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RESURRECT THE ROSES: SUNKEN GARDEN AT
<br />LEEPER PARK:
<br />---Phase Three
<br />February, 2017
<br />Request to the Historic Preservation Commission
<br />THE SUNKEN GARDEN AT LEEPER PARK is attributed to George Kessler, an early landscape
<br />architect and city planner, who created park and boulevard systems. His parks throughout the Midwest
<br />were typically connected by landscaped boulevards, and it is this concept of "connectivity" which
<br />typified the Olmstead -Kessler parks of the day. Consequently, the concept was one of a grand design,
<br />rather than plans for individual plants. (The Sunken Garden at Leeper Park was originally planted and
<br />begun as a day lily garden, and it was not planted with roses until 1926, long after both Olmstead and
<br />Kessler were dead.)
<br />Thus, the parterre garden concept is an overall design concept ---and the proposed expansion, suggested
<br />here-- maintains the historical Kessler style, and highlights and extends the "connectivity" theme of his
<br />original style, while striking a balance between the Kessler style, and principles of current botanical
<br />husbandry.
<br />THIS ALL -VOLUNTEER, LEEPER PARK PROJECT has progressed very well, in a relatively short
<br />period of time. The volunteers began the project in late April, 2015, after several months of planning,
<br />consultations and preliminary work. Unfortunately, when we began the project, the Garden was
<br />massively deteriorated, and dying.
<br />IN PHASE ONE, the volunteers dug out, cleaned up, and re -shaped the weed -infested
<br />rose beds. We pruned, replaced, mulched, fertilized and resurrected the roses and the beds. Every rose
<br />was pruned, moved, and dead plants were replaced. Some "old-time" perennials were introduced to the
<br />outer beds of the Garden, to add a diversity of color, and to add seasonality lacking in the modern
<br />Garden. By the end of the summer of 2015, there were all new beds, hundreds of new buds, dozens of
<br />new plants, and the once nearly -dead garden was alive, and blooming again ! !
<br />PHASE TWO: IN THE FALL OF 2015, we returned to the HPC, and received permission
<br />to work on Phase Two, for the summer of 2016: The Reflecting Pool Area.
<br />It had been many, many years since the Reflecting Pool had any water in it. Unfortunately, we all
<br />recognized that a water feature here was not practical at this time. Instead, we proposed the creation of
<br />new, central flower beds in the old "reflecting pool" space. That Phase, although it was a massive
<br />project, has now been completed.
<br />New, central flower beds were installed, to "mimic" the original water feature/pool—reflecting a new,
<br />open feel for the space that was originally contemplated_. (We are still working on repairing and
<br />replacing the historical statuary from the pool, to place them strategically into the new beds, on
<br />footings. Unfortunately, that has turned out to be extremely complex and massively expensive, but we
<br />are continuing those efforts, although for a later completion.)
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