A statue of Carl Linneaus, the father of botany and the namesake of the Linneaus Teaching Garden
The Linneaus Teaching Garden in Tulsa is an incredibly beautiful place that was a gift to the citizens of Tulsa by the citizens of Tulsa. The garden is the vision of a true Master of Horticulture named Barry Fugatt. Mr. Fugatt is the resident horticulturist at the Tulsa Garden Center. In 2005 he approached the director with a plan to create a garden that would educate the people of Tulsa on the horticultural possibilities for their own yards and gardens.
A lovely bed as you approach the teaching center
Over the rest of 2005 and 2006, 3000 people contributed the $800,000 needed to get this project off the ground. With funding secured, the city authorized the use of 1.5 acres in Woodward Park to be used as the home of what was to become the Linneaus Teaching Garden. Industry sponsors donated the material and labor to build the structures and hardscapes. This trend of giving has continued and the garden has now thrived for five years without the need to take any public money.
Summer phlox and a bumble bee
The center is staffed by a cadre of trained volunteers. To work here, you must complete a 12 week course that covers everything from plant taxonomy to landscape design. Once the course is complete, the volunteers agree to provide at least 40 hours of their time to the garden each calendar year.
In the yupneck’s humble opinion, this type of garden is needed in every city in America. The gardens are beautiful and they are filled with plants that grow well in Tulsa. There is no sales pitch. If you want to beautify your yard or start a vegetable garden, then all you have to do is stroll around this 1.5 acre oasis. Every planting is clearly marked and selected soley because it does well in the Tulsa area. If you want to know more about the plants or the methods that have caught your eye, then you can ask any of the very friendly and well trained staff for the additional info.
Lovely water feature
The Linneas is not just about ornamentals. The vegetable garden was just as lovely as the beds. I loved the extensive use of containers. As more and more urban dwellers catch the gardening bug, container gardening is going to become a much more common way of growing veggies. Containers are easy to get started and easy to maintain. In fact, a container filled with the appropriate media (soil) will generally have fewer weeds, require no chemical fertilization and use much less water than a traditional, in the ground, row garden. One complaint I have often heard people make about container gardens is that they cannot grow big vegetables like corn. The Linneaus has obviously disproved this urban legend.
I have never seen corn grown in a container. Very interesting. I also liked seeing the whiskey barrels reused as very attractive container gardens.
With the feel of a public garden and a mission of education, this garden is an incredibly rare and valuable resource for the gardeners of Tulsa. The fact that it is completely funded by private donations and staffed by people that are as passionate about horticulture as I am makes me love it even more. I wish I had something like this in my neck of the woods.
Pansies in the middle of June! I don't think were in Zone 9 any more!
Thanks Jay,
As an LG volunteer I appreciate your wonderful comments about our garden. Come again when you are in the neighborhood and bring friends with you. Say hi to Dr. Steve for us.
Marc Schreiber
I most definately will! The garden was so lovely and so well maintained. Being from Zone 9 it was so much fun to see beautiful things that just don’t grow for me here. I really want to come back in the fall. Thanks for the comment and I hope you check back on my blog from time to time!
yupneck1, thank you for visiting our garden! Our Tulsa Garden Center volunteer coordinator sent us your comments after your visit. I am a Linnaeus Gardener from Class 7. We are a proud and very happy group of volunteers over 250 strong. We love ‘digging in the dirt’, watching things grow, learning about plants and how they grow, what’s new and what’s heirloom, sharing with the community and teaching others so that they can love our garden and theirs too. I wish, as you, for every community to have a beautiful garden bringing persons together for the work and for the enjoyment! Barry is a visionary, a great motivator and a passionate teacher. Under his direction, this garden has become a reality. Come to Linnaeus again and again and to our wonderful website http://www.linnaeusgarden.com
Please thank your coordinator! So happy that you enjoyed the article. I truly enjoyed your garden and I hope to be back soon.
Thanks for your response and the beautiful way in which you displayed our garden. We welcome you and all visitors.
Thanks for taking time to look through the article. My wife and I loved Linneaus and will definately be back.
Along with Wendy, I too am a graduate of class #7. All the Linnaeus volunteers truly have a ‘pride of ownership’ in the garden. So glad you visited & thanks for including us on your blog. Best to you – Margaret
I have been overwhelmed with the hits and comments that I have recieved from the Linneaus volunteers. I can tell that it is a special place and that the volunteers take pride in their work at it! Thanks for the comment and check back on the blog from time to time!
Your photos were a delightful invitation to others wanting a trip to Tulsa to see our garden. We love it and are delighted to share it with you and all who visit your blog. Thanks for your visit and kind words. Return often and be blessed. Carole
So glad you enjoyed The Garden. I am from the 1st class. We started our training before the garden was built. We were the first to plant it. We have watched it grow. Thank you for showing it off.
Thanks for the comment and I am so glad you enjoyed the article. Based on all of the comments, you are a part of something truly special. Hope I get to come back in the fall! Thanks for taking the time to read my post.
Jay, I was “working” at the Garden the day you visited!! Thank you for the great pictures and comments. You were so interesting to talk with and you were so inspired by your second career!
Good luck to you and come back and see us again!! The Garden is different at all different points of the seasons!!
Kay Simmons
I really enjoyed visiting with you. I could tell while I was there that it was a special place for all of the visitors. Based on all of the kind comments I have recieved, i now realize that is a VERY special palce for all of the volunteers as well. I am definately going to try and make it back in the fall. Hope to see you then.