Art in the garden: Annual perennial festival showcases eras

Celebrating American history by way of how America gardened is the focus of the annual Perennial Festival at The Planter’s Palette in Winfield.

The festival, called “Gardens Through Time,” opens Saturday, June 25, and runs through Sunday, July 3. Eleven display gardens will portray a different decade, starting with the 1920s.

As gardening has evolved, so have the reasons people garden. The earliest gardens were grown for practical purposes. the first evidence of plant domestication dates back 10,000 years, according to “Origin and Geography of Cultivated Plants.” The first society dependent on crops they grew dates back 6,000 years. Crops included wheat, barley, rice and corn. Cotton was grown for clothing; and herbs were grown for medicinal purposes.

As man became more civilized, an upper class emerged that not only enjoyed leisure time, but also had servants to do gardening for them. There are many examples of gardens built for their beauty in ancient times: the hanging gardens of Babylon, the paradise garden of Persia’s King Darius the Great, and the Philosophy Garden of Epicurus are just a few.

Fast forward to American garden history. We are all familiar with the gardening expertise of American Indians. Tobacco cultivation began in Virginia the early 1600s. Early American kitchen gardens from the 1600s to the 1800s featured herbs and vegetables.

Gardens in the 20th century continued to change depicting a slice of society during each decade.

At the Planter’s Palette, gardens designed and constructed by staff members take you on a tour of 11 display gardens — each one portraying a different decade in American history from 1920 to 2010, and a garden of the future.

Here are a few highlights of some of the gardens you can expect to see.

Your journey begins with the Roaring ’20s — the era that began modern America. The decade has been called the Jazz Age, the Age of Intolerance, and the Age of Wonderful Nonsense. A flapper stands among the plants in this garden.

Patriotism abounds in the garden of the 1940s. This garden illustrates how hard men and women worked during the decade defined by World War II. Raised vegetable gardens emulate the victory gardens that supplied 40 percent of all the vegetables eaten in homes. The creators of this garden hope you will sense that though times were difficult for people during the ’40s, they were still proud to be Americans.

Our 1950s cottage garden portrays the time spent flower gardening and caring for lawns during the birth of suburbia. A white picket fence and a 1950s pickup truck bring an air of authenticity to this garden.

The garden designer of the 1960s “lived it and loved all of the decade.” She loved everything from the music and colors to the emergence of smiley faces, tie-dye and peace signs. She wants her garden to make you feel like you stepped back in time while enjoying an abundance of blooms.

On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated and an environmental movement was launched. Many of the radical ideas of the 1960s became mainstreamed into the culture. Our 1970s garden integrates ideas about environmentally conscious designs with artifacts from the films of the ’70s such as “Jaws” and “Star Wars.” Roses, grasses and ground covers predominate the plant palette, and niches in the garden will feature other reminders of the 1970s, like the Rubik’s cube and lava lamps.

The decade of the ’90s was a time of new beginnings and the era of the Internet boom. The garden of this decade portrays the moving-at-lightning-speed pace of the decade and the rise in popularity of ornamental grasses and new perennial cultivars.

Staff-led tours of the gardens are given daily at 10 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. Or you can pick up a map of the gardens and take a self-guided tour on your own schedule.

The Planter’s Palette Perennial Festival also features a series of daily demonstrations in which staff shares their passion for plants with you. You can learn gardening basics like How to Deadhead your Annuals; pick up some design hints at Combining Foliage Textures; and learn which plants are best for your landscape in one of these talks — The Longest Blooming Perennials and Perennials for Hot, Dry Places.

Learn how to live a greener lifestyle at Catching, Using & Conserving Rainwater or The Garden as an Ecosystem. For those of you with culinary interests, Using Edible Flowers will share specific flowers to enjoy along with recipes.

Behind-the-scenes tours will be given by owner David Tyznik for those interested in learning how The Planter’s Palette grows their beautiful plants from seeds or cuttings.

All talks and demonstrations for adults will be held at 2 p.m. Visit The Planter’s Palette website at www.planterspalette.com for a complete schedule and event descriptions.

There are two special events for children. In Toads in the Garden, all kids are invited to learn about the important role toads and frogs play in the garden and then make a toad house to take home. Toads in the Garden will be held on Sunday, June 26, from 1 to 2 p.m. The cost is $20 and registration is required at (630) 293-1040, ext. 2.

A Father-Daughter Fairy Garden Tea Party will be held on Saturday, July 2, from 3 to 4 p.m. The Planter’s Palette has hosted this event many times in the past for mothers and daughters. This time, it’s dad’s turn to enjoy the fairy frenzy with his daughter. The cost is $40 and registration is required at (630) 293-1040, ext. 2.

The Planter’s Palette’s Perennial Festival delights and inspires gardeners of all ages and ability levels. Enjoy complimentary popcorn and lemonade while you experience Gardens through Time.

Ÿ Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and the retail manager at The Planter’s Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040 or visit planterspalette.com.