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Veggie Seedlings from Grow It Green

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Many thanks to Farmer Shaun from Grow It Green Morristown who is growing Rutgers tomato seedlings for our 2025 Plant Sale. The following tomatoes will be available: ‘Rutgers 250’ and ‘Rutgers Scarlet Sunrise’ as well as Basil Devotion which is downy mildew resistant. Here are some details.

Rutgers Scarlet Sunrise tomato
Rutgers Scarlet Sunrise tomato

Rutgers ‘Scarlet Sunrise’ tomato

Released in 2020 by the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station from work done by Pete Nitzsche and Thomas Orton Bicolor grape tomato with intense sweet Flavor and moderate acidity.

Indeterminate, late-season, high yielding. Red and yellow crack resistant skins. Open pollinated. 70 days to maturity

Rutgers 250 tomato
Rutgers 250 tomato

‘Rutgers 250’ tomato

A reinvention of the tomato industry’s most significant variety, the ‘250 ‘was named in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Rutgers University.

Improved version of the classic Rutgers tomato that defined the flavor of the ‘Jersey Tomato’.

Rutgers Devotion basil
Rutgers Devotion basil

‘Rutgers Devotion DMR’ basil

From the breeding program of Dr. James Simon, Rutgers Department of Plant Biology & Pathology, and Dr. Andy Wyenandt at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

Downy mildew resistant Genovese type basil. Uniform, upright growth and dome or cup-shaped leaf.

This final photo shows the many happy little tomato seedlings growing just for you!

Farmer Shaun Tomato Seedlings
Farmer Shaun Tomato Seedlings

Spring Images by Mark Konopka

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These beautiful images of Spring flowers at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum were sent by visitor, Mark Konopka. These should inspire us all to visit and enjoy Mother Nature’s latest display.

Thanks, Mark, for the fine view of Spring.

Good Things Come in Three

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The Friends are happy to bring you several articles about plants at this year’s plant sale by Bruce Crawford, Manager of Horticulture for the Morris County Park Commission. This article focuses the genus, Trilium (common name, Wakerobin or Toadshade), and talks about several of the beautiful species we can grow here.

Read Bruce’s opening paragraph, and click on the link below to open the full article in a PDF.

Trillium, Bruce Crawford
Trillium, Bruce Crawford

There is an old saying that good things come in three. Supposedly, it stems from an ncient belief that three of something is complete and ideal. Hence, ‘third time is the charm’ and, should you have the good fortune of finding a Genie, you will be the beneficiary of three wishes! Even in the world of gardening, arranging plants in groups of three makes them look more natural. One plant that certainly embodies the beauty of three is the genus of Trillium! Commonly called Wakerobin or Toadshade based on whether the flower has a floral stem or is sessile, these April bloomers add a beautiful touch of 3’s to the woodland garden! Trillium grandiflorum is pictured at right.

Click here to open the PDF.

The Beauty of Bloodroot

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Bruce Crawford, Manager of Horticulture for the Morris County Park Commission, has written another article for us. He uses Sanguinaria canadensis (common name, Bloodroot), to talk about early spring bulbs in general, but with a focus on this beautiful example.

Read the first paragraph, below, and click on the link below to open the full PDF.

Sanguinaria canadensis, Bruce Crawford
Sanguinaria canadensis, Bruce Crawford

The garden truly awakens during the month of April. The once bare earth suddenly comes alive with a bevy of flowering bulbs and perhaps even a few spring ephemerals. Most gardeners understand how to effectively work bulbs into a garden, but many remain puzzled over the use of spring ephemerals. By definition, this group of plants emerge in early spring, flower, set seed and enter into dormancy by the start of summer, very similar to most bulbs. Their strategy is to complete their annual life cycle before the tree canopy is fully leafed-out and competition for sunlight and water becomes more intense. Unlike most bulbs, this group of plants can be more challenging to work into the garden since the declining foliage can be more of a distraction to the beauty of the late spring garden. Fortunately, some ephemerals retain their foliage well into summer when there are ample floral distractions. Sanguinaria canadensis, commonly known as Bloodroot is just such a plant! A beautiful wildflower that erupts into color in March and April (as seen at right in early April in Northern NJ), it quietly enters into dormancy during the middle of summer.

Click here to open the full article.

Jeffersonia diphylla

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Bruce Crawford, Manager of Horticulture for the Morris County Park Commission, writes in this article about Jeffersonia diphylla (common name, Twinleaf), elaborating about its description and history as well as using it as a primer on botanic naming.

After reading the first paragraph, below, you can click on the link to open the full PDF.

Jeffersonia diphylla, Bruce Crawford
Jeffersonia diphylla, Bruce Crawford

Botanical plant names often prove to be a stumbling block for gardeners. They are meant to impart descriptive details about the plant, yet understanding the Latin or Greek roots of the names can prove troublesome. To add to the confusion, in some instances the botanical name honors individuals who were important in horticulture. This can be equally as mystifying since many of these honored individuals lack widespread recognition. However, one plant that should instinctually draw recognition for the honoree is Jeffersonia diphylla, commonly called Twinleaf. The name pays tribute to Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the US and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

Click Read More to open the PDF.

2025 Plant List

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Plant Sale in the Tent logo

So many plants and so little time! Here’s the link to the list on Google Sheets.

Once again, we couldn’t restrain ourselves and have ordered hundreds of different plant varieties so far for the upcoming sale.

You can sort it by using Google Sheets Data command, or you can download it as a pdf or several other things by clicking on File | Download at the top of the spreadsheet.

We’re still ordering some last-minute gems and adding new information, so come back soon to look.

Plant Sale News – 4/2/25

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We’re just 30 days away from the best plant sale in Morris County! Proceeds from the Friends’ Plant Sale support the efforts of the Morris County Park Commission to beautify and maintain the wonderful gardens, trees and trails at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Next week we’ll deliver the Master List of plants, but here are a few choice selection to consider:

  • Calycanthus floridus ‘ Michael Lindsey’, Carolina Allspice or Sweetshrub, a native, woody ornamental with reddish brown, fragrant flowers that bloom for a long period in April and May. The plant has dark green, lustrous foliage with clear yellow to gold fall color. It is wet site tolerant, does well in sun or partial shade, deer resistant, attracts pollinators and may rebloom sporadically throughout the summer. Sweetshrub will grow to a height of 8 feet with a spread of 5 feet.
  • Matteuccia struthiopters, Ostrich Fern a native of Eastern American woodlands. It gets its name because the open plumes look like Ostrich feathers. Ostrich Fern prefers cool, moist conditions and will spread in any wet, shady area of the garden. Ostrich Fern is deer and rabbit resistant and will grow to a height of 36-60″ and a spread of 36-48″ wide.
  • Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece’, Golden Fleece Goldenrod. A small growing Goldenrod, with arching yellow flower spikes in late summer. It is deer resistant, attracts butterflies and bees, great for full sun and will grow to a height of 15″ by 24″ wide.

At the Arboretum – 3/26/25

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On Saturday, March 22, Chef Paul Gatzke conducted a cooking demonstration focusing on the Flavors of the Middle East. Some of the recipes prepared included Grilled Haloumi with Lemon, Olive Oil and Za’atar, Pearl Couscous with Turmeric and Parsley and Braised Pork Tenderloin with Ras Al Hanout, Sumac and Leeks. Attendees reported that the food was delicious. There was a bit of unplanned excitement when the fire alarm was accidentally set off!

Thanks to Judy Snow for the photographs of the class.

Spring has definitely sprung at the Arboretum, two beautiful Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) plants are blooming in the area between the Haggerty Education Center and Matilda’s Cottage: Hamamelis vernalis ‘Red Imp’ and Hamamelis intermedia ‘Sunburst’. With spring officially here, make plans to visit the Arboretum soon to see all that’s blooming!

Thanks to Heather Emelander for these photographs.

Bus Trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show

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The Friends ran our annual bus trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show last week. By all accounts, this year’s Show, Gardens of Tomorrow, was one of the best ever! Judy Snow was kind enough to share some of her pictures of the Show; if you weren’t able to attend in person, enjoy Judy’s photos!

Community Garden Conference – 3/1/25

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The 15th Annual Community Garden Conference held last Saturday was a success and very well attended. The Keynote Speaker this year was NJ State Climatologist, Dr. David A. Robinson, who delivered a very timely and informative talk on New Jersey’s changing climate. Other speakers included Peter Nitzsche and Shaun Ananko. The Conference concluded with the Coordinator’s Round Table led by Ned Gardner and Mike Dziomba.

Also in attendance were representatives from Grow It Green Morristown (GIG), Rutgers Soil Test Lab, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County Master Gardeners. In the photos below, Shaun Ananko and Kim Haupt are seated at the GIG table; Director of the Rutgers Soil Test Lab, Dr. Stephanie Murphy is at the Rutgers Soil Test Lab table; Edwin Muniz, State Soil Scientist, is manning the NRCS table and last but not least, Master Gardeners Mary Albright (red apron) and Candice Bolte are shown at the Master Gardeners table. 

Photos courtesy of Judy Snow.