Maymont Horticulture

October 8, 2008

Maymont History

• Major James Dooley and Sallie Dooley

• Acquired 100 acres of land in 1886

• The mansion was completed several years later

About the Park

• In 1925 the estate was given to the city of Richmond

• In 1975 the Maymont Foundation took responsibility for the maintenance and preservation of the estate– However the park is still owned by the City of

Richmond

Maymont Foundation

• Maymont Foundation is a private organization responsible for the care of Maymont park

• Non-profit– The park is free to the public and runs solely

on donations• It takes the foundation approximately $3.6 million a

year to keep the park open and free to the public

Horticulture at Maymont

• Mrs. Dooley had a passion for horticulture• She is responsible for the Italian and Japanese

Gardens and the arboretum

Horticulture Department

• We are responsible for the maintenance of the all the vegetation at Maymont

Head of Horticulture

• Responsibilities– Getting people to make donations specifically

for horticulture projects– Designing the gardens– Tree and bench donations– Budget of the department – Irrigation and water use– General state of the park

The Rest of Us

• 3 basic ideas used to keep Maymont looking great…– Weed– Water– Plant

Environmental Practices

• Limited use of pesticides and fertilizers– A license is required to

spray many pesticides and their use one plant may adversely affect others

– Use of fertilizers without chemicals

• Water conservation– While Maymont does

use a large amount of water to keep the plants alive we try to limit our use

• i.e. Water isn’t free and there is a budget to follow

Basic but not Simple

• Maymont is home to over 200 species of plants

• Both native and exotic plants

• A number of the trees and plants in the gardens are those originally planted by the Dooleys

Italian Garden

Italian Garden

Italian Garden

Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden

Daylily Bed/Butterfly Garden

Eagle & Raptor Habitat

• This was our BIG project this summer

• It opened September 13th

An Important Lesson in Plant Identification

Eagle Habitat

Other Gardens

• Cactus Garden

• Courtyard

• Via Florum

• Vegetable Garden

• Herb Garden

• Horticulture is also responsible for the maintenance of all fountains in the park

In Conclusion

• Weed• Water• Plant