June 01, 2009
The HDR Prairie Garden, a series of four larger gardens and 23 smaller demonstration beds, will serve as a showcase for 28 species of native plants and grasses.
At one point in Omaha’s not-so-distant past, the concept of new mixed-use development was more theory than practice. The June 3 dedication of Stinson Park at Aksarben Village is growing evidence that things are changing.
The park, 4.5 acres in size at the intersection of 67th and Center, will serve as the focal point of the village’s green space. During the past several months, locals and users of the nearby Keystone Trail have watched its 100-foot tower rise from the ground.
In the northern portion of the park, a nod to the area’s prairie past is beginning to take shape. The HDR Prairie Garden – a series of four larger gardens and 23 smaller demonstration beds – will serve as a showcase for 28 species of native plants and grasses, said Paula Suda, a land planner with HDR.
Each of the smaller beds has been planted with a single species to create a solid block of color and form. Compass Plant, Prairie Smoke and Pale Purple Coneflower are among the plants that park users can watch grow and develop upon subsequent visits. “Native plants and grasses improve in both size and appearance over time, so it’s good to have patience when working with them,” Suda said, noting that they also require less irrigation, adapt quickly to the changing seasons and are less prone to problems with insects.
The four larger gardens, which serve as transition areas between the demonstration beds and the remainder of the park’s traditional landscaping, are a mix of shorter perennials and two types of native grass – Buffalo Grass and Blue Grama. The grasses have been planted in large swaths in an effort to demonstrate their potential as an alternative to traditional sod.
The use of native plants in Stinson Park is simultaneously old and new. “The plants themselves date back to the area’s beginnings, but their use in commercial landscaping is something that’s just starting to catch on,” Suda said.
Stinson Park, according to a June 3 Omaha World-Herald article, will be open daily for public use and will be managed by the owners association of Aksarben Village. For more information about Aksarben Village, visit www.aksarbenvillage.com.