Wine Indulgence

Go ahead: Sample some ’Zinfandel’. Oliver Winery (10 miles north of Bloomington, Indiana), offers two kinds: the liquid type to sip from a glass and a burgundy-petaled oxalis with yellow flowers dubbed ’Zinfandel’.

The oxalis is just one of the many treasures planted at the winery’s compact botanic garden, which contains masses of stunning containers, Stonehenge-style rocks and lush plantings. It’s as if the Garden of Eden and Napa Valley consolidated operations right here.

Garden specialist Marian Keith designs this dreamy landscape to look good in every season, but it’s especially great for fall ideas. "I interplant things that bloom in different seasons and dot groupings of two or three of each so there’s always something going on," Marian says.

Using one of her detailed handouts, visitors can roam the 20-acre grounds to observe how spring bulbs have given way to dramatic ornamental grasses such as purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum') and 5-foot cannas. By the time field workers harvest grapes for more than two dozen types of wines, the garden’s color themes hit dominant notes of purple, yellow, orange and burgundy.

The effect is impressive yet inviting. Owners Bill and Kathleen Oliver want visitors to feel at home, not overwhelmed. The approach appears to be working. "Our gardens help to create a relaxing, welcoming environment for our guests," Kathleen says. "Many people visit specifically to see the gardens."

Most of the time, Marian doesn’t let wine-themed cultivar names like ’Zinfandel’ sway her choices. "I’m into promoting and using native plants, so I use natives and their cultivars liberally throughout my designs," Marian says. "I want the gardens to say ’Indiana’."

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