Although I did leave my garden for 6 days, I was able to visit another edible garden growing in the beautiful Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. It was beautiful. The deliberate planning and the creative ideas made for an inspiring visit.
There were a series of unique planters that caught my eye.
They were made of straw by their artist in residence, Mei Ling Hom. They were arranged in a RhizoLink. This line of planters was arranged to represent the dits and dashes of Morse code. For more images, click here and here.
Maybe I’ll try to make my own someday. 🙂
Here is their greenhouse, with the RhizoLink along the path. Don’t the planters add a nice bit of structural interest?
I love their greenhouse. If I had one that big, I wouldn’t need a regular house.
I could just put a little cot in the center aisle for sleeping at night.
The raised beds are at varying heights to accommodate children, the elderly, and those in wheelchairs. Raised beds also provide more control over the growing medium. Some of the beds were made of wood, others of rock. The plants looked quite healthy and I loved looking at all the varieties.
I’m sure this Faerie Garden is a favorite of the children and young at heart. I think it is a wonderful way to get children interested in growing.
This compost bin is similar to my compost bins, but is made of logs rather than pallets. The thermometer helps them monitor the temperature.
I thought that this was a neat way to provide shade, privacy, and color to a front entrance. You could plant a flowering vine(or pole beans!) to climb the string, and some sweet potato vines to spill over the sides. So much inspiration here.
This little garden sign seems to sum up the purpose and goals of Bernheim’s Edible Garden.
If you ever visit Kentucky, a stop at the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest will be well worth your time. You can also visit their garden timeline. I hope that you were inspired!
Do you want to be updated when I post something new? Like my page on Facebook!
Coffee to Compost 
What a beautiful place to visit and so inspiring. I love those straw pots — would love to know how to make them. Also, the compost bin is inspiring. I wish I had one, but don’t know if our township has an ordinance against them — they seem to have an ordinance against most everything else. Thank you so much for sharing. When we drive down to Florida I am always looking for something to do in each state as we pass through and Kentucky is one of them. This is now on my list of Must Sees. ~ Tilly
I could have stayed there for hours. I really do want to try to make those pots too. If I do, I’ll try to post a tutorial.
Regarding compost, maybe you could try burying your compostable materials in trenches, then planting over it after a few weeks? You could get the benefits without a pile.
Thank you. That sounds like a great idea. I have a new area in the back that I’m going to be clearing for next year, and that would be ideal to start something like this. Thanks!
You’re welcome. If you aren’t going to plant until next year, you really can get the soil in great condition by putting your grass clippings and leaves there too. You have plenty of time for it to break down and for the worm population to increase.
What a neat place!!! I love that what I learned from my grandparents and parents is now being passed down to my grandkids!!! It’s a lovely thing!
I love it! The love of growing a garden is a precious quality to pass to children.
Thanks. I do get to Kentucky occassionally and I’ll make a point to visit. 🙂
You won’t regret it. It really has incorporated so many neat ideas.
Yes, I was very inspired, many creative ideas. My favorite was the vines headed the porch roof. I also like the log compost bin. It has a nice rustic appeal.
So many different plant varieties would looks great climbing there, and I love the possibilities! Thanks for stopping by and visiting!
Sarah,
Really great you were able to see the Arboretum. Appreciate all the good pictures. I like the idea of the raised garden beds. Easy to pick your fruit and do some weeding without breaking your back!
They really can help keep a garden looking organized.