News

Urban Oasis

by Linda Burcham

Tucked into the middle of the city of Hampton, Va., is a 60-acre tract of land called Bluebird Gap Farm. The farm, managed by Hampton’s Parks and Recreation Department, offers urban dwellers a glimpse of agriculture and horticulture, as well as a bit of urban oasis. Much of what visitors experience when they visit the farm is a result of the time and energy contributed by the Hampton Master Gardeners.

The Master Gardeners work in two main areas of the farm – a demonstration garden and a new arboretum, now in its third year.

“The demonstration garden is a great place for school groups and homeowners,” says Megan Ketchum, agriculture and natural resources Extension agent. “We use it to teach people about using the right plant for the right place, how to prune properly, and to demonstrate techniques like rain barrels and container gardening. It’s a wonderful site for giving people hands-on experience.”

Thurman Potter, a Master Gardener since 1995, manages the demonstration garden. “I like talking to the kids that come through. They ask some really intelligent questions,” says Potter. A dedicated group of Master Gardener volunteers work in the demonstration garden year-round to keep things in shape.

Several years ago, the idea came up to install an arboretum on some pastureland behind the garden. The space was a mixture of mature trees and open areas, which made it a perfect place to demonstrate plantings for different situations.

Carol King, Master Gardener volunteer, was one of the driving forces behind the arboretum project. “We wanted to develop a space where we could show homeowners the types of trees and shrubs that are suited to our climate, as well as their sizes as they mature,” King says.

The arboretum came together with contributions and volunteer time from many community groups. Jim Williams, a retired Extension agent and active community volunteer, got involved. The Hampton Clean City Commission, the Keep Hampton Green program, and the Master Gardeners made financial contributions. Jim Wilson, director of the Hampton Parks and Recreation Department, personally reviewed and approved the initial plans and expenses for the project, and continues to be an advocate. The city also supports the arboretum by supplying mulch and clean-up services.

The arboretum has a half-mile path that winds its way through 14 different planting areas. Visitors can experience plants suited to understory planting, like dogwood and redbuds; in deep shade under pine trees, like azaleas; or in full sun, like forsythia and day lilies. They can also see common landscape trees such as crabapple, fringe tree, and serviceberry. The point, according to King, is to show homeowners the proper place to plant trees and shrubs, their growing habits, and their size at maturity.

King notes that families have also begun to use the arboretum’s path as a walking trail, because the trees give welcome shade during Hampton’s hot summers. She says, “It’s 5 degrees cooler under the trees. Families come and their children run and play in the open space, which is something that many urban kids don’t have easy access to.”

Several Master Gardeners have recently formed a Tree Stewards group, and have begun labeling and tagging the plants in the arboretum. So far, they have tagged about 250 plants and created a guide to help visitors identify the plantings.

“There are not that many times in your life when you can feel like you have made a difference, but this project has given me an opportunity to feel like we are helping the people of Hampton and the environment, and adding value to the city – that’s what makes it so satisfying,” King says.