Nashville In Bloom: July GBBD

Sunday morning we headed to downtown Nashville to walk. There's a great pedestrian bridge that crosses the Cumberland River and it's a good place to view the city skyline. The bridge always lives up to its promise of marvelous views and photo ops!

But, we weren't there to just see the Nashville Skyline, we were heading to someplace special.

Just below the bridge on the edge of the river is Cumberland Park.

According to Metro parks literature "Cumberland Park is an innovative play space for children and families incorporating unique play structures and water features to create an exciting new attraction along Nashville’s riverfront.  The park is designed to engage children and adults in a variety of creative play settings and contains a series of play zones that offer a range of both active and passive recreational features such as natural play equipment for children, spray-grounds and water jets, bridges, climbing walls, walking paths, picnic areas, a stage with an open lawn, and a river walk."
 

Echinaceas, spent Coreopsis, emerging Rudbeckias, grasses and sedges

That is certainly true, but, the main attraction for me are the plantings along the Explorer Trail.

Echinacea and native trees

The crushed-stone trail weaves through tree, shrub and meadow plantings that are designed to attract butterflies, bees and other wildlife.

Joe-Pye weed

I think the natives are perfect to share with you for July Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Above is a Eupatorium dubium. I've written about the Joes here.

Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' is mass planted along one curve in the trail and not only looked spectacular, it was covered with pollinators.

Right now, the Echinaceas are the dominant plant in bloom, but, the Black Eyed Susans, Butterflybush and native grasses are beginning to strut their stuff.

move over Lurie, Nashville has a pretty garden with architectural punctuations!

There were really cool sedges and grasses that I couldn't id in this hillside planting, but, next time I'll take my books with me!

Although, there were many bumblebees all over the plants, there were no butterfly to be seen.

Little Bluestem, a delightful native to Tennessee prairies and prairie remnants,  was planted throughout the trails and walkways. I promise to bring you back here this fall when the late blooming wildflowers and grasses are in full bloom.

Thank you for coming along with me as I explored Nashville's very own little pollinator haven along the Cumberland River.  Now popover to Carol's at May Dreams Gardens to see more gardens and blooming plants from all over this great big beautiful world.

xoxogail

PS Lest you think my garden is bare~Here's a peak

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.