Cornell Botanic Gardens: Nevin Welcome Center Gardens Preview

Nevin Welcome Center

The Nevin Welcome Center is named for Brian C. Nevin ’50, at the request of our primary benefactor, C. Sherwood “Woody” Southwick.Woody and Brian were best known to many people in the Ithaca area for the 32 years that they operated Brianwood Antiques. Early in his career, Brian worked in landscaping and developed a lifelong love of gardening. He and Woody often brought their out-of-town guests to tour the gardens at Cornell Plantations. Of all the great places to visit in Ithaca, Plantations was Brian’s favorite, particularly the ground cover collection. Brian died in 1999 and Woody passed away in 2006, leaving most of his estate as a gift to Plantations for the construction of this building in Brian’s memory.

Pounder Vegetable Garden

This vegetable garden celebrates the long and rich history of people growing their own food, featuring a variety of easy-to-grow plants and sustainable gardening practices. Look for interpretive signs, which highlight the significance of plants to cultures around the world. This garden is home to the Climate Change Garden, which demonstrates how plants are reacting to changing temperatures and precipitation due to climate change, and how people can enact resilient growing practices.

Mullestein Winter Garden

Ithaca is notorious for its long and blistering winters, and the Winter Garden was curated to provide a space of beauty, color, and gathering amidst these cold months. The one-acre garden features over 700 plants selected for their interesting bark texture, bark color, unusual shape, winter fruit, cones, evergreen foliage, and other characteristics that create a vibrant winter landscape.

Flower Garden

This garden is a combination of annuals, tender perennials, and shrubs. The stump of a tree next to the the bench is the remainder of a much larger catalpa tree. Look for a wind chime hanging in the center of the trunk. Interpretive booklets focus on the lore and cultural uses of 10 common flowers: the rose, carnation, daisy, sunflower, poppy, lily, iris, tulip, peony, and chrysanthemum.

Robison Herb Garden

People have used plants for culinary, fragrance, and medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and this rich history is celebrated within the Robison Herb Garden. Each of its 17 beds have a unique theme, including Sacred Herbs, Herbs of the Ancients, and Herbs in Literature—highlighting countless ways that cultures around the world have interacted with herbs throughout history. The deep and enduring connection between plants and people is on full display in this vibrant collection.

Groundcover Collection

Although it first appears to be a sea of green, the Groundcover collection is home to a rich variety of plants. These herbaceous perennials and low-growing shrubs offer a sustainable alternative to traditional lawns, as they spread quickly to crowd out weeds, prevent soil erosion, and provide shelter to birds, insects, and other wildlife. The effect is both cooling and calming, offering visitors a respite during the hot summer months.

Comstock Knoll

Comstock Knoll is the perfect home for plants that thrive in dappled shade, including azaleas, small flowering trees, hostas, ferns, and the stunning Bowers’ Rhododendron Collection. Originally purchased in 1910 from Cornell professors Anna and John Comstock, the Knoll was intended to serve as an outdoor classroom, and has continued to serve as a space of learning, inspiration, and relaxation for students and other visitors.

Rock Garden

This garden displays plants adapted to conditions found in alpine and coastal environments, such as dry, marginal soils and sunny and windy habitats. Adaptations include low, compact growth, succulent and hairy leaves, and deep or spreading roots.

Bioswale Garden

Designed to be both functional and attractive, the Bioswale Garden is an excellent example of a nature-based solution to sustainability. The garden was designed to catch rainwater runoff from the nearby road and parking lot so it can be absorbed and recharge groundwater. Plants here can tolerate wet and dry conditions, including native switchgrass, flowering perennials, and a variety of shrubs. The result is a drainage system that is ecologically friendly and visually appealing.From here, continue across the street to explore Conifer Slope, an extensive collection of conifers.

Conifer Slope

Conifer Slope serves as a living museum of a wide variety of conifers, including firs, cedars, yews, gingkos, junipers, hemlocks, and pines. These cone-bearing trees can be appreciated year round, making the hillside an excellent spot for education, research, and leisurely strolls.

Kienzle Overlook

This overlook houses part of our conifer collection, featuring dwarf and intermediate-sized conifers selected for their ornamental qualities. The delightful trees and the birds-eye view of the Botanic Gardens create a space ideal for rest and inspiration, and is a perfect stop along the way to the Dairy Bar, just across the road from there.