icpt old smicksburg gateway garden

Indiana County Parks & Trails

Smicksburg Park: Gateway Garden


Layout Options

Indiana County Parks & Trails Smicksburg Park: Gateway

Option A

Walk

Native Plantings

Entrance

Parking Lot

The layout of Option A is an organic shaped planting bed arranged around the two existing signs for the park. A 4 foot path divides the planting area into two separate beds. Interpretive signage along the path will include the historical map of the town, history of the old town and a memorial piece for Wendy Stahlman. In addition, there will be a 5’ walk along the existing park spaces. The existing rock barrier will be incorporated with the design of the walk.


Option BThe layout of Option B has a similar shape as Option A but overall square footage is less. The path in Option B opens up into a seating area. Circular benches hug the lower left hand side while a 3-panel interpretive display is on the upper right hand side. A small 5’ planting bed is incorporated in the middle of the seating place. This is a small herb garden grown in memory of former resident, Wendy Stahlman. The herbs will be maintain by the residents as well as picking them for personal use.

Seating AreaSignage

Memorial Garden

Plantings

Entrance

Parking Lot


Option CThe layout of Option C is a slightly modified version of Option B. Option C has the addition cut off standing area to view the 3-panel interpretive signage. This layout gives a little more room to circulate throughout the space.

Seating AreaSignage

Memorial Garden

Plantings

Entrance

Parking Lot


Style of Gardens


Style of Garden: Native Planting

The concept for this space began by embracing a nature-influenced design style that utilized such features as organic lines, native plant communities, habitat zones and sustainable principles. A naturalistic garden recreates the spontaneous feeling of plants as they appear in nature.

Native plants are defined as plants that are indigenous to a certain geographical region. These plants will thrive with very little maintenance as well as provide wildlife habitat.

Asclepias spp. (Milkweed) is a nectar source for many species of butterflies however it is a host plant to the Monarch butterfly.

This combination of native plants are inviting to wildlife.

The Amelanchier canadensis blooms in early Spring. This tree inherited it’s common name, Serviceberry due to its early bloom time. These flower clusters were an indication that the ground had thawed and the early settlers could bury their dead.


Style of Garden: Time Period Piece

The idea of a time period garden would be to mimic the gardens that once thrived in late . A lush, low boxwood hedge would edge the borders of the garden and around the seating space. With the boxwood walls, flowers would bloom from early spring (bulbs) to late fall (perennials). Knockout Roses and Peonies would also be included.

This style would represent the variety of plants for this time period not the town itself. Hemerocallis and Narcissus are both featured in the design and can be still seen today blooming within the park.

Boxwood hedges create a border for perennials.

Bird’s eye view of a formal garden layout.

Peonies and Irises flourish in this perennial bed.


Option Styles


Option A

Native Planting Time Period Piece

Tree

Lawn

Memorial

Hedge

Shrubs

Walk

Perennials

Existing WalkLegend


Option B


Shrubs

Walk

Perennials

Existing WalkLegend

Tree

Lawn

Memorial

Hedge


Option C


Shrubs

Walk

Perennials

Lawn

Tree

Memorial

Hedge

Existing WalkLegend


Suggested Option


5’ Shrubs

4’ Shrubs

3’ Shrubs

2’ Perennials

Planting Plan: Native Option


Planting Material: Native Option

Flowering Tree Options

Botanical Name Common Name Cultivar Height Spread Bloom Color Bloom Time Fall Color

Amelanchier x grandiflora Apple Serviceberry Autumn Brilliance 20-25' 20' White Early April Yellow

Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood Cherokee Princess 15' 15' White Mid May Red

Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay Magnolia Henry Hicks 20-25' 20' White Mid June Semi Evergreen

5' Shrub Options


Hydrangea arborescens Smooth Hydrangea Incrediball 4-5' 4-5' White June-September

Ilex glabra Inkberry Holly Shamrock 3-5' 3-5' N/A N/A Evergreen

4' Shrub Options


Viburnum dentatum Arrowwood Viburnum Blue Muffin 4' 4' White Late May-Early June Varies

3' Shrub Options


Cornus Sericea Red-osier Dogwood Kelseyi 3-4' 3-4' White Late May-Early June Purple-Red

Abelia x grandiflora Glossy Abelia Little Richard 3' 3' White-Pink May-September Semi Evergreen

3' Perennials

Botanical Name Common Name Cultivar Height Spread Bloom Color Bloom Time

Baptisia False Indigo Solar Flare/Twilite 36" 36-48" Yellow or Purple Late Spring-Early Summer

Helenium Sneezeweed Mardi Gras 36-40" 24-36" Orange Mid Summer-Late Summer

Vernonia lettermanii Ironweed Iron Butterfly 30-36" 30-36" Purple Late Summer-Fall

Perennials & Groundcover

Botanical Name Common Name Cultivar Height Spread Bloom Color Bloom Time

Achellia Yarrow Summer Wine 24" 24" Dark Pink-Red Late Summer

Coreopsis Tickseed Sweet Dreams 18" 24" Pink Shades Summer

Echinacea Purple Coneflower Hot Papaya 30-36" 24-36" Red-Orange Summer

Thermopsis chinensis Peabush Sophia 18" 18" Yellow Early Summer

Fragaria Oramental Strawberry Lipstick 6-8" 12" Pink Spring-Early Summer, Fall

Geranium Cranesbill Rozanne 15-18" 15-20" Blue-Purple Summer-Early Fall

Hypericum calycinum Aaron's Beard 15-18" 24" Yellow Summer


Planting Material: Native Option Images

Hydrangea arborescens

Achellia Baptisia Coreopsis Echinacea Helenium

Hypericum calycinumGeraniumFragariaVernonia lettermaniiThermopsis chinensis**

Ilex glabra Viburnum dentatum Cornus sericea Abelia x grandfolia**

Shrubs

Perennials


Planting Material: Tree and Bulb Images

Amelanchier x grandifolia

Allium neapolitanum Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ Bellevalia pycnantha Hycintus orientalis ‘Blue Eyes’ Muscari armeniacum

Nectaroscordum siculumNarcissus ‘Amadeus Mozart’

Cornus florida Magnolia

Trees

Bulbs


Site Amentities


Site Amentities

Interpretive signage will be featured in 3 individual panels within the seating area. The panel will have visitors visualize and understand the significance of the park’s site location. In addition, the signage will also explain the function of the garden itself, a memorial for Wendy Stahlman.


For more of an informal approach, gravel paths with stone borders could be used for the gardens.

Another option for hardscape would be a combination of concrete and dry laid stone/paver or all stone/paver walk. The gardens will then be more accessible to the whole community as well as a way to raise money for the garden install. Stone or pavers can be dry laid with the intentions of having the pieces be engrave as donations come in.

Site Amentities

Curved benches will provide seating for the memorial garden. Benches will be custom built to fit the size of the seating area and have a similar look to the Country Casual teak benches shown above.

Smicksburg Park: The Stahlman Memorial Garden

Perspectives


Option C: Traditional

icpt old smicksburg gateway garden

Documents

gateway gardensmicksburg

existing park spaces

time period garden

gatewaystyle of garden

seating space

combination of native

naturalistic garden

variety of plants