Mellichamp Native Terrace Garden to open formally

UNC Charlotte’s Botanical Gardens will celebrate the opening of the Mellichamp Native Terrace Garden with a ribbon-cutting and self-guided tours from 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday, May 31.

The garden, considered the first of its kind in the Southeastern United States, showcases diverse and beautiful flora in a home landscaping style. It will serve as a practical example of how gardeners can use a wide variety of plants native to the Southeast in traditional, contemporary or natural landscapes. The garden also will serve as a testing ground for new selections of native plants as well as a source of inspiration and education.

The design for the one-fifth-acre garden combines common home landscape features, including wooden and stone terraces, low stone walls, gravel paths and a dry/storm water-fed streambed. The garden showcases a variety of native plants such as groundcovers, specimen plants, flower borders, privacy hedges and foundation plantings. It also contains sustainable landscape features such as a bioswale, native lawn substitutes, a mini-meadow planting and a wildlife habitat border.

Reservations are not needed for the May 31 ribbon-cutting and tours. Docents will be available to answer questions along the tour. Attendees may park for free in Parking Lot 5 on Martin Village Road off Van Landingham Road on the east side of the UNC Charlotte campus. They will enter the gardens through the Asian Gardens entrance and follow signs to the Mellichamp Native Terrace.

According to Botanical Gardens officials, native plants are experiencing a surge of public interest but are underutilized by the horticulture industry. A goal of the Mellichamp Native Terrace Garden is that it will inspire current and next-generation gardeners with the concept that the home landscape can contribute to the sustainability of Southeastern flora and fauna and to the health of the local environment.

The Mellichamp Garden honors the legacy of Larry Mellichamp, who retired this spring after more than 35 years of service to UNC Charlotte. He was known for sharing his knowledge and passion for plants with students and the Charlotte community in his role as director of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens. Mellichamp will speak during the 4 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony May 31.