Over time, the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont has worked in many ways to restore the physical site so people can enjoy it. We removed trash and invasive vines. We added rustic mulched trails during the pandemic so people could be outside. We restored the badly eroded stream so aquatic life — both flora and fauna — can be seen and enjoyed. More recently, we planted the edges and banks of the “new” stream and established several meadow gardens throughout the Garden.
But much remains to be done to allow everyone to enjoy the space fully. We need potable drinking water, indoor spaces for when it is too hot, cold, or wet, and a safe way to cross the stream.
This fall, we plan to build a pedestrian bridge across the stream. The Garden will remain open during construction, but the work will limit how much of the site is accessible at one time — which means we may need to reduce the size of groups we can accommodate for programs. That’s a challenge, because more people than ever want to visit the native plants and enjoy everything the Garden offers. We have developed new natural, artistic, literary, and wellness programs, and not only have we been presenting them successfully — we’ve created a growing demand for more. In some sense, we’re victims of our own success.
So we’re turning that constraint into an opportunity. While access inside the Garden is limited, we’re taking our free community programs on the road. We’ll bring samples of nature — and the skills we’ve learned — out into the community. We’re building portable lessons: the sensory experience of comparing different tree barks, the fuzziness and texture of different leaves, the remarkable variety of seeds — from the whirlybird seeds of maples to hard round walnuts to the thin pods of redbuds. We are creating a Garden Anywhere roadshow!
The benefits of visiting the Garden cannot be easily replicated. But when access is limited, we’re finding a way to bring the Garden along with us — sharing the richness and variety of native plants well beyond the physical site itself.
The bridge, the programs, the Garden Anywhere roadshow — all of it points toward the same goal: a Garden that belongs to everyone. Whether you visit us here or meet us out in the community, the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont is more than a place — it’s a growing relationship between people and the natural world around them. For more information about the Garden Anywhere roadshow, email programs@piedmontgarden.org.
About the Author:
Bruce is a former classroom teacher with a special affinity for fostering connections. In his work at the Ivy Creek Foundation and the Virginia Museum of Natural History, Bruce created and led programs to connect children to nature. At Ivy Creek, he established training programs to educate volunteer guides to continue these interactive programs. Bruce’s interest in discovering more ways to connect with visitors inspired him to become a Certified Interpretive Guide and Trainer for the National Association of Interpretation as well as a Toastmaster. Bruce’s innate passion for learning and the environment makes him a natural connector of young minds and the wonders that nature has to offer.
