This newsletter is brought to you by the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum and was delivered to your mailbox because you directly subscribe to it or gave your e-mail address as part of your membership registration. If you have changed your mind and wish to unsubscribe, please see the instructions at the bottom of this page.

While you may view our full program on the Events Page of our website, we are pleased to highlight these upcoming programs.

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BENJAMIN BLACKBURN SCHOLARSHIP LECTURE

Native Plants - Designing to Attract Wildlife with Bruce Crawford

Sunday, February 6 - 4:00 PM

Even if you are unable to attend on Sunday, February 6, please consider registering for the program, as all proceeds from this program support the scholarship that is offered to students in the Landscape Technology Program at County College of Morris.

VIRTUAL ZOOM PROGRAM

There has been a tremendous surge in use and interest in native plants. These plants are great for our many beneficial insects, offering leaves and pollen to eat and stems in which to overwinter. The challenge is how to organize these plants such that they provide an attractive garden for your home. Bruce will share his thoughts, starting from the ground up, on how to combine these plants into cohesive and attractive designs for your garden.

A longtime proponent of unusual and fun plants, Bruce had his own design/build gardening business for nearly 25 years, specializing in plantings for year-round interest. One of those gardens was published in Fine Gardening Magazine. From 2005 to 2020, Bruce was the Director of Rutgers Gardens, the botanical garden at Rutgers University, and from 2020 to 2021, he was the State Program Leader for Home and Public Horticulture with the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Bruce was also an instructor in the Landscape Architecture program at Rutgers University from 1987 to 2020. Currently, he is the Manager of Horticulture for the Morris County Park Commission. He lectures frequently to various groups and has yet to find a plant he doesn't like!

Please click on Bruce's picture for more information and to register.

WINTER CELEBRATION - DRAMA QUEENS: DARK BEAUTIES FOR YOUR GARDEN with Lesley Parness

Sunday, January 16 - 4:00 PM

VIRTUAL ZOOM PROGRAM

Defined as "the absence of color", black in its many hues can highlight, offset and dramatize every real color in your garden. Understand how to use black hued plants for maximum impact. Over 75 dark beauties, including annuals, perennials, vines, trees and shrubs are featured in this compendium of powerful plants. Lesley will cover their habits and culture, and a useful plant list will be provided. To create rhythm, punctuate place, outline areas and focus the eye, nothing works like black. Keep the drama out of your house, and in the garden!

Lesley is a member of the Herb Society of America, The Council on Horticultural and Botanical Libraries, and Garden State Gardens, a consortium of New Jersey's public gardens of which she is a founding member and past President. Her column, The Garden Historian, is featured bi-monthly in Gardener News Magazine. Retired as Superintendent of Horticultural Education at New Jersey's Morris County Park Commission, Lesley offers illustrated lectures and hands-on workshops to garden clubs, plant and historical societies, Master Gardener groups and libraries.

Please click on Lesley's picture for more information and to register.

THE GARDEN TOURIST'S NEW ENGLAND, with Jana Milbocker

Thursday, January 20 - 7:00 PM

VIRTUAL ZOOM PROGRAM

Do you enjoy beautiful gardens? In this armchair tour of some of the best public gardens and hidden gems of New England, you will learn about each garden's history, horticultural highlights and special events that will inspire you to plan your own visit. (The photo at right shows a garden at Edith Wharton's home, The Mount, in Lenox, MA.)

Jana Milbocker is a garden designer, speaker and author. She combines horticulture, design and travel tips to educate, inspire and delight both new and seasoned gardeners. She is the author of The Garden Tourist, The Garden Tourist's New England and The Garden Tourist's Florida. Jana has lectured at flower shows, horticultural societies, garden clubs and libraries throughout the Northeast. She is the owner of Enchanted Gardens, a landscape design firm in the Boston area.

Please click on the picture for more information and to register.

A SPECIAL POP-UP PROGRAM JUST ADDED TO OUR SCHEDULE:

ROCK GARDEN PLANTS OF CANADA'S WET COAST, with Jay Akerley

Saturday, February 19 - 10:30 AM

VIRTUAL ZOOM PROGRAM

Jay Akerley is a rock gardening enthusiast with gardens in both Greater Vancouver and at Sun Peaks, Canada's second largest ski resort - two very different climates. He is the current President of the Alpine Garden Club of British Columbia. Jay's degree in Geography from Simon Fraser University and training at the Pacific Horticulture College in Victoria nurtured an interest in the world's montane and high steppe plants and landscapes.

The Friends are pleased to collaborate with the Watnong Chapter of NARGS (North American Rock Garden Society), who have graciously allowed us to offer this program to our members. Watnong members will receive the program link from their organization, which is an affiliate member of the Friends.

Friends' members and others can register by clicking on the adjacent photo. Please register by February 16.

CHILLY DAY AT THE FRELINGHUYSEN ARBORETUM

A chilly and brisk walk around the grounds today. A couple of Winter arrangements in large pots at the Haggerty Education Center and the beautiful red twigs of Cornus alba cv. Siberica (Red Twig Dogwood) were on display.

Click an image to see them all in our website's picture gallery. Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

YOU CAN STILL REGISTER FOR PREVIOUS ZOOM PRESENTATIONS

We are pleased to make several of our previously recorded events available in case you missed one or another of them.

Go to our new prerecorded-events Events page for more information and to register and pay online.

Retail Partners

When shopping at our fine Retail Partners, please remember to present your Membership card at the beginning of your check out transaction. Our Retail Partners need to enter the discount at the beginning of that process.

If you have not yet used this wonderful Member Benefit, you can view our full list of Retail Partners by clicking here.

Amazon Smile

Don't forget to "SMILE!"Amazon Smile, that is!

Amazon, through the AmazonSmile Foundation will contribute 0.5% of your purchases on Amazon to a charitable organization you select. Please consider selecting The Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum as your designated recipient from this wonderful program.

Click here and log in to your amazon account to designate the Friends as your charity.

That's it for this time. Hope you enjoyed this edition of the newsletter. Tell your friends about this handy way to keep up with activities at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum (click here for complete directions for subscribing.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Friends Staff will be out of the office until Fall 2021, however we will continue working remotely. Please note our new Post Office Box number and staff emails.

SCHEDULE ANNOUNCEMENTS

PANDEMIC SCHEDULE

Morris County Park Commission has reopened the Frelinghuysen, Willowwood and Bamboo Brook Arboreta 7 days a week, from 8am to dusk.

• Parking is limited. Buildings remain closed. Portajohns are available.
• HUNTING IN THE PARKS - Be aware that deer hunting is permitted in many of the MCPC facilities, including the arboreta, during the fall and winter. The schedule and type (bow or firearm) is listed on the MCPC website here.

We will keep you posted as further updates become available.

Visit our website: https://www.arboretumfriends.org.
Email your comments or suggestions to webmaster@arboretumfriends.org.

The Frelinghuysen Arboretum is a facility of the Morris County Park Commission