We couldn’t resist an invitation from Southern Living Magazine to design & build a Southern Living Garden at Churchill Downs (directly behind the Kentucky Derby Museum), in celebration of the 140th Kentucky Derby, the Run for the Roses. ‘Big Daddy’ Hydrangeas, Queen Mum Agapanthus, Little Black Magic Dwarf Elephant Ears – these were some of the favorite plants from the Southern Living Plant Collection we used in both the garden borders and surrounding planters.
We rarely think of building a garden without including beautiful limestone planters and fountains from Longshadow Garden Ornaments. We selected their large Dorset fountain for the centerpiece of this garden. Two of their Iron Works scroll seat chairs were positioned nearby to enjoy the sound of water. In the semicircle border of Southern Living hydrangeas we placed four Longshadow Shawnee planters, filled with Queen Mum Agapanthus.
In an adjacent area, we wanted to build a blue (Angelface Wedgewood Blue Angelonia and Compact Blue Lobelia) and white (Señorita Blanca Cleome, White Knight Lobularia, White Supertunia) garden. Plants from Proven Winners added the color interest we were after. And around the memorial to Eight Belles, we planted both red and pink Mandevilla, and miniature roses from our friends at Sun Parasol to honor this late beauty.This garden is open to this year’s Derby guests, as well to Derby Museum visitors for the upcoming year. Enjoy the Southern Living Garden at Churchill Downs.