Charlottesville Botanical Garden: Difference between revisions

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==Background==
==Background==
In Spring of 2007, in response to the closing of Botanique, a local rare-plant nursery owned by Robert Sacillato, a discussion began about how the collection from Botanique might be saved, while alos creating a destination for tourism in Charlottesville<REF> Piedmont Graden Swap. Yahoo Groups. May, 2007. Web. 29 July 2007. <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/piedmontgardenswap/message/830></Ref>
In Spring of 2007, in response to the closing of Botanique, a local rare-plant nursery owned by Robert Sacillato, a discussion began about how the collection from Botanique might be saved, while also creating a destination for tourism in Charlottesville<REF> Piedmont Garden Swap. Yahoo Groups. May, 2007. Web. 29 July 2007. <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/piedmontgardenswap/message/830></Ref>


[[Lonnie Murray]], in a conversation with [[Karen Firehock]], learned that city planning staff had discussed the idea of a botanical garden at McIntire Park as part of the new master plan for when the [[Meadowcreek Parkway]] is built. This led Murray to bring the idea to Saccillato, and suggest that McIntire could be a suitable place to start a botanical garden and eventually house the existing rare plant collection.  
[[Lonnie Murray]], in a conversation with [[Karen Firehock]], learned that city planning staff had discussed the idea of a botanical garden at McIntire Park as part of the new master plan for when the [[Meadowcreek Parkway]] is built. This led Murray to bring the idea to Saccillato, and suggest that McIntire could be a suitable place to start a botanical garden and eventually house the existing rare plant collection.  

Revision as of 11:36, 29 July 2009


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The Charlottesville Botanical Garden is a proposed public botanical garden that would be located in the eastern end of McIntire Park, and also refers to the non-profit organization behind this proposal.

Background

In Spring of 2007, in response to the closing of Botanique, a local rare-plant nursery owned by Robert Sacillato, a discussion began about how the collection from Botanique might be saved, while also creating a destination for tourism in Charlottesville[1]

Lonnie Murray, in a conversation with Karen Firehock, learned that city planning staff had discussed the idea of a botanical garden at McIntire Park as part of the new master plan for when the Meadowcreek Parkway is built. This led Murray to bring the idea to Saccillato, and suggest that McIntire could be a suitable place to start a botanical garden and eventually house the existing rare plant collection.

On June 26, 2007, after the C-ville Weekly listed a Botanical Garden in its list of "15 things that are missing around here and why"[2], Murray informed C-Ville of the plan for a Botanical Garden being discussed, and it was covered in a later feature story in which Firehock said "If we’re really going to be a world-class city, we need to seek out the amenities that other world-class cities have.[3]"

Meanwhile, Sacillato, Murray and others formed the non-profit Charlottesville Botanical Garden to make an official proposal for a Botanical Garden in Charlottesville. According to the group's website it will "incorporate a mission which will expand the interest and value of the facility into a treasure of natural history". As discussions began, the possibility of other sites, including Morven or the parcel that will be donated for a park as part of the creation of Biscuit Run, was also discussed.

In 2008, another group, McIntire Botanical Garden, spearheaded by Helen Flamini, surfaced to advocate specifically for a Botanical Garden at McIntire Park. Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and city staff were supportive of the idea[4].

In March 2009, McIntire Botanical Garden held its first community meeting to discuss plans for a botanical garden at which Mayor Dave Norris voiced his support for the proposal[5].

Moving forward on any actual plan for a botanical garden at McIntire is currently waiting on the Master Planning Process to begin for the eastern half of the park, which will begin once construction of McIntire Road Extended commences.

Earlier botanical gardens in Charlottesville

The Charlottesville Botanical Garden is not the first proposed botanical garden in Charlottesville. According Lily Fox-Bruguiere, a graduate student at the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson originally planned a botanical garden at UVa and got as far as appointing someone to oversee the plans before he died[6].

According to Sallie Brown, in the 1930s, there was a bird and wildflower garden in McIntire Park, built as a Work Progress Administration project[4].

External Links

Notes

  1. Piedmont Garden Swap. Yahoo Groups. May, 2007. Web. 29 July 2007. <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/piedmontgardenswap/message/830>
  2. Daly, Kyle. "Wanted: a strip club, a Home Depot, a botanical garden and more sidewalks." C-Ville Weekly [Charlottesville] 26 June 2007: n. pag. C-Ville. Portico Publications, 26 June 2007. Web. 5 June 2009. <http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=121304062461064&ShowArticle_ID=11042506073652575>.
  3. Moltz, David. "City botanical garden in the works." C-Ville Weekly [Charlottesville] 3 July 2007: n. pag. C-Ville. Portico Publications, 3 July 2007. Web. 24 June 2009. <http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=121304064644348&z_Issue_ID=11042806071105444&ShowArchiveArticle_ID=11040207074596375>
  4. 4.0 4.1 Rosen, Seth. "Idea blooms for McIntire botanical garden." Charlottesville Daily Progress. [Charlottesville] 22 June 2008: Daily Progress. General Media. Web. 22 June 2009.<http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/idea_blooms_for_mcintire_botanical_garden/23872/>.
  5. Mayor pushes for botanical gardens at McIntire Park, Rachana Dixit, Daily Progress, March 6, 2009, retrieved 28 Jul 2009.
  6. Web. 24 June 2009.<http://www.cvillepodcast.com/2009/06/11/charlottesville-right-now-lily-fox-bruguiere/>.