Love Garden
The elegant arches of the Garden Gates frame a sweep of emerald lawn bordered by magnificent perennial flower beds, backed by the imposing presence of Love Library. This is Love Garden, the traditional entrance to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln city campus.
The Garden Gates always remain open, inviting the community to visit the campus and enjoy the garden's ever-changing colors and textures.
The Garden Gates at Love Garden
Love Garden originally was a formal rose garden, with clipped euonymus and juniper hedges and beds of red roses surrounding a large lawn. A complete renovation begun in 1981 created the present garden. The new design produced greater interest by using diverse plants to provide more seasonal change and contrast in size and textures than the formal rose garden.
The perennial beds soften the edges of the paired walks leading to the library, but their symmetrical placement recalls the garden's historical design and echoes the angular mass of Love Library.
Dwarf yew hedges maintain the formality of the old garden, now balanced by the informal feel of the colorful perennial flower beds. The traditional expanse of lawn ties Love Library to similar open spaces south of Canfield Administration building and the College of Business Administration and acts as the setting for the jewel-like flower beds.
A Garden Walk
Strolling past the perennial beds on a June day, a visitor passes through varying patterns of sun and shade cast by the garden's trees. Plants in the beds are chosen to fit the different growing environments created by the trees.
Just inside the Garden Gates, young serviceberry trees (Amelanchier x grandiflora) are too small to cast much shade, so Phlox maculata, Heliopsis and Coreopsis verticillata thrive in the long hours of warm sun.
Farther along the walk, a group of Eastern redbuds (Cercis canadensis) offers the shade enjoyed by Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) and celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), and lush groups of Sedum and lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis) prove their versatility as lovers of sun and shade. White meadow anemone (Anemone canadensis) flowers gleam from a pool of June shade and large heart-shaped wild ginger leaves (Asarum canadense) look handsome throughout the growing season.
At the end of the walk, near the library, the deep shade created by mature pin oaks (Quercus palustris), Japanese pagodatree (Sophora japonica) and redbuds is a cool, dim home for columbine and ferns. Shade also provides an opportunity to showcase plants with colorful and textured foliage. Here, smooth, bright green hosta leaves and the elegant bronze-red leaves of Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' combine for a lovely effect.
The eight perennial beds are a Nebraska version of traditional herbaceous English borders, using masses of color and varied heights and depths to maintain visual interest. The overall effect is informal, belying the time and effort spent on design. Carefully chosen species provide a sequence of bloom and color from early spring until frost, but the garden'' season doesn'' end there. Plants with interesting textures and seedheads remain to enliven the garden in the winter months.
A group of sun-loving perennials adjoining the lawn illustrate the careful planning of colors, textures, heights and bloom times required for an effective border.
A fine example is a small group of plants near the north end of the walk, consisting of Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), zebragrass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus'), Moonshine yarrow (Achillea x 'Moonshine') and dwarf fountaingrass (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'). Tall, upright zebragrass makes a bold season-long statement with its dramatic striped foliage, while alongside it the airy, silver foliage of Russian sage is covered with an understated haze of blue flowers from July to September.
In front of the zebragrass, shorter Moonshine yarrow boasts bright yellow blooms that perfectly match the yellow stripes on the grass. The flowing, mounded from of dwarf fountaingrass completes the tableau, its rich green, fine-textured leaves contrasting with the fern-like gray foliage of yarrow.
Labor of Love
Caring for such a large garden can be a labor-intensive enterprise. The task is eased by beginning with excellent soil, enriched each year with additional compost. No chemical fertilizers are applied to the beds and pesticides are used only when absolutely necessary.
Wood chip mulch maintains moisture and keeps down the weeds in the beds. Deadheading, or removing spent flowers, is an ongoing chore. It often means simply clipping off dead flowers, but some early summer-blooming perennials, such as geraniums, salvia and veronica, can be cut back almost to the ground after flowering. This stimulates a flush of new growth and a second bloom.
Certain perennials, such as Autumn Joy sedum and Moonshine yarrow, begin to flop of thin out after a few years. Dividing these plants by lifting them in the spring, cutting them into clumps and replanting restores their vitality and results in additional plants for use elsewhere on campus.
Herbaceous Plants in Love Garden
| Latin Name | Common Name |
|---|---|
| Achillea 'Moonshine' | Moonshine Yarrow |
| Aconitum x bicolor 'Newry Blue' | Newry Blue Monkshood |
| Ajuga reptans 'Bronze Beauty' | Bronze Beauty Bugleweed |
| Alchemilla mollis | Lady's Mantle |
| Allium senescens glaucum | Ornamental Onion |
| Anemone canadensis | Meadow Anemone |
| Anemone sylvestris | Snowdrop Anemone |
| Anemone vitifolia 'Robustissima' | Grape Leaf Anemone |
| Aquilegia canadensis | Canadian Columbine |
| Aquilegia x hybrida 'Musik' | Musik Columbine |
| Arisaema triphyllum | Jack-in-the-Pulpit |
| Artemisia absinthium 'Silver Frost' | Silver Frost Wormwood |
| Artemisia versicolor 'Sea Foam' | Sea Foam Artemisia |
| Arum italicum 'Pictum' | Painted Arum |
| Aruncus dioicus 'Child of Two Worlds' | Child of Two Worlds Goat's Beard |
| Aruncus dioicus 'Kneiffii' | Kneiffii Goat's Beard |
| Asarum canadense | Wild Ginger |
| Aster novae-angliae 'Alma Potschke' | Alma Potschke Aster |
| Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' | Purple Dome Aster |
| Aster novi-belgii 'Professor Kippenberg' | Professor Kippenberg Aster |
| Aurinia saxatilis | Basket-of-Gold |
| Bergenia cordifolia | Heartleaf Bergenia |
| Boltonia asteroides 'Snowbank' | Snowbank Boltonia |
| Buddleia davidii 'Petite Plum' | Petite Plum Butterfly-bush |
| Brunnera macrophylla | Siberian Bugloss |
| Calamagrostis arundinacea 'Karl Foerster' | Karl Foerster Reed Grass |
| Calamintha grandiflora | Calamint |
| Campanula persicifolia | Willow Bellflower |
| Campanula glomerata 'Superba' | Superba Bellflower |
| Campanula rotundifolia | Harebell |
| Carex ornithopoda 'Variegata' | Variegated Sedge |
| Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Dark Knight' | Dark Knight Bluebeard |
| Centranthus ruber | Red Valerian |
| Cerastium tomentosum | Snow-in-Summer |
| Ceratostigma plumbaginoides | Plumbago |
| Chrysanthemum 'Grape Glow' | Grape Glow Chrysantheumum |
| Cimicifuga racemosa | Black Snakeroot |
| Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' | Moonbeam Coreopsis |
| Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' | Zagreb Coreopsis |
| Crambe cordifolia | Crambe |
| Dicentra eximia | Wild Bleeding-heart |
| Dictamnus albus | Gas Plant |
| Echinacea purpurea | Purple Coneflower |
| Eragrostis trichodes | Sand Lovegrass |
| Eupatorium purpureum | Joe Pye Weed |
| Euphorbia epithymoides | Cushion Spurge |
| Filipendula vulgaris | Dropwort Meadowsweet |
| Filipendula ulmaria | Queen of the Meadow |
| Gaura lindheimeri | White Gaura |
| Geranium cinereum 'Splendens' | Pink Cranesbill |
| Geranium sanguineum | Bloodred Geranium |
| Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' | Johnson's Blue Geranium |
| Gypsophila oldhamiana | Korean Baby's Breath |
| Gypsophila paniculata 'Bristol Fairy' | Bristol Fairy Baby's Breath |
| Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Sun' | Summer Sun Heliopsis |
| Helleborus orientalis | Lenten Rose |
| Heuchera x 'Bressingham Hybrids' | Bressingham Hybrids Coralbells |
| Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' | Palace Purple Coralbells |
| Heucherella 'Bridget Bloom' | Bridget Bloom Heucherella |
| Hosta 'Frances Williams' | Frances Williams Hosta |
| Hosta 'Gold Standard' | Gold Standard Hosta |
| Hosta 'Krossa Regal' | Krossa Regal Hosta |
| Hosta 'Royal Standard' | Royal Standard Hosta |
| Hypericum calycinum | Aaron's Beard |
| Hyssopus officinalis | Hyssop |
| Iberis sempervirens | Evergreen Candytuft |
| Inula ensifolia | Swordleaf Inula |
| Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote' | Hidcote English Lavender |
| Liatris spicata | Spike Gayfeather |
| Lilium cultivars | Garden Lily |
| Limonium latifolium | Sea Lavender |
| Lysimachia clethroides | Gooseneck Loosestrife |
| Lythrum 'Morden Gleam' | Morden Gleam Loosestrife |
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Nippon' | Nippon Silver Grass |
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Rotsilber' | Rotsilber Silver Grass |
| Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' | Zebra Grass |
| Myosotis palustris | Forget-me-not |
| Nepeta x faassenii | Faassen's Catmint |
| Nepeta mussinii | Persian Catmint |
| Oenothera macrocarpa | Missouri Primrose |
| Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' | Hameln Dwarf Fountain Grass |
| Pennisetum orientale | Orient Fountain Grass |
| Penstemon digitalis | Smooth Leaf Penstemon |
| Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' | Husker Red Penstemon |
| Penstemon pinifolius | Pine-leaf Penstemon |
| Penstemon barbatus 'Prairie Fire' | Prairie Fire Penstemon |
| Penstemon grandiflorus | Shell-leaf Penstemon |
| Perovskia atriplicifolia | Russian Sage |
| Phlox maculata 'Alpha' | Alpha Phlox |
| Platycodon grandiflorus 'Komachi' | Komachi Balloon Flower |
| Polygonatum commutatum | Great Solomon's Seal |
| Potentilla atrosanguinea | Himalayan Cinquefoil |
| Potentilla recta 'Warrenii' | Warren Cinquefoil |
| Pulsatilla patens | Pasque-flower |
| Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm' | Goldsturm Rudbeckia |
| Salvia pratensis | Meadow Sage |
| Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' | Butterfly Blue Pincushion Flower |
| Schizachryium scoparium | Little Bluestem |
| Sedum kamtschaticum 'Variegatum' | Variegated Sedum |
| Sedum spectabile 'Meteor' | Meteor Sedum |
| Solidago canadensis 'Golden Baby' | Golden Baby Goldenrod |
| Sporobolis heterolepis | Prairie Dropseed |
| Stachys byzantina | Lamb's Ear |
| Stylophorum diphyllum | Celandine Poppy |
| Thymus serpyllum | Creeping Thyme |
| Tiarella cordifolia | Foam Flower |
| Verbascum chaixii | Chaix Mullein |
| Veronica armena | Armenian Veronica |
| Veronica incana | Woolly Speedwell |
| Veronica teucrium 'Crater Lake Blue' | Crater Lake Blue Speedwell |
| Veronica spicata | Spike Speedwell |
| Veronica spicata 'Red Fox' | Red Fox Speedwell |
| Veronica spicata 'Sunny Border Blue' | Sunny Border Blue Speedwell |
UNL Botanical Garden and Arboretum is an affiliate site of the
