Cadeau Garden

Gifts of Beauty.

Hydrangea quercifolia, Oakleaf hydrangea

Explore and experience the beauty and serenity of this ornamental garden of living gifts including shrubs, perennials, and annuals. Each plant was donated to or by the Master Gardeners as a special gift with a special meaning selected especially for this garden.

Linger for a while to admire each living gift and imagine the story behind its special intention. Consider the many ways that plants are living gifts to gardeners and mankind.

Growing Conditions

A tall stand of trees serves as a backdrop and keeps the garden in partial shade. Fallen leaves from the trees serve as mulch and enrich the soil each year. The ornamental plants seem to flourish in the partial shade and rich soil of this relatively flat garden.

Description

The garden features flowering shrubs such as Weigila and perennials such as daffodils, bleeding heart, irises, day lilies, trumpet lilies, and Shasta daisies. Each spring, a variety of annuals are planted to accent the landscape with vibrant colors. Examples include pansies, petunias, geraniums, and marigolds. Throughout the growing season, the flowers in this garden display an array of color against the back drop of trees.

Background

In 2011, Master Gardeners began to rejuvenate this older garden space with a variety of plant donations. Each year, additional gifts are donated and planted in the garden.

Originally, the garden did not have a name. One day, a French woman was seated on the nearby Carolyn DiPaulo Memorial Bench eating her lunch and admiring the garden. She began to chat with one of the Master Gardeners, who was busy at work in the garden. The Master Gardener explained to the French woman that the garden was unique because it was made up of living gifts, each donated with a special intention. In response, the French lady suggested that the garden be named "Cadeau Garden" because "cadeau" is the French word for gifts. Henceforth, the garden became known as the Cadeau Garden.