Central Park Landscaping

Woodbury's Central Park contains extensive landscaping, miniature mountains and cliffs, and a waterfall and small stream. The intent was to create an indoor park that would look, as much as possible, like the natural landscape of St. Croix River Valley.

Developing a landscaping plan that would carry out that theme was entrusted to McCaren Designs, Inc. of St. Paul. The company's involvement began in February 1999, with a report outlining the environmental parameters required for such a landscape to grow indoors.

There are 60 trees growing inside the park, including Norfolk Island Pines, four varieties of Ficus, Black Olives, Eastern White Pine, River Birch, and more. They range in height from less than 10 feet to 32 feet.

More than 1,400 understory and ground cover plants fill in the landscaping underneath the trees. All of the plants were transported from Florida in specially equipped semi-trucks to ensure their arrival in excellent condition.

The result is "a rustic, naturalistic look," said McRae Anderson, president and principal designer of McCaren Designs. "The park includes a significant water feature and a stone path that winds through the plantings. We've tried to create the intimate feel you'd get in a woodland garden."

The interior landscape includes artificial rockwork to capture "the essence of the river valley with its coloring and dramatic changes in elevation," Anderson said. He predicts that the bridge will serve as the site of many "photo opportunities."