Four rooftop gardens at the Novak Center for Children’s Health provide beauty and respite to patients and families
In 2018, Bernheim Forest and Arboretum and the Novak Center for Children’s Health collaborated to bring a unique green roof project to life. Four green roofs were designed to improve the health and well-being of children undergoing treatment. Studies have shown that patients benefit greatly from having access to these green spaces.
Not only do people benefit from green roofs, but the surrounding ecosystem does as well. These intentional green spaces mitigate air pollution, contribute to carbon sequestration, help with urban noise reduction, and filter stormwater.
With the invaluable help of volunteers and staff, hundreds of young perennials and shrubs were planted across four gardens: one garden on the fourth floor and the remaining three on the uppermost level. On the fourth floor garden, a crane was required to deliver the plants, while the top floor plants were delivered on multiple loads of wagons via elevator.
The fourth floor garden, a dedicated pollinator garden, is set behind large glass windows allowing patients and their caretakers to view the flurry of buzzing insects. Eight years later, that garden is as lush as ever. This spring, it is bursting forth with green foliage and many shades of purple, violet, and indigo from plants such as Woodland Sage (Salvia nemorosa), Spiderwort (Tradescantia), and Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis). As the summer progresses, patients get to see pops of orange, yellow, and pink from Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida), and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).
On the uppermost level are three individual gardens with tables and benches. These three gardens give families and staff a space of calm, allowing them to connect with nature even in the midst of downtown Louisville. One of the gardens is a relaxing grass exclusive garden including Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).
As many gardeners know, no landscape will stay perfect forever, and some plants were removed due to disease or outgrowing the space. Even so, these two gardens boast multiple species of perennials: Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii), Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, (Dianthus), Yarrow (Achillea), and so much more. Anchoring the spaces are a backdrop of woody shrubs, including Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica), Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Viburnum, and Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) to name a few.
These four gardens are maintained monthly by the horticulture team at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. This continued maintenance of the green roofs ensures that Novak Center patients and their families can continue connecting with nature even in the hustle and bustle of downtown Louisville.
