The Green Bay Botanical Children's Garden connects children with plants by providing year-round educational and recreational experiences in an environment that engages and inspires, while also fostering a love for gardening and nature. To attract more visitors, especially children, the project expanded its existing children's garden, integrating it with the enchanting woodland fantasy themed stories of the existing hobbit house, king-shaped garden, and Mr. McGregor's garden. The garden is transformed into a vibrant town center surrounded by supportive fantasy elements, further enhancing the woodland fantasy theme. The expansion includes new child-focused elements, play opportunities, a splash play area, and a fully accessible treehouse that connects with the existing canopy to narrate a nature-inspired story. Additionally, the newly created destination spaces feature unique sculptures, outdoor learning areas, and classroom spaces, addressing stormwater challenges and incorporating necessary maintenance and storage facilities.

The landscape architect played a pivotal role in the project by leading a multi-disciplinary team of designers and artists, while working closely with the garden’s recreation and horticulture staff. The design process began with a multi-day charrette on site, where the project steering committee developed overarching goals and the design team developed a concept for the space, along with preliminary fundraising drawings. Together, the design team and steering committee conducted outreach with local schools to get feedback on play elements and stories to help refine the concepts. The landscape architect guided the design process through construction, overseeing all aspects in collaboration with the garden. The design team integrated sculptures, and pieces commissioned by local artists, led decision-making on the layout and details, and worked closely with park staff to create interactive storytelling elements.

The expansion of the Children’s Garden has significantly bolstered the Green Bay Botanical Garden (GBBG) as the premier horticultural destination in Northeast Wisconsin, attracting more visitors and enhancing its educational outreach. This project has increased the number of children exposed to nature throughout the year, fostering environmental stewardship from a young age. It has also strengthened community ties by providing a serene and educational space for families and schools, thereby positively impacting the perception of horticulture and landscape architecture as professions capable of creating meaningful and beneficial environments.

Special Factors

• Challenging existing site: The garden is built on a sloping hillside with unstable fill, and existing trees to be preserved. The design team effectively navigated the hillside to create a well-connected accessible garden with natural wayfinding and flow of spaces between a series of distinct outdoor rooms.

• Art Integration and storytelling: Four sculptures are incorporated throughout the land by four different artists. The landscape architect created a framework for the artwork with the steering committee and worked with CODAworx on a call for artists.

• Accessibility: A fully accessible tree house ensures that everyone can engage in interactive play and learn about various tree species. It also highlights the historical significance of certain trees, connecting them to Green Bay’s rich heritage as a papermill community.

• Sustainable Landscape: The new garden boasts over 15,000 plants, with three out of four plants being native to the area, helping educate and connect visitors with the native landscape and demonstrating opportunities to a new group of users.

• Integrated stormwater: The central stormwater feature integrates onsite and offsite stormwater, including the runoff from the splash play area, feeding the wetland garden as a central feature.