana]]'', ''[[Chionanthus virginicus]]'', ''[[Magnolia virginiana]]'', ''[[Ostrya virginiana]]'', and ''[[Quercus lyrata]]''. |
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* Virginia Native Wetland – A small wetland with local trees including ''[[Betula nigra]]'', ''[[Liquidambar styraciflua]]'', ''[[Nyssa sylvatica]]'', ''[[Platanus occidentalis]]'', ''[[Salix nigra]]'', ''[[Taxodium distichum]]''; aquatic plants such as ''[[Acorus calamus]]'', ''[[Nymphaea odorata]]'', ''[[Pontederia cordata]]'', ''[[Sagittaria latifolia]]''; and shoreline plants including ''[[Carex]]'' spp., ''[[Cyperus]]'' spp., ''[[Equisetum hyemale]]'', ''[[Iris versicolor]]'', ''[[Lobelia cardinalis]]'', ''[[Myrica pensylvanica]]'', ''[[Sarracenia purpurea]]'', and ''[[Typha latifolia]]''. |
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As Dr. Means and Dr. Ware worked to bring the New Deal to life, they became ingrained in Washington’s lively political and academic scene. Over the next 50 years, they grew to love the farm- raising sheep dogs, farming wheat, and planting flower gardens, all while writing and teaching. By the 1970’s Washington’s suburbs were fast surrounding the once rural farm. Lifelong environmentalists, Means and Ware wondered if their land might make a good public park- perhaps an arboretum or public garden. |
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Over the winter holidays, the gardens put on a winter walk of christmas-themed lights that include refreshments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights|title=Winter Walk of Lights|date=2015-12-22|website=Nova Parks|language=en|access-date=2020-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Winter Walk of Lights |url=https://www.novaparks.com/events/winter-walk-of-lights |website=novaparks.com |publisher=NOVA Parks |access-date=2022-02-27}}</ref> |
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'''Donating the Land''' |
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===Korean Bell Garden=== |
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Means and Ware entrusted their beloved 74-acre farm to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) in the summer of 1980. NVRPA already owned several thousand acres of parkland in Northern Virginia. Caroline Ware simply stated the property should “create a permanence in the land…a way by which the farm could remain a haven for trees, shrubs and flowers to preserve the bounty of the Virginia country side.” Following these wishes, NVRPA bought a contiguous 21-acre parcel and started planning a public garden. |
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The 95-acre site is unparalleled in the Washington region for development of a public garden. Topographically, the property embodies the Virginia Piedmont, with large hills dropping off to small streams, forested hollows, and expansive views. As early as 1607, Captain John Smith recognized the beauty of the Potomac Piedmont: “The country is not mountainous nor yet low but such pleasant plaine hils and fertle valleys, one prettily crossing an other and watered so conveniently with the sweete brooks and christall springs, as if art it selfe had devised them.” |
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====Description==== |
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'''Facilities and Collections''' |
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Large Korean bells trace back to the [[Silla|Shilla Dynasty]] (57 BC – 935 AD).<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Atrium">{{cite web|url=http://www.atriumatmeadowlark.com/eventoptions/korean-bell-garden/korean-bell-garden-tour/|title=The Korean Bell Garden – A Brief History|work=atriumatmeadowlark.com|accessdate=May 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801093622/http://www.atriumatmeadowlark.com/eventoptions/korean-bell-garden/korean-bell-garden-tour/|archive-date=August 1, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The one in the Korean Bell Garden is made of bronze, weighs three tons, and is 2.18 meters high. It is called the Bell of Peace and Harmony. Korea's national flower, the [[Hibiscus syriacus|rose of Sharon]] and Virginia's state flower, the [[Cornus florida|dogwood]] are both engraved on the bell, along with the words "Peace and Harmony" and the ten traditional symbols of longevity – [[sun]], [[mountain]], [[water]], [[cloud]], [[stone]], [[pine tree]], [[Siberian crane|white crane]], [[turtle]], [[mushroom of immortality]] and [[deer]].<ref name="Atrium"/> The bell is held in a wooden pavilion that was built by Korean craftsmen in their country's traditional style – instead of using nails, they carved the wood so that each piece would fit together;<ref name="Atrium"/><ref name="Fairfax Times">{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120720/ENTERTAINMENT/707209857/1063/a-place-of-marvel-and-discovery&template=PrinterFriendlyFFX|author=David Siegel|title=A place of marvel and discovery|work=Fairfax Times|date=July 20, 2012|accessdate=May 6, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140506213900/http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120720/ENTERTAINMENT/707209857/1063/a-place-of-marvel-and-discovery&template=PrinterFriendlyFFX|archivedate=May 6, 2014|df=}}</ref> the eaves of the pavilion curve upward; and the roof tiles are made of a type of clay called [[Ochre|ocher]].<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Atrium"/><ref name="Fairfax Times"/> |
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====History==== |
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By the mid-80’s, three lakes were added to the largest stream course. Several trails outlined in an early master plan took shape. Collections of hosta, daylilies, and ornamental cherry trees were planted. Later, an azalea garden, a lilac collection, and a Siberian iris and native tree trail were added. Three gazebos were built in different areas of the garden. Meadowlark opened officially in April 1987 with Means and Ware as the guests of honor. Less than three years later both had passed away but their vision of a public garden was taking shape. |
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The Korean Bell Garden is the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and the first Korean bell pavilion on the East Coast of the United States – the [[Korean Bell of Friendship]] and its pavilion were donated by South Korea to [[San Pedro, Los Angeles, California]] in 1976.<ref name="City Paper">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/05/21/new-korean-bell-garden-opens-near-wolf-trap/|author=Mike Paarlberg|title=New Korean Bell Garden Opens Near Wolf Trap|work=Washington City Paper|date=May 21, 2012|accessdate=January 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fxva.com/korean-bell/|title=Korean Bell Garden|work=fxva.com|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanpedro.com/sp_point/korenbel.htm|title=Korean Bell of Friendship and Bell Pavilion|work=sandpedro.com|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> The idea for the Korean Bell Garden was conceived of by Jeung-Hwa Elmejjad-Yi, who moved to the United States from Korea when she was a teenager. She founded the Korean American Cultural Committee in 2005 – two years after the centennial of the beginning of Korean immigration to the United States – as a means through which to realize her idea.<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Washington Post">{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/09/AR2007060901238.html|author=Maria Glod|title=Pavilion to Help Ring In Diversity|work=[[Washington Post]]|date=June 10, 2007|accessdate=May 3, 2014}}</ref> In 2006, her organization reached an agreement with the [[Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority]] to have the garden built in Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.<ref name="City Paper"/> The project cost around $1 million: $600,000 for the bell and the pavilion; $100,000 for the surrounding garden; and $300,000 for long-term maintenance. Eighty percent of the costs were raised through donations from the Korean-American community in the Washington area, and the remaining twenty-percent was donated by the South Korean government.<ref name="City Paper"/><ref name="Washington Post"/> |
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The Meadowlark Visitor Center opened in 1992, and featured a gift shop, a library, a large fireplace, and high vaulted ceilings. A short time later, the garden received a large donation of dwarf conifers from the private collection of Dr. Albert Paulsen. Perennial, butterfly, herb gardens, and an ornamental grass collection were established by the mid-90’s, concurrent with irrigation expansion. In 1998, The Atrium, an events facility, opened. Built to match the architectural style of the Visitor Center, and attended by an exquisite White Garden, The Atrium rapidly became a premier public garden event venue. In 2000, Washingtonian Magazine voted it among the top three event venues in the Washington metropolitan area. |
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The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 27, 2010 – two days after the sixtieth anniversary of the [[Korean War]].<ref name="About KACC">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/about.html|title=All About the Korean Bell Garden|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor">{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfax.daily-monitor.com/korean-bell-garden-groundbreaking-ceremony-june-27%C2%A0-fairfax-county-virginia-2/949/|title=Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony|work=Fairfax Daily Monitor|date=June 23, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/2010/korean-bell-garden-groundbreaking-ceremony.htm|title=Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony June 27|work=fairfaxcounty.gov|date=June 22, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> South Korean diplomats Jim Soon Nam and Yongchun Cho were present, as well as several U.S. politicians connected with the area. Some of the speakers included Cho, Virginia Congressman [[Jim Moran]], [[Virginia State Senator]] [[Chap Petersen]], and the Chairwoman of the [[Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]], [[Sharon Bulova]].<ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.oxroadsouth.com/2010/06/29/the-korean-bell-jim-moran-and-the-legend-of-kim-yusin.aspx?results=1#SurveyResultsChart|author=Chap Petersen|author-link=Chap Petersen|title=The Korean Bell, Jim Moran and the Legend of Kim Yu-Sin|work=oxroadsouth.com|date=June 29, 2010|accessdate=May 4, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505015452/http://archive.oxroadsouth.com/2010/06/29/the-korean-bell-jim-moran-and-the-legend-of-kim-yusin.aspx?results=1|archivedate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> American and South Korean veterans were in attendance and assisted with a photo exhibition of the Korean War.<ref name="Fairfax Daily Monitor"/><ref name="History of KACC">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/history.html|title=History of the Korean American Cultural Committee|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref> |
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In 2005, an historic log cabin dating to 1755 opened to the public, and an exceptional new wooden bridge was built between the islands in Lake Gardiner. Built of seven native hardwoods, the bridge is both curved and arched. A revised master plan is in development, and a taxonomic survey of the collections is in progress. The Visitor Center was remodeled 2003 to expand exhibit space. |
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'''Instilling a Conservation Ethic''' |
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In 1999, Meadowlark initiated development of a regional native plant conservation program. Like most native collections, the objective is to foster conservation of native plants and their habitats through public education and display. The administration of the gardens deemed it important that the new collection be regional in scope. Instead of allowing political boundaries to define the native plants of this particular region, staff developed a criteria based on biogeographic factors. Regional geology, topography, and forest composition are important to development of the collection. Within this framework, we identified the Potomac River Valley as a geographic province that determines which native plants we accession. The Potomac Valley Collection plays an increasingly important role as our principal initiative in support of both in situ and ex situ conversation of regional plant diversity. No selections are used in the native collections. Moreover, the collection focuses on regional genotypes and ecotypes. The Washington, D.C. Academy of Sciences recognized establishment of this collection with its annual Biological Sciences Award in 2003. |
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'''Education and Community Service''' |
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With a balance between ornamental and conservation collections, Meadowlark is expanding programmatically. Classes and tours throughout the year teach topics in ornamental horticulture. A new Biodiversity Series education program started four years ago. Participants can join wildflower and birding hikes, study the Gaia Theory, canoe a wetland marsh, or learn about invasive species and plan diversity. Interns from local universities and community colleges join the staff each year for training opportunities. Meadowlark coops education programs with Elder Hostel, Smithsonian Associates, gardens clubs, public schools, and regional community centers. The garden also works with the U.S. Department of State training elite Diplomatic Security Service agents for visits to public gardens and museums. Embassy staff, diplomats, and members of Congress use the garden as a retreat from the city and for entertaining. |
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President Roosevelt was an innovator who offered a new social paradigm. Presumably, he had no idea his political agenda would also give birth to a public garden. Environmentalists long before the term had meaning; Gardiner Means and Caroline Ware made their contribution to the nation’s social fabric and then bestowed an extraordinary gift on the people of Northern Virginia- a public garden devoted to aesthetics, conservation, education, and community service. |
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'''Conservation Collections''' |
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Introduction |
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Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna Virginia, USA has created three distinct native plant collections in support of the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation. The largest of these is the Potomac Valley Collection (PVC). PVC development is based on biogeography and floristic composition within the Potomac River basin (see BGCI News Vol. 3 # 7, 2001). Alternatively, the Virginia Native Tree Collection (VNT) and the Virginia Native Wetland collection (VNW) include species that occur within the state as a political unit. |
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Virginia is topographically and floristically diverse. The Appalachian Mountains in the southwest region of the state reach elevations of 1600 meters. Many other peaks in the west are more than 1200 meters high. West to east the state traverses six distinct geographic regions. These include the Appalachian Highlands, Valley and Ridge, Shenandoah Valley, Blue Ridge, Piedmont and Coastal Plain. The Coastal Plain embodies much of the Chesapeake Bay and reaches the Atlantic Ocean further east. The entire state is located between 40’ & 36‘ North and 74’ & 83’ West. In Takhtajan’s Floristic Regions of the World, Virginia occupies the Appalachian Province and the northern tip of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Plain Province. Virginia is a state where bromeliads reach their most northerly distribution, cacti adorn beach dunes, endemic birches are found and northern spruce forests dominate the highest mountains. It is also a state in need of both in situ and ex situ conservation. A principal goal of these collections is to educate the public about the connection between garden conservation collections and saving plants in the wild. |
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The Virginia Native Wetland (VNW) |
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This collection is located in and around a small wetland called Lake Lena at the lowest elevation in the Gardens. The native biota of Lake Lena is an ideal classroom for educational programs focused on Virginia’s native wetlands and the need for conservation. No horticultural selections are used in this collection. Conservation work began in 1999. Several native trees were already established on the site when the boardwalk was installed adjacent to the lake over ten years ago. Among these are numerous bald cypress trees. These trees have grown well and developed their trademark "knees" on the water’s edge. Sycamore, black gum, river birch, willow and sweet gum also grow in the area. Many of Virginia’s most southerly wetland shrubs and wildflowers are on exhibit here. |
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Lake Lena is a place of solitude in the garden… place where native plant horticulture and habitat conservation blend to create a naturalized wetland. Aquatic native plants such as pickerelweed, native fragrant water lilies, arrowhead and sweet flag flourish in summer’s humidity. On the lake shore, pitcher plants, red and blue cardinal flower and blue flag iris, souring rush (Equisetum) mingle with aromatic bayberries. Many wide spread wetland species are naturalizing around the lake, including cattails and numerous native sedges. Cyperus and Carex represent two particularly specious genera. |
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Lake Lena also provides habitat for aquatic animals and birds. Several species of turtles, northern water snakes and native frogs inhabit the area. Many native fish and aquatic insects coexist with the plants. Wading birds frequent the lake. Great blue herons, green herons and black crowned night herons enjoy secretive hunting on the water’s edge. A full assortment of perching birds enjoys the lake too. |
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The Virginia Native Tree Collection (VNT) |
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The Virginia Native Tree collection resides in a far corner of the gardens. Here visitors can see some of the State’s best native trees for use in the home setting. Several smaller native trees make up a good part of this collection. The fringe trees, native members of the olive family, routinely amaze visitors with their fragrant, strap-like white flowers. In the fall, these trees display a dark blue ovoid drupe. This is an ideal tree for the discerning gardener with a small yard. |
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Growing close by are several paw paws (Asimina). These handsome little trees are familiar to people who spend time along local rivers where it grows in abundance. The long, broad leaf tapers neatly to a "drip tip," a feature that illustrates its tropical origin as a member of the Annonaceae. When crushed, the leaves have a distinctive odor reminiscent of diesel fuel. The fruit is a large oblong berry with a slightly coriacious green or brown rind. The mesocarp is white and creamy, often described as a mix between apple and banana with large black seeds. Paw paw is widely regarded as Virginia’s finest indigenous fruit. |
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Other trees in this collection include the hop hornbeam, a hazelnut relative with soft shaggy bark. Also from the Corylaceae is the hornbeam or muscle wood. This tree is notable for its extremely hard wood and fine twigs with delicate imbricate buds. Muscle wood is slow growing and, with age, provides a beautiful fluted trunk. Further along the trail, is overcup oak, so named as the imbricate involucre on the acorn covers nearly the entire nut. A tree with highly variable cruciform leaves, it is a good candidate for low, wet sites. |
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The sweetbay magnolia grows nearby. Found from Massachusetts to Florida, sweetbay magnolia varies in size, attaining much larger stature in the south. In time, sweetbay becomes a handsome yard tree. The early summer flowers are creamy white and very fragrant. Several other native trees are in this collection, which is located below the Hillside gazebo, about a ten-minute walk from the Visitors Center. The VNT is one of the featured collections in our Specimen Tree program. |
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Collection Based Education for Conservation |
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In the United States, avocation gardens are consistently encouraged to use horticulture selections in popular literature and at many public gardens. In Meadowlark conservation collections, horticultural selections are used only in the VNT. We intentionally depart from the relatively strict genetic mandate of the PVC and VNW. This is a specific strategy designed to interest ornamental gardeners in native species through initial use of horticultural selections. The vast majority of native plants in the American nursery trade are selections. Thus, most avocation gardeners are using these horticultural creations without realizing the wild ancestor may be in need of conservation. |
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Ultimately, we hope to encourage use of native plants in the landscape and educate the public about the often-subtle differences between native species that represent wild populations and horticultural selections. Furthermore, we educate the visiting public and avocation gardeners alike about the ecological and conservation value of native plants in public garden collections and in the landscape at large. Through this decidedly didactic approach, we have created a forum based on living collections that promotes the International Agenda and fosters an appreciation for conserving plant diversity to a wider audience. |
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'''Moving from Annual Deficits to Solvency with Diversified Revenue Streams: |
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Lessons from a Small Garden |
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''' |
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Garden Life near the Federal City |
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As the seat of Federal Government the economic and cultural amplitude of greater Washington DC has few rivals with six public gardens and arboreta within the greater urban core. Add to that numerous nationally significant historic estates and the Smithsonian gardens; it’s a treasure trove for garden public enthusiasts. Funding for these institutions is similarly diverse. Predictably, several are 100% federally funded. Others mix substantial county funding with limited enterprise revenue. While a cultural standout, greater Washington DC is a fiercely competitive city with a pressing need for open space conservation. The regions gardens and parks fill an important role across the city scape that spans sixty miles in some locations. |
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Charting the Future of Open Space |
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In 1959 a group of citizens concerned about urban sprawl formed the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Land acquisitions followed, parks opened and a small staff emerged. Funding was a challenge. Today NVRPA is known as NOVA Parks, with nearly 11,000 acres spanning six jurisdictions and offers over thirty diverse parks. From rowing facilities, historic mills, a Civil War battle field, interpretive farm to nature centers, campgrounds, golf courses, a 45 mile multiuse rail-to-trail system and a public garden. All this with no official tax mandate, some parks make considerable income, while others run annual deficits. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens fell neatly into the latter; until recently. Through a unique combination of entrepreneurship, detailed budget analysis and limited jurisdictional support, NOVA parks are now 85% self-funded, among the highest in the nation. |
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In 1980 Economist, Gardener Means and Social Historian, Caroline Ware donated their “farm” to NOVA Parks while track housing sprouted up throughout the region. Their wish was a simple one; create an arboretum or public garden. There was no endowment or obvious source of funding beyond the park system and occasional bond referendums for facilities development. Some donor support did materialize. From an unkempt Piedmont farm the garden began to emerge, opening officially in 1987. Initially large ornamental collections were planted. In the late nineties botanically focused native plant collections were added. While programmatic and institutional relevance flourished a large annual deficit remained. |
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The Event Venue |
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In the fall 1989 the Atrium opened. A smarty designed event space lush with plants and an indoor stream that can seat 170. It was immediately recognized as a top garden event venue in the region. Weekends began to book solid with Friday, Saturday and Sunday rented. This pace kept up through every season but winter. Still during the winter season numerous holiday events booked. The diplomatic community took an early liking of the space and held several events. The multicultural fraternity of the area makes for a very diverse clientele. Atrium staff carefully cultivated several high end caterers and specialty caterers. A close working relationship developed. Annual earnings of a half million dollars was achieved rapidly. But the building was expensive to run and maintain. The more events meant more maintenance and horticultural upkeep. Revenue covered operational cost but made only a minor impact on the gardens collective deficit. Many events book nearly a year in advance. Stewarding these clients requires detailed event planning, contract negotiation and staff time. Contract negotiations can be tenuous depending on cultural expectations. A high degree of emotional intelligence combined with cultural sensitivity is crucial. Client focus, event details and dedicated customer service is essential when tens of thousands of dollars is changing hands and guests are arriving from around the world. A specific payment schedule has to be clearly defined and adhered to. |
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In 2008 the concept of a wholly internal catering operation emerged. It was greeted with initial reservations by garden event staff. Concerns about quality, staffing and the physical plant were expressed. After several code mandated kitchen upgrades the internal program launched in 2009, predictably, several regular caterers at the Atrium were sorely disappointed. Some important lessons revealed the need for new operational standards. A larger staff with specific catering experience was hired. Several set menus gained popularity, but custom orders are accommodated. The option of using an external caterer still exists, but a substantial fee is added. All alcohol is handled exclusively by internal catering. Client tastings are popular, frequently resulting in full bookings. An Executive Chef was added full time to ensure high culinary standards and operational efficiency. Within two years catering operations produced earnings of several hundred thousand dollar and many satisfied customers. Merging the rental and catering process is an attractive option for clients seeking a full service garden based venue. |
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The Holiday Light Show |
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Holiday light shows are well established traditions at many public gardens. However, the initial launch of such a show is a huge endeavor. At Meadowlark the planning process took two years. Consultants, including electrical engineers and high tree work contractors provided important design and installation services. Market research revealed a quality show would produce considerable earnings, tapping the regions expendable income and taste for quality holiday outings at cultural institutions. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has a long standing light display in addition to Brookside Gardens, both within 30 miles of Meadowlark. After just three years the Meadowlark Winter Walk of Lights earned a half million dollars in 60 days. Some core elements foster the show’s success. Numerous trees are wrapped very high, a strong nature theme and several software driven features ensure the show is truly engrossing to visitors of all ages. The show is essentially a complex temporary physical plant. Refining, replacing and refurbishing are ongoing tasks that ensure quality. Of course, winter weather can complicate maintenance. After concluding in early January the entire show is neatly stored on site in shipping containers. Impact on the actual gardens is minor but still requires addition work as spring approaches. |
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More than a Beautiful Fun Place, the Theme of Conservation is a Constant |
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The face of a four year old glowing with fascination at the light show is magical. A bride and groom in search of the perfect photo spot embody the unique aesthetic attraction of a public garden. Out of sight in a fully licensed kitchen, catering staff puts the final touches on fine desert. All this happens while the earthly aroma of fresh leaf mulch wafts across the landscape fostering a horticultural cornucopia about to bloom. Beyond all the revenue activity, we are ultimately a public garden, an open space, endowed with the emotive qualities of nature. Indeed, it’s unlikely these enterprising activities would yield the same revenue if it weren’t for the garden setting, but the gardens core mission must not be lost. Meadowlark was the first garden in the Washington region to implement the International Agenda for Botanical Gardens in Conservation. In addition, various aspects of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) support the gardens native plant collections, none more than Target 14; The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated into communication, education and public awareness programs. This simple message is emphasized in every aspect of the gardens branding and education programs. Moreover, it’s an important interpretive forum that adds intrinsic value to the enterprise operations. |
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As a small garden with no research program or fund raising staff, dependence on our parent agency is central to all operations. NOVA Parks embodies operational, leadership, budget and facilities development across a broad spectrum of expertise. While we share these resources with nearly 30 other public parks, Meadowlark is recognized as a specialized site. The success of enterprise operations at any public garden is dependent on various institutional assets, mission focus and economic geography. At Meadowlark the culmination of focused customer service, the region’s economic strengths and cultural expectations has produced full annual funding. Ideally, a continuum of diversified revenue streams can foster conservation of open space including public gardens. Gardens of any size can maximize enterprise revenue when operational acuity is realized and the overarching message of conservation is ever-present. |
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'''==Korean Bell Garden==''' |
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The first Korean immigrants arrived in America one hundred years ago, and the growth of Korean communities continued in the following decades. Today, dynamic Korean communities are found in many parts of the United States with concentrations in California, New York, New Jersey and Virginia. During this history, a uniquely close relationship between the United States and South Korea has developed through cultural exchange, a devastating war (the largest United Nations mandate ever), technological flow and academic exchange. American botanists have explored the diverse mountainous forests of Korea and have discovered intriguing taxonomic and floristic similarities to North American species. The ancient relationship between the flora of Korea and that of North America revealed an additional bond between people, landscapes and gardens. The Korean flora endowed botanical gardens with a supremely aesthetic palate of temperate plants to cultivate and display. In doing so, the world also discovered a rich culture with millennia-old traditions of celebrating and conserving nature. |
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The Vision |
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In 2006, a small group from the Korean American Cultural Committee (KACC) visited Meadowlark in search of a potential site for a bell garden. Among this group was Jung Hwa Elmejjad-Yi, President of the Korean American Cultural Committee, and Y. David Chung, a George Mason University Art Professor. Both have longtime roots in Northern Virginia. That initial visit sowed an incipient seed for a Korean American endeavor of combining a cultural icon with a horticultural icon. Fruitful, in-depth conversations ensued. Walks in the garden spawned design concepts and collection ideas. The aesthetic and emotive setting of Meadowlark forged a cooperative vision among the planners. Meadowlark’s parent agency, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) also played a key role. It was in NVRPA that KACC found a truly unique, largely self-funded agency with visionary new leadership, poised to consider inventive ideas and partnerships. After nearly a year of research, meetings and much fine Korean cuisine, an MOU was signed. Shortly afterward, the NVRPA Executive Director and Board Chairwomen visited several sites in Korea as the guests of Jung Hwa and Professor Chung. The Korean Embassy and Washington D.C. lent diplomatic support and continue to do so. Scott Scarfone, Principal of the Oasis Design Group, further enhanced the process by creating a new Master Plan with Meadowlark staff. For NVRPA and KACC, the timing was simply perfect. |
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The Historical Aesthetic Embodied |
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Traditional Korean gardens are influenced by several different themes, including yin-yang, the Five Elements, feng shui and other meditative mediums. Collectively, these beliefs have taught Koreans as a culture to revere nature and celebrate its qualitative effects on the human condition. Korean bell pavilions have been built for hundreds of years as focal points for gatherings that celebrate the natural world, friendship and community (Woo-Kyung, 2007). According to an old Korean saying: Bells instill a righteous spirit in those who hear its ring, and gives rise to hope, a sense of cherishing life, alarm against disaster and sense of unity that brings people together, in order to bring prosperity, happiness, friendship, freedom, and peace for all people. |
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The concept for a bell garden at Meadowlark is unique as it places a traditional bell pavilion in a garden with associated cultural icons. The overall design is influenced by ten traditional symbols of longevity, called Ship-Jang Saeng, which are intricately carved on the bell and decorate the masonry walls. Hanging inside the pavilion is the stunning three ton bronze bell, modeled after the bell of King Seongdeok of the Silla Dynasty (57 BCE - 935 AD). Dedicated the “Bell of Peace and Harmony”, the Meadowlark bell is globally unique in combining images of native plants and animals from both Korea and Virginia. It serves as a cultural landmark for Korean Americans while inviting all visitors to enjoy the garden as a symbol of peace and prosperity between the two countries. |
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The surrounding garden further illustrates the nature-focused legacy of Korean history and culture with displays featuring the Korean alphabet, a sculpted turtle fountain and adjacent pond. A separate viewing area with traditional decorative walls and courtyard displays subtly colored masonry murals unique to Korea (Kwon et al, 2010). Also on the site are ancestral totem poles used to greet visitors in ancient times. Near the entrance gate, carved volcanic stone statues from Jeju-do Island stand sentry-like, inviting further exploration. |
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The design and landscape around the bell pavilion are highly naturalized and asymmetric, having smooth lines and using the natural contours of the land to embrace the site’s intimacy in a nuanced spatial cooperative. Traditional Korean gardens are arboreal in character with trees as a focal point among shrubs and perennials. Water is, of course, a central focus, often in the form of a winding stream. The Korean garden aesthetic is closely allied to forests, rivers and mountains, giving them a subtle naturalistic appearance, rather than a look governed by human contact as found in Japanese or Chinese gardens. This natural aesthetic is ideally suited to Meadowlark’s rolling Piedmont setting (Tomlinson, 2003; Scarfone, 2007). |
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Embracing Aesthetics, Conservation and Sustainability in Collection Development |
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Many fine Korean plant collections are found in North American gardens. The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden is considering a purposed Korean garden, and the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver has an exquisite Korean pavilion finished in the dan cheong style, featuring intricately stained colors. The Meadowlark pavilion that houses the bell is entirely built of natural wood-tones, making it the only structure of its type in a US public garden. American University (AU) is creating a Korean garden on its beautiful urban campus in Northwest Washington D.C., and Meadowlark and AU are sharing resources and plant material collected in Korea. |
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The bell garden at Meadowlark will include taxa native to Northeast Asia and be established as a conservation collection. Consistent with Meadowlark’s three existing conservation collections, species material will take precedent over selections or hybrids. Accessioned plants will include many “trademark” Korean natives well known to temperate zone gardens. No threatened or endangered species will be used as a matter of promoting conservation in the wild and garden collections in Korea. Korea has a system of botanical gardens and arboreta surpassing most of those in similar-sized European countries and US states (Jeong-Oh, 2007) and is particularly well-suited to conserving its native plant diversity. Overall, the collection will be managed with various criteria detailed in the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation (IA) and the Global Strategy of Plant Conservation (Tomlinson et al, 2005 & 2010). |
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The coalescence of funding, diplomatic overture, international support and master planning at Meadowlark has created an exceptional opportunity. As we move forward developing the plant collection around the bell pavilion, cultural and horticultural icons will merge and bestow an extraordinary gift upon the people of Northern Virginia and the greater Washington D.C. region. It’s a remarkable opportunity that illustrates the rare convergence of cultural exchange, botanical heritage and horticultural pursuit. The first Korean immigrants to the Americas would surely beam with pride at the notable accomplishments of their ancestors in promoting peace and harmony between two distant countries so intimately bonded by culture and nature. |
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Construction of the pavilion was completed in the fall of 2010,<ref name="About KACC"/><ref name="History of KACC"/><ref name="KACC Mission & Goals">{{cite web|url=http://kacc.us/mission.html|title=Mission & Goals|work=Korean American Cultural Committee|accessdate=May 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2010/09/final-beam-goes-into-korean-pavilion.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Final beam goes into Korean Pavilion|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=September 7, 2010|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-have-written-lot-about-korean-bell.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Korean Pavilion Complete|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=October 20, 2010|accessdate=May 5, 2014}}</ref> and the bell arrived from Korea in May 2011. A dedication ceremony for the bell was held on the fourteenth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2011/05/bell-is-here-this-week-three-ton-bell.html|author=Paul Gilbert|title=Korean Bell Has Arrived!|work=RegionalParks.blogspot.com|date=May 6, 2011|accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://vienna.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/video-meadowlark-botanical-gardens-welcomes-korean-bell|author=Garrett Johnson|title=Video: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Welcomes Korean Bell|work=Vienna Patch|date=May 16, 2011|accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref> The official opening ceremony for the garden was held about a year later on May 19, 2012.<ref name="KACC Mission & Goals"/> The ceremony was opened and closed by the Washington Korean Symphony Orchestra, which played the American and Korean National Anthems, the Korean folk song "[[Arirang]]", and a selection from American composer [[Leonard Bernstein]]'s [[operetta]] ''[[Candide (operetta)|Candide]]''. Petersen and Belova both returned as speakers. Korea's Ambassador at the time, [[Choi Young-jin]] was present at the ceremony.<ref name="City Paper"/> |
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==Gallery== |
==Gallery== |
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<gallery widths=200px> |
<gallery widths="200px"> |
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File:CherryBlossomsGazeboLakeCaroline.JPG|Lakeside Gazebo on Lake Caroline at cherry blossom time |
File:CherryBlossomsGazeboLakeCaroline.JPG|Lakeside Gazebo on Lake Caroline at cherry blossom time |
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File:Meadowlark Gardens Korean Bell Pavilion.jpg|Korean Bell Pavilion at Meadowlark Gardens |
File:Meadowlark Gardens Korean Bell Pavilion.jpg|Korean Bell Pavilion at Meadowlark Gardens |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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* {{C|Botanical gardens in Virginia}} |
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* [[List of botanical gardens in the United States]] |
* [[List of botanical gardens in the United States]] |
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* {{C|NOVA Parks|NOVA Parks system}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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{{Commons category}} |
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* [http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/meadowlark/index.php Meadowlark Botanical Gardens] |
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* [ |
* [https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens Meadowlark Botanical Gardens] |
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* [http://www.flickr.com/gp/42955034@N00/D2r664 Picture Gallery] |
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[[Category:Botanical gardens in Virginia]] |
[[Category:Botanical gardens in Virginia]] |
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[[Category:Parks in Fairfax County, Virginia]] |
[[Category:Parks in Fairfax County, Virginia]] |
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[[Category:Vienna, Virginia]] |
[[Category:Vienna, Virginia]] |
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[[Category:NOVA Parks]] |
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Latest revision as of 05:10, 31 August 2023
| Meadowlark Botanical Gardens | |
|---|---|
 Visitors Center at Meadowlark Gardens, Vienna, Virginia | |
  Location within Virginia | |
| Type | Botanical garden |
| Location | 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court Vienna, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 38°56′16″N 77°16′51″W / 38.93775°N 77.2809722°W |
| Operated by | NOVA Parks |
| Website | www |
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (95 acres) are botanical gardens and an event venue located at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, in Vienna, Virginia.
They are open daily except for major holidays and ice; an admission fee is charged. Garden admissions end when the Visitor Center closes. The Visitor Center is open from 10AM until 3:30PM from November through March and from April through October 10AM until 6:30PM.[1] Meadowlark Botanical Gardens closes 30 minutes after the Visitor Center's posted closing. The property is protected and operated by the NOVA Parks agency of Northern Virginia.
Features
[edit]A significant structure, the Atrium, is used as a wedding and event venue. The gardens aspect of the property features three ponds, three gazebos, an island bridge, more than twenty varieties of cherry trees, aquatic plants, an azalea collection, a fern and hosta collection, an herb garden, a lilac garden, and perennials. They also contain three native plant collections as part of the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation:
- Potomac Valley Collection – plants native to the Potomac River basin.
- Virginia Native Tree Collection – native trees for use in a home setting, including Asimina triloba, Carpinus caroliniana, Chionanthus virginicus, Magnolia virginiana, Ostrya virginiana, and Quercus lyrata.
- Virginia Native Wetland – A small wetland with local trees including Betula nigra, Liquidambar styraciflua, Nyssa sylvatica, Platanus occidentalis, Salix nigra, Taxodium distichum; aquatic plants such as Acorus calamus, Nymphaea odorata, Pontederia cordata, Sagittaria latifolia; and shoreline plants including Carex spp., Cyperus spp., Equisetum hyemale, Iris versicolor, Lobelia cardinalis, Myrica pensylvanica, Sarracenia purpurea, and Typha latifolia.
Over the winter holidays, the gardens put on a winter walk of christmas-themed lights that include refreshments.[2][3]
Korean Bell Garden
[edit]Description
[edit]Large Korean bells trace back to the Shilla Dynasty (57 BC – 935 AD).[4][5] The one in the Korean Bell Garden is made of bronze, weighs three tons, and is 2.18 meters high. It is called the Bell of Peace and Harmony. Korea's national flower, the rose of Sharon and Virginia's state flower, the dogwood are both engraved on the bell, along with the words "Peace and Harmony" and the ten traditional symbols of longevity – sun, mountain, water, cloud, stone, pine tree, white crane, turtle, mushroom of immortality and deer.[5] The bell is held in a wooden pavilion that was built by Korean craftsmen in their country's traditional style – instead of using nails, they carved the wood so that each piece would fit together;[5][6] the eaves of the pavilion curve upward; and the roof tiles are made of a type of clay called ocher.[4][5][6]
History
[edit]The Korean Bell Garden is the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and the first Korean bell pavilion on the East Coast of the United States – the Korean Bell of Friendship and its pavilion were donated by South Korea to San Pedro, Los Angeles, California in 1976.[4][7][8] The idea for the Korean Bell Garden was conceived of by Jeung-Hwa Elmejjad-Yi, who moved to the United States from Korea when she was a teenager. She founded the Korean American Cultural Committee in 2005 – two years after the centennial of the beginning of Korean immigration to the United States – as a means through which to realize her idea.[4][9] In 2006, her organization reached an agreement with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to have the garden built in Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.[4] The project cost around $1 million: $600,000 for the bell and the pavilion; $100,000 for the surrounding garden; and $300,000 for long-term maintenance. Eighty percent of the costs were raised through donations from the Korean-American community in the Washington area, and the remaining twenty-percent was donated by the South Korean government.[4][9]
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 27, 2010 – two days after the sixtieth anniversary of the Korean War.[10][11][12] South Korean diplomats Jim Soon Nam and Yongchun Cho were present, as well as several U.S. politicians connected with the area. Some of the speakers included Cho, Virginia Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen, and the Chairwoman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Sharon Bulova.[11][13] American and South Korean veterans were in attendance and assisted with a photo exhibition of the Korean War.[11][14]
Construction of the pavilion was completed in the fall of 2010,[10][14][15][16][17] and the bell arrived from Korea in May 2011. A dedication ceremony for the bell was held on the fourteenth.[18][19] The official opening ceremony for the garden was held about a year later on May 19, 2012.[15] The ceremony was opened and closed by the Washington Korean Symphony Orchestra, which played the American and Korean National Anthems, the Korean folk song "Arirang", and a selection from American composer Leonard Bernstein's operetta Candide. Petersen and Belova both returned as speakers. Korea's Ambassador at the time, Choi Young-jin was present at the ceremony.[4]
Gallery
[edit]-
Lakeside Gazebo on Lake Caroline at cherry blossom time -
Korean Bell Pavilion at Meadowlark Gardens -
Experimental Meadow at Meadowlark Gardens -
Garden sculpture at Meadowlark Gardens -
Lake Lena and the wetlands garden -
Lake Gardiner viewed from the spiral mound -
Mossy-backed turtle and koi in Lake Caroline
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Meadowlark Botanical Gardens". novaparks.com. NOVA Parks. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
- ^ "Winter Walk of Lights". Nova Parks. 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
- ^ "Winter Walk of Lights". novaparks.com. NOVA Parks. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g Mike Paarlberg (May 21, 2012). "New Korean Bell Garden Opens Near Wolf Trap". Washington City Paper. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "The Korean Bell Garden – A Brief History". atriumatmeadowlark.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
- ^ a b David Siegel (July 20, 2012). "A place of marvel and discovery". Fairfax Times. Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
- ^ "Korean Bell Garden". fxva.com. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ "Korean Bell of Friendship and Bell Pavilion". sandpedro.com. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ a b Maria Glod (June 10, 2007). "Pavilion to Help Ring In Diversity". Washington Post. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ^ a b "All About the Korean Bell Garden". Korean American Cultural Committee. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony". Fairfax Daily Monitor. June 23, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ "Korean Bell Garden Groundbreaking Ceremony June 27". fairfaxcounty.gov. June 22, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ Chap Petersen (June 29, 2010). "The Korean Bell, Jim Moran and the Legend of Kim Yu-Sin". oxroadsouth.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ a b "History of the Korean American Cultural Committee". Korean American Cultural Committee. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ a b "Mission & Goals". Korean American Cultural Committee. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ^ Paul Gilbert (September 7, 2010). "Final beam goes into Korean Pavilion". RegionalParks.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
- ^ Paul Gilbert (October 20, 2010). "Korean Pavilion Complete". RegionalParks.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
- ^ Paul Gilbert (May 6, 2011). "Korean Bell Has Arrived!". RegionalParks.blogspot.com. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
- ^ Garrett Johnson (May 16, 2011). "Video: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Welcomes Korean Bell". Vienna Patch. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.