The Courthouse Garden in Hillsborough is a stormwater demonstration garden and the capstone project of the 2018 trainee class of the Orange County Extension Master GardenerSM program.
View a short video about this award-winning garden:
design and creation
Prior to the project, this was a badly eroded, barren median with 80% stormwater runoff.
After implementing stormwater garden design principles, there is zero stormwater runoff.
First, we identified the primary sources of stormwater causing erosion. These were the steep grade of the median and and water flowing from the truck beds of parked vehicles. Next, we improved drainage and protected the median from future soil compaction. Finally, we matched our plantings to the site conditions.
- A one foot wide gravel edging captures runoff from parked vehicles and heavy rainfall.
- Swales, attractive stones and gravel paths capture, redirect and promote infiltration of water.
- We replaced compacted, poor-quality soil with high-quality soil and compost.
- We used gravel paths to direct pedestrian traffic. Foot traffic causes soil compaction and damage to plants.
- We chose primarily native plants that thrive in moist conditions.
What is growing?
We have created a map of the garden to help you see the design and identify plants of interest. The map is divided into colored sections for easier viewing. Perennial and woody plants are identified by letters; annuals are not shown. The map and associated plant list are interactive.
Key
flowering perennial
fern, grassy perennial
, groundcover
tree, shrub
lamp post
Click on a letter in the map below to go to the associated ID in the plant list.
Sheriff’s building ↑
Market pavilion ↓
N, native species
Click on a map button for any plant below to view the plant’s location(s) in that section. The location(s) will be highlighted in yellow: . Scroll if they are not visible.
Thank you to our community partners
- Boy Scout Troop #438 — Hillsborough
- Brockwell Trucking Company — Carrboro
- Home Depot — Hillsborough
- Lowe’s — Mebane
- North Carolina Botanical Garden
- Orange County Extension Master Gardener volunteers and trainees
- Orange County Dept. of Environment, Agriculture & Parks & Rec
- Grange Hall — Schley
- Southern States — Mebane
