Mabee Grange

The Mabee Grange at Tulsa Botanic Garden was constructed in 2017, and quickly became a popular wedding destination. In 2021, I had the opportunity to re-design the garden areas surrounding the Grange to be more color neutral for wedding photos. In 2022, while serving as Director of Horticulture at Tulsa Botanic Garden, I directed and installed these areas with planting assistance from other Garden staff.

These gardens were an exercise in how long I could stretch the flowering season to appeal to venue guests in all seasons. The bloom season for these gardens begins in early February with the earliest daffodils, followed by non-stop floral displays well into December. The plant palette is an engaging mix of textures and heights, concentrated into a collection of white and purple flowering plants. A theme of blue foliage is also repeated throughout this design. After flowers fade in winter, the textural contrast of plants takes center stage and continues into late winter.

Surrounding the Grange is a new collection of fall-interest trees including sugar maples, tupelo, sweetgum, and several rare oaks. The Grange and it’s gardens are adjacent to the later-constructed Bost Arboretum, which I also helped to design and procure plants for.