Holiday at Cheekwood

I recently visited Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Art Museum in Nashville on a chilly and overcast Saturday morning. I was there to check out the beautiful Christmas trees and live reindeer that are part of their “Holiday at Cheekwood” event.

The Botanical Gardens at Cheekwood are maintained on a 55 acre plot that includes specific gardens for annuals, perennials, herbs, shrubs and loads of other plants and garden styles plus some walking trails and outdoor sculptures. After I parked and got my ticket, I took the opportunity to walk through the Japanese garden, which was a gorgeous piece of serenity on a gray sky day.

I also walked the path up to the mansion where the Christmas trees were, passing some fantastical-looking huts and a stream and pond area that I stopped to take pictures of. 

Once inside the mansion, which also serves as an art museum, I viewed the 7 nationally and internationally inspired Christmas trees by places like Mexico, Iceland, England, Germany and Hong Kong. I finished up my visit by walking next door to the live reindeer area, which was popular with the many families and children who were visiting during that time. After my visit, I reached out to Claire Corby, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Cheekwood with some garden-type questions. Claire was able to get Patrick Larkin, Senior VP of Gardens & Facilities to answer them for us, below.

Q: The amazing, large poinsettia tree… how was it made?
A: The more than 500 poinsettias are arranged on a metal frame. Each of the individual plants are held in place by a “pot ring” which is hooked onto the frame.

Q: How long did it take to put up?
A: The frame was constructed in about 4 hours with 4 people. The poinsettias took about 5 hours with 4 people. This was our first time putting the tree together, so I anticipate we’ll be able to put it together much faster in the future.

Q: How often is it watered?
A: The tree is watered 1 time per day for about 10 minutes.

Q: How is it watered?
A: The tree has an irrigation system built into it. Each plant has a small watering tube which delivers water to the base of each plant when we turn on the watering system.

Q: The other Christmas trees… please explain the process of gathering inspiration and decorating them.
A: This year we went with an international theme for the trees. The designers picked their own countries, probably based on the aesthetic they wanted to show. Some of the countries were chosen because of the designer’s family history with the area or because they had done work there. The international or “around the world” theme has been done several times before. Other past themes include “A Storybook Christmas,” “Sounds of the Season,” and “A Cheekwood Christmas.”

Q: The outdoor gardens… What do you all do during the late fall, winter months for your annuals and perennials areas? What other things do you all do outside?
A: Late fall and winter is a perfect time for us to catch up on the bed cleanup that wasn’t completed prior to the rush to get bulbs in the ground. Once beds are clean, we’ll mulch beds 1-3 inches with an organic mulch such as pine straw. We’ll prune back branches on some trees and shrubs while it’s easier see the architecture of the plant without the leaves. We’ll check to see if plants we installed in the fall have been uprooted by freezing, and tuck them back into place. Late fall and winter is also just a great time to plan and dream. Get outside and remind yourself of those trouble areas that you wanted to tackle the year prior, but didn’t have time to get to... or spots where something died, or you want to add more color. That way you’ll be prepared when plants are more available in the spring.  Finally, we’ll sharpen and oil your tools so they’re ready once the garden begins to jump to life in the spring.

 
Q: What and when are some exciting, upcoming garden events next year in 2015?
A: We have an exciting spring planned which includes “Cheekwood in Bloom” which lasts for 6 weeks.  We will have 150,141 bulbs planted in the fall - 108,929 Tulips, 30,121 Daffodils including 18,000 alone behind the Pineapple Room, 11,091 hyacinths, 145 cultivars of tulips plus 22,165 violas and pansies.

Q: Tell us about the heart of Cheekwood like what you all strive for, what you give to the community,  the importance of public gardens.
A: Cheekwood, as a place of natural beauty where history and art come together in a way that stimulates the mind and nurtures the spirit, most definitely contributes to the quality of life for the citizens of Nashville. Last year we welcomed over 300,000 visitors, making us one of the city’s top cultural attractions.

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Art Museum is open year-round in Nashville, TN and the “Holiday at Cheekwood” event lasts until December 31st.  For more info visit http://www.cheekwood.org/