This area was designed to connect the Perennial & Ornamental Display Garden to the pond, creating an amphitheater effect from the patio area or Hickory Hall, our education classroom. Blocks of ornamental grasses create a soft transition for the eye between the two areas, and theme plants are dotted within these blocks to add seasonal color. Shrubs are used to connect this planting to the woods behind it. Redbud (Cercis) and Forsythia signal the first signs of spring, while Winterberry (Ilex), Dogwood (Cornus) and Witchhazel (Hamamelis) provide winter interest with berries, stem color and flowers.