The Garden of Well Being
by Tom Hewitt
A lot is happening at Mounts Botanical Garden these days, but nothing is creating as much buzz as the new Garden of Well Being. This major do-over of the old herb garden is really bringing Mounts into the 21st century, while at the same time respecting and preserving a piece of its past.
The original herb garden at Mounts was installed in 1987. It was initially maintained by members of both the Evening Herb Society of the Palm Beaches and Herb Society of Palm Beach County. But with little funding and too few volunteers, it suffered from neglect later on. Towards the end, things that did well in a particular location were simply left in place, with annuals plugged in for color.
The centerpiece of the garden is a fountain surrounded by prostrate rosemary. Photo by Tom Hewitt
The new garden, by contrast, is meticulously planned. It was designed by Holly Shimizu, former co-host of “The Victory Garden” and the current Executive Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. Passionate about herbs and their relationship to people, she envisioned a “secret garden” that would not only delight the senses, but educate people as well.
The garden is divided into four main quadrants, each with its own description. Photo by Tom Hewitt
The new garden has the same intimate feel as the old one, but is much more complex. A fountain now stands at its center, and each of the garden’s four main quadrants contain just what their signs imply. One section is devoted to herbs for health, another to those used for flavoring, a third to those used in ceremonies and a fourth to ones used for teas.
Though the physical layout is the same, the Garden of Well Being has a cleaner look. Walkways were covered with Dominican coral rock and the retaining walls re-stuccoed and capped with coquina. The bay rum hedge that encloses the garden was left in place, but cut back dramatically to add more planting area.
The daunting task of gathering more than 100 species of herbs that grow in the tropics fell on the shoulders of Horticulturist Joel Crippen. Though professing to know “little or nothing” before starting the project, he’s become somewhat of an expert. The garden is a work in progress, as he continues to tweak the original plan.
Planting began in April, 2013. Evening Herb Society member Ingrid Menz has devoted countless hours to the project, potting up specimens as they arrive and plugging them in the garden. She continues to come in at least one day a week to weed, trim and replace plants that don’t make it. “Still,” Crippen says, “it’s amazing how many plants from outside this area have survived and even thrived so far.”
Roselle, or Florida cranberry, makes a good cranberry substitute. Photo by Tom Hewitt
Some things on the original plan wouldn’t work no matter what. He didn’t bother with buchu (Agathosma betulina), grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) or black cardamom (Amomum subulatum), simply because herb society members assured him they wouldn’t grow here. Then there’s the matter of scale. Shimizu had a huge sugar palm in the plan, but Crippen elected to use sugar cane in its place. A golden shower cassia (Cassia fistula) was also eliminated because it would simply get too large.
Shimizu had one section devoted entirely to gingers, but gingers can look messy in a group. Crippen decided to space them out, planting them in whatever quadrant best described their purpose. Some things were hard to find, and buying the plants themselves was out of the question. Even some seed was iffy. Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) was especially uncooperative, Crippen says. “I got a package of 100 seeds, ten germinated, but only two actually lived.”
A side benefit of the project is that the Mounts Nursery Guild was given many leftover plants to propagate and sell. As a consequence, several new mints, basils and hard-to-find plants are now available for purchase in the Mounts nursery. The Guild also acts as a backup for many plants, lest any succumb in the garden.
Appearance takes a back seat to function in the new garden, but Crippen adds interest by planting some things in pots. Some plants here show potential for abuse, like tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), kava kava (Piper methysticum) and betel nut (Areca catechu). Others are steeped in folklore, their claims unsubstantiated. Still others, like divine sage (Salvia divinorum), were left out of the plan entirely because of their controversial nature.
Native spotted horsemint (Monarda punctata) was used by Native Americans to treat a number of ailments. Photo by Tom Hewitt
Even with all the changes, Crippen estimates that what’s been done so far is 90% true to Shimizu’s original plan. Work continues on a walkway around the perimeter of the garden, where visitors will see tropical spice trees and other woody herbal plants. Crippen has already cut a doorway on one side of the bay rum hedge and a window directly opposite. “If we stay on target,” he says, “the whole project should be completed by the end of 2014.”
Tom Hewitt is a freelance writer and gardening consultant from West Palm Beach.
© 2014 Tom Hewitt. Originally published in Florida Gardening, Apr / May 2014. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Mounts Botanical Garden, 531 N. Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33415
(561) 233-1757