| Entry One
Stone pillars flank the gated entry, so it keeps children from easy access to the street and other areas beyond the supervision of adults in the park.
A circular area of pavement allows the visitor to choose between the various paths and play opportunities and will visually correspond with the fountain and matching pavement circle from the pedestrian bridge entrance.
Entry Two
 This entry accommodates pedestrian visitors to the park coming from Broad Street. After crossing the pedestrian bridge, the visitor passes under a gated arbor flanked by native fringe trees and arrive at the pavement center from which they can orient themselves to the park.
Greenville History Garden
The Textile Garden - This area celebrates the history of Greenville as well as the site itself. Plants used for dyes, fabrics, or other elements of the cloth-making process surround the path. A simple 4'x4' weaving loom surrounded by native grasses allows children to experiment with weaving of the natural materials.
Historical Plants Garden - This area features important plants grown in Greenville's history, including wheat, corn, oats, cotton, and tea.
Water Table - The gently meandering path leading to the circular pavement on which the water table stands will contains an embedded timeline of Greenville history. This area is built to meet the needs of all children, and the heights of the varying troughs will be strategically planned to accommodate handicap access as well as children of all heights and sizes.
Reflection Garden
This area will be for quiet play and rest, and provides children overwhelmed by the social and interactive play of other areas a chance to be quiet and observe nature.
Five Senses Gardens
SMELL - This garden is located beside the fountain and seating area. Herbs and other fragrant plants allow children to explore a variety of scents.
SEE - This garden will include many “performing plants”, or plants that kids can observe the “behavior” of as well as other plants that create significant visual interest.
TASTE - This area will illustrate many of the favorite berries and fruits of children as well as edible flowers. However, eating of the plants there is prohibited by signage for the safety of children since such edible plants cannot be strictly controlled and supervised in a public garden.
TOUCH - This garden also contains “performing plants,” in this case plants that give visible responses to a child's touch.
HEAR - Outdoor musical instruments are featured in this garden area, situated under the bridge so the traffic passing overhead adds another interesting sound for children to enjoy.
|
ABC Garden
The flowers and herbs of this garden flanking a garden path will take children through the alphabet from A (Anise Hyssop) to Z (Zinnia).
Canna Cave
These cannas were originally grown in the garden of Linky Stone and now form a magical enclosure in which children can hide and play.
Fairy Tale Forest
 This area celebrates the themes of some of children's favorite fairy tales. First, a painted “bean pole” allows beans to climb high over children's heads and signage can begin the tale of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
The second feature of the Fairy Tale Forest is the Hansel and Gretel Cottage. Children polled for garden ideas voted for a playhouse or treehouse above all other garden features.
Storybook Garden
Here, around a corner you will find Peter Rabbit (represented by a garden statue) sitting within a small picket fence overlooking a “vegetable garden” of hostas.
A circular enclosure constructed of wood or brick represents the children's classic A Secret Garden by Frances Hodgeson Burnett. This book is significant to include in a children's garden because it lends itself so easily to the theme, but also because its themes celebrate the power a garden can have over a child's mind, body, and spirit.
Sculpture Gardens
 Three sculpture opportunities have been incorporated into this area.
Rainbow Garden
A rainbow of annual flowers creates year-round color in this area.
Science Gardens
The Geology Garden - This area's main feature is a rock wall of undulating height constructed of a variety of regional stone types and will represent typical rock layers of Greenville County.
The Ecology Garden - This area begins at the “end of the rainbow” where a circle of gold pavement will have the outline of South Carolina embedded. It will show the watershed from the Reedy River all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Botany Garden- This area is planted with flowers and vines that attract a garden's major pollinators: birds, butterflies, bees, and moths.
The Biology Garden- This area will grow some of the most nutritious vegetables that contain the vitamins that fuel and nourish the human body.
Outdoor Classroom
This area has the form of the outdoor classroom, already framed by existing mature trees.
Entry Three
This area is also be gated and flanked with pillars. The “Founders Footsteps” feature will “walk” out of the garden here and head toward Reedy River Falls.
Wildlife Walk
The plants found here appeal to birds, butterflies, and other wildlife, and benches tucked in among these plants will allow children to observe these garden visitors.
Native Plant Garden
 This area, located across the Reedy River from the site is planted in a meadow of native wildflowers supplemented by native shrubs and trees to stabilize the bank.
|
