Nashville’s winter season can often bring fickle weather forecasts, from record-breaking sunny days to snow storms. But it can also be one of the most peaceful times to get outside and experience nature in its purest form.
With over 55 acres, the gardens at Cheekwood are flourishing all year long– even in the winter. We’ve included a list of what you can experience in the gardens this time of year.
With a variety of tree barks and evergreens on display, our Self-Guided Arboretum Tour offers a great opportunity to see a variety of tree barks, including:
- Chinese dogwood – Cornus kousa var. chinensis
- common baldcypress – Taxodium distichum
- European beech – Fagus sylvatica
- flowering dogwood – Cornus florida
- hackberry – Celtis occidentalis
- Harry Lauder’s walkingstick – Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’
- lacebark pine – Pinus bungeana
- paperbark maple – Acer griseum
- parrotia – Parrotia persica
- river birch – Betula nigra
- shagbark hickory – Carya ovata
- sweetbay magnolia – Magnolia virginiana
- three-flower maple – Acer triflorum
- trident maple – Acer buergerianum
Also available for viewing are some of our favorite evergreens:
- Atlantic whitecedar – Chamaecyparis thyoides ‘Red Star’
- eastern red cedar – Juniperus virginiana
- eastern white pine – Pinus strobus
- Japanese black pine – Pinus thunbergii
- Japanese cedar- Crypotomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’
- lacebark pine – Pinus bungeana
- Nootka falsecypress – Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Glauca Pendula’
- Pacific Norway spruce – Picea abies ‘Pendula’
- stinking cedar – Torreya taxifolia
- weeping blue atlas cedar – Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’
In addition to the arboretum and evergreen display, we offer a variety of flowers this time of year. Below is a list of plants on view throughout January and February:
- corneliancherry dogwood – Cornus mas
- daffodil – Narcissus ‘February Gold’ and Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’
- hellebores – Helleborous sp.
- Japanese apricot – Prunus mume ‘Peggy Clarke’
- Japanese cornel dogwood – Cornus officinalis
- Oregon grape holly – Mahonia sp.
- pansies and violas
- snowdrop – Galanthus nivalis
- star magnolia – Magnolia stellata
- wintersweet – Chimonanthus pracecox
- witchazel – Hamamelis sp.
Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail
In addition to these blooms, the Carell Woodland Sculpture Trail features Contemporary sculptures set within the beauty of nature. The trail extends approximately one mile, and includes fifteen sculptures by regional, national, and international artists. Many of the sculptures were commissioned for their specific location, further emphasizing the beauty of the Cheekwood landscape. Each sculpture enriches and is enriched by their natural surroundings. Winter is a wonderful time to walk the trail and view the sculptures without the hindrance of leaves blocking view.
Don’t let the winter season keep you inside, the great outdoors are waiting for you at Cheekwood!