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Garden Walks<br />
at the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens BY ALINE CLEMENT<br />
2004 and 2009. Built in 2004, the Rivers of Color Garden lines the main path through the zoo, providing a<br />
linear garden that leads you from one animal exhibit to the next. It starts just inside the zoo entrance and<br />
winds south to the Trout River, then eastward, ending at the Asian Bamboo Gardens where you’ll find the<br />
komodo dragons and, nearby, the new Land of the Tiger exhibit. Also key to the master plan are the “pocket<br />
gardens” that are installed throughout the zoo. These formal gardens feature many plants you might find<br />
in the continents represented by the adjoining animal exhibit. Established in 2005, the Savanna Blooms<br />
Garden was the first pocket garden. Nestled among the areas housing African animals like rhinoceros,<br />
elephants and giraffes, its oasis-like setting, complete with lily pond, provides a lovely area to sit and enjoy<br />
the breezes amid a riot of color.<br />
You may have heard that the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is celebrating its 100 th birthday this year.<br />
What you may not know is that the “and Gardens” part of the Jacksonville Zoo’s name was added in 2004.<br />
This represents a mini-milestone for Jacksonville’s own botanical gardens - a 10 th birthday within the<br />
grander centennial celebration.<br />
In recent years I have gone on quite a few Saturday Garden Walks at the zoo. These botanical<br />
adventures are led by knowledgeable horticulture department employees who talk about plants and<br />
other points of interest based on the theme of that day’s walk. Some of this year’s topics have included<br />
gardening in winter, xeric gardens, and enjoying the scents in the spring garden. I always learn something<br />
new each time I participate.<br />
Further down the main path are the Gardens at Trout River Plaza, which opened in 2007. This pocket<br />
garden features tall columns topped by huge bowls spilling over with trailing and flowering plants. The<br />
courtyard setting houses a beautiful bronze fountain surrounded by a colorful pebble mosaic. Even though<br />
this isn’t considered a play area, it’s a hit with parents who wish to sit for a few minutes to enjoy looking at<br />
the roses, sedum, and mixed perennials while their children splash their hands in the water at the fountain’s<br />
edge.<br />
The Asian Bamboo Garden opened in 2009, providing zoo visitors with a pocket garden reminiscent of<br />
the beautiful formal gardens found throughout Asia. The circular arched entry, called a Moon Gate, frames<br />
koi and lotus ponds surrounded by Japanese maples and flowering shrubs. Phase two of the master plan<br />
includes a 12-acre botanical garden located along the Trout River. There will be a visitor center, a tropical<br />
conservatory, and an orangery. There is no target date set for this expansion, but if it is executed as<br />
beautifully as phase one was, we Garden Walkers are in for a treat!<br />
Aline Clement is a master gardener with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS.<br />
What a treat I had recently when I took a garden walk with Bob Chabot, Director of Horticulture and<br />
Facilities! Chabot and his staff have had a direct hand in selecting and installing nearly all of the plants in<br />
the amazing botanical gardens that co-exist with the equally amazing animal exhibits. His knowledge about<br />
the gardens was evident, and his pride and enthusiasm were infectious. This garden tour was like having<br />
Walt Disney show you around his little amusement park in Orlando! As we strolled along the shady paths<br />
filled with school children and families enjoying the beautiful day, Chabot talked about how the gardens<br />
have evolved, both just before and after he joined the zoo in 2005. I didn’t realize that there is a master plan<br />
for the expansion of the gardens just as there is for the zoo.<br />
The master garden plan was drawn up by landscape architect Cindy Tyler of Marshall, Tyler, and<br />
Rausch in Pittsburgh, PA. After MTR disbanded, Tyler formed Terra Design Studios, also based in<br />
Pittsburgh. Chabot and his staff follow the plan, consulting with Tyler as necessary, but they have the<br />
final say on what plants are installed and where. The first phase of the plan was implemented between<br />
eujacksonville.com | june 2014 7