Eric Hsu - Planting Perspective from Chanticleer’s Elevated Walkway

MHG Meetings

Sponsored By: Metro Hort Group

Since its inception as a public garden in 1990, Chanticleer celebrates the art of gardening, upholding Adolph Rosengarden Jr’s vision of a “pleasure garden.” Named after the estate Chanticlere in Thackeray’s novel The Newcomes, the garden has different thematic areas like Asian Woods, Gravel Garden, and Teacup Garden that are linked through dynamic plantings and whimsy. An Elevated Walkway, designed by landscape architect Jonathan Alderson and completed in September 2015, is the latest addition and addresses what used to be a treacherous steep walk down the hill. The rusty Corten steel structure with railings was built to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the LEED-certified pathways are made from shredded tires and pavements. Against the backdrop of mature trees and existing structures, the planting is a matrix of herbaceous perennials, grasses, and sedges along with some shrubs. Eric will discuss the process of planting design and the challenges, past and current, that have occurred within the last three years.

Eric Hsu is the plant information coordinator at Chanticleer where he oversees the plant records and assists the horticultural team on a rotational basis. He has a B.S. degree in Plant Science from Cornell as well as graduate degrees in Plant Taxonomy and Ecology from University of Reading and University of Tasmania. Eric is interested in the the interdisciplinary relationship between arts and gardening, and maintains a blog called Plinth et al: