ESPLENDOR VICTORIANO: 

REDESCUBRIENDO LOS ENCANTOS BOTÁNICOS DE UNA ÉPOCA 

DISEÑADO POR ELIZABETH FOGEL 

La Era Victoriana fue una época de gran exploración y recolección de plantas. Durante el siglo XIX, el imperialismo británico y la caza de plantas exóticas alcanzaron su apogeo. Gracias a las nuevas tecnologías de fabricación de vidrio y a las calderas de carbón, los grandes invernaderos con calefacción se hicieron muy populares y coleccionar especímenes raros de plantas de todo el mundo se convirtió en un símbolo de estatus para las élites victorianas. Plantas que hoy consideramos básicas en jardinería, como las camelias, se hicieron populares en los jardines de todo Occidente gracias al entusiasmo victoriano por las plantas. Esta era de exploración vegetal no sólo dio forma a los paisajes de los jardines victorianos, sino que también sentó las bases de los esfuerzos modernos de conservación botánica y del intercambio mundial de especies vegetales. Sin embargo, hay muchas lecciones aprendidas de estas actividades; ¡no todas buenas!  

En nuestro esfuerzo por ser mejores administradores del mundo natural, te invitamos a leer algunas de estas lecciones en esta exposición.  

ELIZABETH FOGEL
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF HORTICULTURE

Elizabeth Fogel has a long career in public gardens and natural resource conservation, including Longwood Gardens, US National Arboretum, and the US Peace Corps. She loves designing for both aesthetics and ecological values. Through working at a botanical garden, she appreciates the opportunity to educate the public about plants and their important role in sustaining all life.

The Victorians learned how to collect, store, transport, and propagate plants over large distances and long durations. They increased agricultural crop diversity across the world leading to better food security, and inspired innovation in all aspects of life including arts and culture. 

However, we now know that the practice of harvesting plants from wild areas is unsustainable and leads to the introduction of invasive species. Old practices also lead to appropriation and monetization of plants of cultural importance. Modern conservation practices strive to empower communities where plants occur to thrive in perpetuity, if not partner to relocate or conserve plants in other locations with institutions like botanical gardens.  

SERENIDAD SOMBREADA: 

UN DESPLIEGUE DE VERDE 

DISEÑADO POR MEGAN LACEY 

Las plantas de sombra suelen pasarse por alto en el diseño de jardines, pero son importantes por la exuberancia y tranquilidad que aportan a los espacios. Además, aportan beneficios medioambientales, desde la prevención de la erosión del suelo hasta la refrigeración y conservación del agua. Los jardines de sombra también contribuyen a la biodiversidad al favorecer la vida silvestre. Al incorporar estas plantas resistentes y versátiles a nuestros espacios exteriores, podemos cultivar paisajes bellos y sostenibles que nutren el alma y favorecen la salud del planeta.   

Hay mucha creatividad y magia en un jardín de sombra. Esperamos que nuestra exposición te inspire y te convenza para que no tales los árboles de tu jardín. 

Begonia boliviensis 'Fimissmo' I'conia® Miss Montreal | begonia

Carex appalachica | Appalachian sedge

Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’ | dichondra

Euphorbia hypericifolia ‘Balbrewite’ Breathless® White | spurge

Heuchera villosa ‘Bronze Wave’ | hairy alum root

Muehlenbeckia axillaris | creeping wire vine

Nephrolepis obliterata | Australian swordfern

Megan Lacey
Horticulture Section Leader

While we all know how great it feels to be underneath the shade of a tree on a hot summer day, I often notice frustration from gardeners who struggle to figure out what to plant in a shady area. Many times, I’ve heard gardeners say, “I have shade so I can’t grow anything.” This arch marks the entrance to an area where gardeners can come to feel inspired on what to plant in their own shady spaces. 

The plants on the arch were picked for their ability to thrive in shade and tolerate drought.  The Boston ferns (Nephrolepsis obliterata) and sedge (Carex appalachica) and the climbing rambling habit of the wire vine (muhlenbeckia) work together to create a woodland feel. The tuberous begonias (Begonia x tuberosa ‘Miss Montreal’) offer larger more eye-catching flowers, and the grassleaf spurge (Euphorbia hypericifolia ‘Breathless White’) acts as a stunning filler with its delicate white flowers.  

Partial Shade is defined as 3 to 6 hours of sun.  Often these areas receive sun before noon when it is less intense. Some of our favorite perennials that perform well in partial shade locations include Geranium macrorrhizum (cranesbill), Tricyrtis formosana (toad lily), Anemone x hybrida (windflower), and Astilbe.  Some of our favorite annuals for partial shade include Begonia x tuberosa (tuberous begonia) and Torenia fournieri (wish-bone flower).  

Dappled Shade also referred to as Filtered Sun is defined as sunlight that filters through the canopy of open tree branches. Plants in these areas can receive a significant amount of light but it is unpredictable and highly seasonal since light patterns are constantly shifting.  Some of our favorite perennials for dappled shade include Epimedium sp. (bishops hat), Polemonium sp. (Jacob’s ladder), Trillium sp. (wake robin) and Symphyotrichum cordifolium (blue wood aster).  Some of our favorite annuals for dappled shade include Impatiens walleriana (busy Lizzy) and Fuschia x hybrida (lady's eardrops).  

Deep Shade also referred to as Full Shade is often found under evergreens and other dense trees and shrubs.  In a deep shade location, direct sunlight rarely occurs. Some of our favorite perennials for deep shade include Hosta sp. (hosta), Helleborus x hybridus (hellebore) and Athyrium niponicum var. Pictum (japanese painted fern).  Some of our favorite annuals for deep shade include Solanostemon sp. (coleus) and Caladium x hortulanum (caladium). 

TESOROS TROPICALES: 

EXPLORANDO LA FLORA EXÓTICA DE TIERRAS LEJANAS 

DISEÑADO POR DANNY COX, DEAN DIETRICH, JAYTON HOWARD Y CLARE REINES

Las plantas tropicales, con sus vibrantes colores y exuberante follaje, aportan un toque paradisíaco a cualquier paisaje. Más allá de su belleza, son campeonas resistentes al cambio climático y prosperan en climas cálidos y húmedos. Sus adaptaciones únicas las hacen idóneas para soportar condiciones ambientales cambiantes. En un mundo cambiante, ofrecen esperanza al crear paisajes sostenibles que pueden perdurar. Ya sea adornando un jardín botánico, realzando espacios interiores o adornando paisajes exteriores, las plantas tropicales no sólo deslumbran a la vista, sino que también sirven como embajadoras resistentes de la adaptabilidad de la naturaleza frente al cambio medioambiental.   

Aprender sobre el cambio climático y la adaptación es esencial en estos tiempos. Esta exposición, así como otras partes de la programación de nuestro Jardín, pretende educar a nuestra comunidad para crear un mundo mejor para las generaciones futuras. 

Chaenostoma cordatum ‘Baverlu’ Versa™ Blue | bacopa

Cuphea hyssopifolia Cupid™ Purple | false heather

Echeveria cv. | echeveria

Neoregelia ‘Chili Verde’ | bromeliad

Neoregelia ‘Fireball’ | bromeliad

Neoregelia ‘Super Fireball’ | bromeliad

Strobilanthes alternata ‘Exotica’ | purple waffle plant

Brugmansia ‘Jamaica Yellow’ | warm group angel’s trumpet

Chaenostoma cordatum ‘Baverlu’ Versa™ Blue | bacopa

Codiaeum variegatum var. variegatum ‘Banana’ | croton

Cuphea hyssopifolia Cupid™ Purple | false heather

Echeveria cv. | echeveria

Euphorbia tirucalli | Indian tree spurge

Isolepis cernua  | fiber optic grass

Mandevilla cv. | white mandevilla

Muehlenbeckia axillaris | creeping wire vine

Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’ | spider lily

+ assorted bromeliad varieties

DANNY COX
VICE PRESIDENT, HORTICULTURE

A leader in public horticulture for more than a decade, Danny Cox oversees the Horticulture Department, setting the vision for the curation, growth, and maintenance of botanical collections. He combines lifelong passions for plants and people by creating innovative landscape displays that inspire and delight visitors and celebrate Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s diverse membership.

DEAN DIETRICH
Ex-Horticulture Section Leader

“People ask me where I get my ideas. I follow designers around the globe and read their books, Instagram and blog posts. Their designs inspire me. Unique plants do, too. We’re furthering our botanical collections here at the Garden. We collect them because they’re interesting [and] saving germplasm can also help save a species.”

Dean has accepted a position at Longwood Gardens overseeing a part of their new conservatory.

Jayton Howard
Conservatory Horticulturist

Jayton Howard grew up in Oregon working at his mother’s flower shop, had the privilege of studying horticulture in Australia where he also managed a garden shop for 5 years, then moved to Hawaii to specialize in tropical growing where he managed wholesale nursery operations as well as a cacao and coffee farm. Now he is here in Richmond at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden as the Conservatory Horticulturist where he gets to keep the tropical lifestyle alive.

Clare Reines
Assistant Horticulturist

Clare grew up with an innate fascination with plants and nature. She pursued her degree in horticulture at Virginia Tech while working on a mountainside flower farm, igniting her love for flowers and floral design. During the pandemic, she transferred to Oregon State University to finish her studies remotely while living in Brooklyn, New York, concurrently obtaining her Certificate in Horticulture from Brooklyn Botanic Garden. She became a lead floral designer in Brooklyn and hosted events throughout the city for companies such as Puma, Kate Spade, and Rémy Martin; doing so while running her own houseplant business out of her apartment. After moving to Richmond in 2023, she became an Assistant Horticulturist at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden where she gets to combine her love for horticulture and design. 

Of the several hundred thousand species of plants in the world only a small percentage are specialized for life in the water. Despite the relatively small species number in comparison to all terrestrial plants, aquatic plants are incredibly diverse with very specialized structures and growth habits that allow them to thrive in their wet environments.  

Examples of this diversity include the iconic flowers waterlilies (Nymphaea spp.), the enormous pads of giant water platters (Victoria spp.) watermeal (Woflia spp.) one of the smallest flowering plants in the world, and rice (Oryza spp.), one of the largest cereal crops in the world. Regardless of their shape or size, aquatic plants provide food and habitat for many vertebrates and invertebrates, help to stabilize lake and stream edges, and are a critical component to healthy water quality as they help filter out excessive nutrients in water.  

Among the aquatic plants in the Garden’s aquatic plant collections are waterlilies (Nymphaea spp.) and lotus (Nelumboo spp.) which can be seen here. Can you tell the difference between the waterlilies and lotus in this pool? 

 What do pineapples, Spanish moss, and air plants all have in common? That’s right, they’re all bromeliads! Bromeliads come from the family Bromeliaceae which contains over 3,000 described species and 56 genera.  They are diverse plants with lots of differing growth habits. As long as you have bromeliads in the right conditions, they’re generally very easy to grow and care for. Just watch out for the spikey foliage or tips that some bromeliads grow as modified foliage. These spikes help keep the plant from becoming a snack as well as getting covered in jungle floor vines.  

While there is one species of Bromeliad found native to Western Africa, ALL the rest are from the Neotropics or New World Tropics and subtropics. They grow in a range of conditions from sea level to up to 14,000 feet above sea level! Bromeliads are adaptable and have found a way to grow in most tropical or subtropical conditions. You can find bromeliads growing as terrestrial ground dwelling plants, as climbing epiphytic plants growing above the ground in trees, or saxicolous growing on rocks and rocky surfaces. There are even some bromeliads that are pushing their boundaries and are more cold hardy than the rest: certain varieties are capable of surviving temperatures down to 20F or –6C! 

There are a lot of reasons to grow plants in containers, and not just because it looks nice. It gives us more control over growing conditions and often makes things easier for gardeners, by simply being able to place the container in the most ideal conditions for plants to thrive. 

Growing plants in pots also allows us to bring them indoors and have a touch of nature in our homes. This can be good for our stress levels and indoor air quality, too.  Gardeners can also think beyond traditional pots: terrariums, hanging baskets, and plants climbing on grow poles are all great ways to facilitate growing indoors.  

Outdoor container gardening doesn’t have to be limited to pots, either. Raised garden beds, hanging baskets, window boxes, over rail planters, and growing walls all count as container gardening. Containers also give us a chance for seasonal color, herbs and veggies, and perennial display pots without having to dig down into hard clay soil. Containers help us adapt as gardeners to a variety of growing conditions and make much of today's modern food practices possible.  

CONEXIÓN NATURAL: 

CELEBRANDO EL PAPEL DE LAS PLANTAS EN NUESTRA VIDA COTIDIANA 

DISEÑADO POR ELIZABETH FOGEL 

Las plantas son los héroes anónimos de nuestra vida cotidiana, ya que trabajan silenciosamente para mejorar nuestro bienestar de innumerables maneras. Desde el aire que respiramos hasta los alimentos que comemos, las plantas desempeñan un papel crucial en el sustento de la vida humana en la Tierra. Las plantas nos dan de comer, y también se utilizan para fabricar medicinas, así como artículos cotidianos como la ropa. Forman parte de tradiciones y rituales de culturas de todo el mundo, nos curan y crean una conexión intergeneracional.    

Además de sus beneficios físicos, las plantas tienen un profundo impacto en nuestro bienestar mental y emocional. La vista y el olor de las plantas evocan sentimientos de calma y relajación, proporcionando un antídoto natural contra las presiones de la vida moderna. En esencia, las plantas no son meros habitantes pasivos de nuestro mundo; contribuyen activamente a nuestra salud, felicidad y calidad de vida en general.   

Tómate tu tiempo para interactuar con la naturaleza y crear un vínculo más estrecho con ella. Te invitamos a probar más, aprender más, utilizar más materiales naturales e integrar más plantas en tu vida cotidiana. 

ELIZABETH FOGEL
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF HORTICULTURE

Elizabeth Fogel has a long career in public gardens and natural resource conservation, including Longwood Gardens, US National Arboretum, and the US Peace Corps. She loves designing for both aesthetics and ecological values. Through working at a botanical garden, she appreciates the opportunity to educate the public about plants and their important role in sustaining all life.

Gourds are one of the earliest domesticated plants. They are an extremely diverse family of fruits - pumpkins, melons, squash, cucumbers are all classified botanically as berries. They have been used extensively throughout history as instruments, storage containers, eating utensils, birdhouses, and even as a form of currency in Haiti! 

The Luffa gourd (Luffa sp.) is perhaps the most unusual of all with vines that can climb up to 50 feet, large fuzzy star shaped leaves, and long hanging fruits. Being native to Asia, they thrive in hot weather and acidic soil. The fruits should be harvested while still green and can be eaten raw or cooked. The term “loofah” as we know it today originates from the dried fruits being used as natural sponges. 

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is an annual vegetable crop native to tropical Asia and Africa. It is beloved from Creole to Indian cuisines for its edible seed pods, called capsules, that form after flowering. Okra is easily grown from seed, which can be sown directly into the ground after all danger of frost has passed. It is a fast-growing plant that thrives in our hot and humid Virginia summers. People with sensitive skin should wear gloves when harvesting the capsules – some okra can have tiny, fuzzy spines that cause skin irritation. Try growing the variety ‘Clemson Spineless’ or other non-fuzzy selections next summer for smooth, delicious, okra pods. And don’t forget to pickle some of the harvest for a crispy treat to enjoy after the growing season ends!

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is an agricultural crop grown for its white, fluffy fiber. The fiber is produced within the fruiting pod, called a capsule, that bursts open when it is ready to harvest. To process cotton, the fluffy fiber must be separated from the seeds that are imbedded within it. The processing of cotton is very time and labor intensive. Roughly 27 million tons of cotton is grown around the world each year. The majority of this annual production is used for clothing and home furnishings. During the early to mid-nineteenth century, the United States became the world’s largest producer of cotton by using enslaved African American labor to grow and harvest the plant throughout the Southeast.

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is an edible plant in the mallow family and is related to okra and cotton. Hibiscus tea is made from this plant’s calyx, the set of modified leaves that surround and protect flower buds before they bloom. Roselle calyces are bright red, floral and sour in flavor. They are used to make richly pigmented tea, wine, jam, juice, and jelly. All parts of the plant are edible, including the leaves, flowers, and roots. Roselle originated in Central and West Africa and is widely used in cuisines throughout the Caribbean, Asia, and Central America. Grown year round in hotter climates, this tropical plant is very sensitive to cold temperatures and does not survive our winters.

Native to Mexico & Guatemala, marigold (Tagetes) is believed to have protective qualities to ward off evil spirits, misfortune, and negative energy. They are used in rituals, celebrations, and folk medicine. They are also associated with good fortune, happiness, and protection. Mexican marigolds play a central role in Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) as adornments to ofrendas in homes and cemeteries. Their bright color is believed to help guide spirits back into the human world for the holiday. In addition to cultural uses, marigolds make great companion plants, especially in vegetable gardens, as they repel pests, grow quickly, attract pollinators, and are low maintenance.