Welcome to the area of our Idea Garden, known as the Main Garden. It is named the Main Garden as it was the first garden established in 1994 by the Berks County Master Gardeners here at the Berks County Agricultural Center.
Main Garden
The thought behind this area was to create a landscape featuring trees and shrubs that would demonstrate to visitors how to establish the 'bones' of a new full sun garden planting. Large boulders, a winding path, and benches are featured as points of interest. Keep an eye out for our Hummingbird mascot signs denoting a featured plant.
Starting our tour at the welcoming archway, to the right you'll see a stand of beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma) next to yellow-flowered bush cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticose 'Primrose Beauty') along the driveway. On the left is a beautiful specimen of a limelight hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Zwijnenberg'). Looking down the ramp to the right, you'll find an edge planting of easy-care lilyturf (Liriope muscari 'Big Blue') in front of spring blooming quamash (Camassia leichtinii). After the quamash dies back, it is replaced by purple beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma) with its clusters of small lilac-colored berries in the fall. Next along the patio side of the garden is a stand of redtwig dogwood (Cornus alba 'Sibirica') with white flowers in summer and red branches for winter interest. Check out the group of fine-leaved yarrow (Achillea millefolium 'Strawberry Seduction').
As you enter the garden under the archway, both sides are planted with the fall-blooming chrysanthemum (Dendranthema x grandiflorum 'Campfire Glow'). On the right you’ll find a viburnum (Viburnum nudum 'Winterthur'), which has red foliage in the fall and provides blue-black berries for the birds during the winter. An area of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote') is planted here for its inviting scent. A kousa dogwood tree (Cornus kousa 'National') will lead you to another bench above a swathe of scented thyme.
As you sit on the wooden bench, you'll be facing an area filled with a large planting of false indigo (Baptisia australis) with its shell-shaped purple-blue flowers in summer turning into interesting seed pods toward fall. Fronting the indigo is the large leafed red flowered shrub red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) adding texture to the landscape. To the left along the path, is a group of red flowering reblooming daylilies (Hemerocallis 'Pardon Me').
This is a good vantage point to see the tall evergreen plantings for winter interest. The tall columnar American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Degroot's Spire') is separated by the large boulder from the odd shaped Hinoki falsecypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Well's Special'). Also of winter interest is the stand of tall grasses (Miscanthus sinensis 'Kleine Fortaine'). In the winter, the grasses give shelter to birds and the stalks may be home to over-wintering insects. In front of the grass, toward the end of the small path, is a ninebark shrub (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil') sporting dark brown leaves with clusters of white flowers. A treat for pollinators is next in the form of bee balm (Monarda didyma 'Grand Marshall').
As we continue our journey, on the right is a viburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii ‘Mohawk’) after which is the wonderful sweet scented glossy abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) in front of the late blooming purple flowering chastetree (Vitex negundo). You'll understand why the glossy abelia is planted next to the concrete bench if you have ever sat there. The branches of the overhanging Prague viburum (Viburnum x pragense) provide a cozy resting place to listen to the birds. In the front of the viburnum is a clump of sapphire blue oat grass (Helictotricon sempervirens) surrounded by the yellow flowers and fine-textured leaves of tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb') all growing season.
Here, where the path splits, on the left was redbud tree (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy') which had to be removed. A replacement hasn’t been decided upon. A new tree will enhance this area of the garden and provide some shade. Under the future tree is a large area devoted to reblooming yellow daylilies (Hemerocallis 'Happy Returns') and the spreading textured groundcover of Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata) surrounded by an edging of lilyturf (Liriope muscari 'Big Blue').
Past the large Prague viburnum, is the blue flowered plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) groundcover flowing under the oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia 'PeeWee'). Adding to the array of color all season is the addition of the blue flowers of the Russian sage (Perosvskia atriplicifolia), a wonderful pollinator insect attractor! The main feature in this area in early spring is the white flowers of a star magnolia (Magnolia stellata). You’ll discover plantings of several shrubs behind a groundcover edging of geraniums, which bloom from spring through fall, adding color along the path. The Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet') adds interest in the fall with bright red foliage.
As you come upon the large native American holly tree (Ilex opaca), you will arrive at a large triangular area featuring coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus') and Russian sage (Perosvskia atriplicifolia) with some striking black iris (Iris ssp.) along with a sign containing a map of the entire Idea Garden.
There are many hidden treasures interspersed in the garden. Test your skills to find the black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscarpus 'Ebkenzam'), red hot poker (Kniphofia 'Alcazar'), drops of gold Japanese holly (Ilex crenata 'Drops of Gold'), and goldenrod (Solidago 'Crown of Rays') among many others.
In early spring, the garden is covered with patches of ephemerals, such as snow drops (Galanthus nivalis), winter aconite (Eranthus cilicica), striped squill (Puschkinia scilloides), grape hyacinth (Muscari ssp.) among others. During the summer through fall, containers of seasonal annuals are added to bring different colors to the garden.
We hope you enjoy this tour of the main garden and will visit often at different times of the year to experience the ever-changing garden landscape.
