The Marsh Garden
The Marsh Garden includes several microclimates found in our area and serves as a demonstration for home gardeners wishing to introduce native plants to their landscapes.
The Marsh Garden includes several microclimates found in our area and serves as a demonstration for home gardeners wishing to introduce native plants to their landscapes.
The Lakeshore Park River Trial Woodland Marsh Enhancement Project began in 2017 with a vision to transform a densely vegetated area surrounding a planned boardwalk overlooking the Tennessee River into a special landscape experience that would highlight native plant species. When boardwalk construction began, the surrounding area carried a heavy invasive species load, crowding out native plants. Over the last four years, seasonally appropriate efforts have been made to remove invasive species while allowing desirable native plants to reproduce and emerge from the seed bank. These efforts have involved Lakeshore Park Conservancy in partnership with Gardner Monaco design as well as students from the University of Tennessee and citizens from the surrounding area.
This secluded Park experience is a showcase to demonstrate the ornamental potential of native plants in our area. Reduced invasive loads make it possible to successfully introduce new native species into the landscape to create a beautiful, biodiverse, resilient landscape with native plants.
The Marsh Garden contains a vast array of native plants including Red Buckeye, Swamp Milkweed, Florida Flame Azalea, Wild Pink, and Mountain Mint. Since work on the Marsh began, thousands of native plants have been added, representing over 60 unique species. These plants not only provide a colorful landscape for Park visitors to admire but also attract pollinators.
