We finally got some much-needed rain and the gardens at the Arboretum were looking fresh and revived as a result.
The Daffodils and Tulips in the Haggerty Education Center entrance gardens have been replaced with a variety of annuals, including a spectacular Digiplexis, a cross between Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove) and a Digitalis relative native to the Canary Islands called Isoplexis. Here in New Jersey this plant will behave as an annual, blooming from Summer into Fall and growing to a height of about three feet. These gardens are made possible by a grant from the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum.
The cone-shaped clusters of white flowers on the Oakleaf Hydrangea between the Haggerty Education Center and Matilda’s are putting on quite a display. The white flowers will gradually turn light pink over the summer while attracting pollinators and birds.
I was drawn to the pond in front of Matilda’s cottage by the loud croaking of a male frog. This little pond is a busy ecosystem, populated by a number of frogs swimming about and behaving in a most frisky manner! Nature at her finest!!!
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
