Even Winterthur Museum, famed for the beauty of its extensive gardens, has areas that are more utilitarian than inspired. That is until Carol Krawczyk, assistant professor of plant and soil sciences, and students in her landscape design and landscape construction details classes worked their magic on one such location and created a delightful garden for GardenFair weekend, held Sept. 16-18.

The site was a combination barn/garage with an asphalt driveway, which was transformed in a few days' time into a delightful shade garden retreat.

Krawczyk was approached this summer to create "Three Gardens of the Piedmont" for DuPont, using the company's GreenVista Products—a sunshine garden, a waterside garden and shade garden, which is the demonstration garden.

Krawczyk drew up the plans and then she and her students began implementing the shade garden over a three-day period. "It was a real opportunity for active learning for my students—translating a paper plan into actuality and creating and learning what is involved in creating a garden," she says.

The asphalt driveway was turned into a flagstone patio. Krawczyk located a huge hollow tree stump on the Winterthur grounds, which was moved to the site and became the focal point of the patio. Netting covered the pond to deter birds from fishing expeditions. A large variety of plants and shrubs edged the patio, and a walkway was constructed.