This inspirational garden honors the life and accomplishments of the extraordinary scientist and native Missourian who greatly influenced 19th and 20th century agriculture and education. Carver revolutionized farming in the South by introducing plant diversity, crop rotation, natural fertilizers and conservation methods. By the end of his life, Carver was an internationally renowned figure, one of America’s greatest scientists, teachers, humanitarians and advocates for productive, sustainable agriculture. The Carver Garden was designed for peaceful contemplation and learning.

The sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, is a rhizomatous aquatic perennial native to the rivers and ponds of Asia and northern Australia. The plant’s life cycle is steeped in symbolism, as stalks and leaves ascend from muddy soil and still waters to form a large, beautiful blossom that opens as wide as 12 inches across. The Garden’s collection of Nelumbo nucifera includes “Empress,” “Alba Plena” and “Improved Egyptian Pink” in the Japanese Garden. The plants are planted in a large enclosed bed along the banks in the southeast corner of the lake.

If you’re tired of watering the lawn, switch up grass for rocks with a modern rock garden. Appreciate their natural, rugged beauty, plus they are low maintenance. SLHL asked local landscapers to share their favorite plants for rock gardens.

Over the river (okay, what you ford is really a shallow stream) and through the woods…down a long gravel road that turns into a steep gravel driveway…but what you come to on top of a high hill in Wildwood is hardly your grandmother’s house.

That old saying about there being nothing new under the sun may just be coming true under the sun in your back yard. Back in Medieval times monks combined flowers, vegetables and medicinal herbs in the gardens surrounding their monasteries. The French coined the term “portage” to describe formally laid out kitchen gardens that mixed flowers, vegetables and fruits in ways that were beautiful as well as useful.