It’s hard to believe that the first day of Fall is upon us. This is a great time to visit the gardens, the heat has abated, flowers are still blooming and the first hints of fall color are beginning to show. Pick a day to visit and enjoy the grounds from the Adirondack chairs in front of the Mansion.
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
The beds in front of the Haggerty Education Center have filled in nicely: the waves of red Coleus and orange Marigolds against the dark green hedge and the Blue Spruce in the background, make for a striking sight. The pink flower clusters of Sedum telephium cv. Neon (Showy Stonecrop) are lovely and bees are all over the flowers of Caryopteris x clandonensis (Blue Mist Shrub).
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
On hand for the day were members of the North American Butterfly Association, as well as Lorette Cheswick, horiculturist and beekeeper, Jim Walker, owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Denville, Gail DiDomenico, a Master Gardener, popular local speaker and plant expert, and members of the Home Garden Club of Morristown. Helping out were Master Gardener volunteers, teen volunteers, and of course, members of the Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum.
There used to be a set of stairs going up to the patio on the side of the Haggerty Education Center. Several years ago, the patio was renovated, the stairs were eliminated and new railings were installed; there is a handicapped accessible ramp to the patio, as well. The four lamp posts that were on the sides of the steps were left. The following spring, new plantings were installed where the stairs were; at first they really didn’t look like much, but as the plants became established, grew and spread, the area turned into an attractive garden visible as you come up the driveway at the Arboretum.
The plantings are a combination of Prunus laurocerasus cv. Schipkaensis, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, Epimedium x versicolor ‘Sulphureum’, Hosta sieboldiana cv. Elegans, a lovely purple variegated leaf Iris, a perennial Geranium (Wargrave Pink, perhaps?) and some Columbines. Enjoy the photos.
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
A bit muggy and cloudy at the Arboretum today, but we are expecting rain. As always, much to see and enjoy, such as the intricate, perfectly round seed head of an Allium flower, the beautiful, but toxic, flowers of a potato plant (Solanum tuberosum, in the Nightshade family) and a stalk of Phlomis tuberosa flowers (Jerusalem Sage, in the Mint family) working their way up the stem in groups of pretty lavender flowers.
Enjoy and plan to visit soon!
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
Thanks to Steve Kanan for an update of images from a walk at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum on Sunday, June 5th.
A hazy, hot and humid last day of May; few visitors at the Arboretum today, but a Robin was seen hopping along on the lawn in front of the Mansion. A majestic Aesculus chinensis (Chinese Horsechestnut) is in full bloom, the Enkianthus campanulatus shrub (Redvein Enkianthus) in front of the Mansion is flowering and I saw a striking combination of Deutzia cv. Pink-a-Boo and Veronica austriaca ‘Crater Lake Blue’ (Deutzia Cultivar and Speedwell). Plan a visit soon!
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
Thanks to Steve Kanan for these lovely pictures of springtime at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum.
Cool and cloudy weather today made for a pleasant stroll around the grounds. There were Gardeners working in the various flower beds, visitors wandering around enjoying the sights and lots of plants blooming in a variety of colors, textures and shapes. A beautifully blooming Viburnum plicatum (Doublefile Viburnum) emerging from a bed of Hostas, the gorgeous blossoms of a sweetly fragrant Rosa x cv. Mme. Gregoire Staechelin (Climbing Rose Cultivar), spikes of yellow Baptisia x sphaerocarpa cv.
A lovely, sunny May day – so much to see and enjoy. Many different colors of Columbines are blooming in the gardens, as well as Azaleas and Irises surrounding a bench where you can rest and take it all in. The Tulip show may be over for this year, but do some exploration and discover your own beautiful blooms!
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
