 The City of Broken Arrow and Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, May 23, at 10 a.m. to celebrate the grand opening of The Gardens at Central Park, 1500 S. Main St., located west of the Central Park Community Center.
The event will mark a significant milestone as City officials, community members, and the Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful organization come together to celebrate the opening of this beautiful, sustainable, educational garden, which has been in the making for nearly 14 years.
"For several years, Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful members had the vision of a garden in Central Park," said Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful Chair Sharon Atcheson. "Our dream has become a reality, it's finally happened! We are so grateful to the Broken Arrow residents who supported the GO Bond in 2018, which provided funding. This garden belongs to all of us. This lovely amenity to our City will be a peaceful place for everyone to enjoy and a perfect place for prom, graduation, and family pictures."
The Gardens of Central Park is a 33,000-square-foot destination garden with open grassy areas and native plants to attract pollinators.
Initially, the idea was to create a large rose garden to complement the city's historic moniker from the 1920s through the 1950s, as the "City of Roses and Sparkling Spring Water." However, after disease killed many of the roses at the Tulsa Rose Garden at Woodward Park, a decision was made to add a variety of trees, plants, and flowers in addition to the roses.
Learn more about The Gardens at Central Park by watching the video below on YouTube.
 Plantings in the gardens include:
- Large Canopy Trees: Oaks, Maples, Ginkgoes, and Cypress.
- Ornamental Trees: Oklahoma Redbud, Holly, and Serviceberries.
- Feature plantings: Agastache, Asters, Butterfly Weed, Joe Pye Weed, Phlox, Bee Balm, Sunflower, Bell Flowers, Mexican Hat Plant, Rue, and Roses.
- Herbs: Ornamental Garlic, Chives, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, and Rosemary.
"Building projects that improve our citizens' quality of life, like The Gardens at Central Park, are some of the most rewarding endeavors we do as a city," said Mayor Debra Wimpee. "This garden will become a landmark, distinguishing our city for generations as the trees and plants continue to bloom and grow. By encouraging pollination, The Gardens at Central Park will not only be a beautiful and serene destination for residents and visitors to the community, but it will also encourage sustainability, and it will help Broken Arrow continue to flourish as a community."
Architectural elements include a pergola, an entry plaza, and a water feature. The Gardens at Central Park are situated in a previously underutilized area of Central Park that was once home to the city’s softball fields before they were moved to Arrowhead Park.
Visitors can stroll along the walkways to appreciate the gardens' beauty, enjoy the bubbling water's soothing sounds, explore the growing arboretum, and relax in the open grassy areas perfect for picnics and play.
City Manager Michael Spurgeon expressed his appreciation for the Broken Arrow voters who overwhelmingly approved the 2018 General Obligation Bond Package, which included $500,000 toward creating a rose garden at Central Park. He's also thankful for the Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful organization and their dedication to making The Gardens at Central Park a reality.
"Quality of Life projects, such as The Gardens at Central Park, are made possible by individuals dedicated to making Broken Arrow the best it can be," Spurgeon said. "The team at Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful had a vision to create a tranquil space for contemplation and reflection. The voters embraced that vision and approved the funding to make the garden a reality. And the City's Engineering and Construction Department, landscape architect R.L. Shears, and contractor Motown Outdoors worked together to bring that vision to life."
The total cost for the City of Broken Arrow to complete the Gardens at Central Park project is $532,000. Additionally, KBAB contributed $42,000 for the original landscape architectural design, the water feature, and the pergola. This grand opening celebration marks the beginning of what this beautiful and serene garden will become for generations.
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