 Our next major endeavor at Dayton
Nursery is the creation of a botanical garden on ten acres of land adjacent to the
existing nursery on Cleveland-Massillon Rd. in Norton, Ohio.
The land's diverse topography lends itself to the planting and construction of various
gardens such as those on a steep slope, bog gardens, shade gardens, formal gardens,
naturalized gardens and eventually a Japanese garden.
The structures included as part of the long range planning include the construction of a
major waterfall, picnic pavilion, numerous benches, paved walkways and a building that
will function as a place for various assemblies such as educational seminars.Although
our hope is that the botanical garden will draw visitors interested in horticulture and
thus increase the exposure of Dayton Nursery, an auxiliary and perhaps major purpose of
the garden will be to inspire and excite visitors with the significant established
plantings of a wide and varied cornucopia of plant species. The plant species
represented will not only add to the palette of those used purely for ornamental purposes,
but also some that will represent those used to modify ones' environment in order to
enhance the overall equality of life. Some of these environmentally modifying
aspects of plants would include the use of visual and/or sound barriers and wind screens,
the cooling of yards and paved areas with trees, the attraction of birds and other animals
for human enjoyment, not to mention the benefits to wildlife concerning food and
protective cover and finally the use of plants as a first line of defense in the
protection of a fragile environment.
Research is another ongoing function of the proposed garden in the testing and
evaluating of different plant species and cultivars for Northeast Ohio. Not only
will the newest, sometimes genetically modified cultivars of plants be tested for
characteristics such as winter hardiness, heat and drought tolerance, insect resistance,
among others, but some areas in the garden will remain as a domain for only native
species.
It is our belief, that the best use of this garden will be for the education of the
public for the necessity of plants in urban settings and the importance of protecting and
expanding bio-diverse areas that act as water filters, wildlife habitat, air purifiers,
erosion control barriers and other innumerable benefits to our planet's overall well
being.
In conclusion, we at Dayton Nursery expect the Wolf Creek Botanical Garden*
to be constructed at considerable expense and labor over several years with an approximate
scheduled opening date of the first phase in April of 2008. Any and all suggestions
from any interested groups or individuals are welcomed and will be duly considered. Suggestions? Tell us!
* The name for the garden, Wolf Creek Botanical Garden was derived from Wolf
Creek Township - the original name of the Western Reserve Norton
Township before 1818.
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