Photo Galleries

Frequent contributor, Katharine Boyle sent these beautiful images along with the following note:

”Enclosed are some recent images from Friday. I’ll admit that the up close and personal photos of the honeybee are a bit intense. You can see its tongue (proboscis) and its ocelli (tiny “simple eyes”) in the shots. Bees have two large eyes and then three tiny eyes above them.  Hope you and others enjoy them! “

I’m sure we will.

Thanks to a few showers yesterday, the humidity is down and it feels much cooler today, what a relief! The Gardens next to Matilda’s cottage are blooming beautifully in a riot of colors, textures, shapes and heights. There are bright red Daylilies (Hemerocallis), light pink Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos), mauve Cluster Top Vervain (Verbena bonariensis), tall white Tobacco plants (Nicotiana), bright orange Turks Cap Lilies (Lilium superbum), and several decorative dry Allium giganteum (Giant Onion) seed heads. Plan to visit soon, these are not the only gardens in bloom.

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

Mid-80s today at the Arboretum. Walking from spot of shade to spot of shade and sitting often, so grateful for all the comfortable benches along the way! The Adirondack chairs in front of the Mansion provide an expansive view of the Great Lawn; blooming in the gardens were bright red Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (Montbretia), periwinkle blue Platycodon grandiflorus (Balloon Flower) and, in a large pot in the shade, Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ (Pineapple Lily) with Oakleaf Hydrangea flowers behind it.

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

Thanks to frequent contributor, Steve Kanan, for this group of beautiful images from yesterday.

The sunny beds flanking the entrance to the Haggerty Education Center have been planted differently this year with a “hot” combination of tropical plants, including Aechmea blanchetiana ‘Hawaii” (Bromeliad), deep red Coleus spp, bright orange Marigolds (Tagetes) and delicate Tassel Flowers (Emilia spp). It makes for a striking arrangement, especially when planted in front of the dark green hedge behind. Visit and see for yourself!

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

White and pale orange captured my attention today as I strolled through the various gardens at the Arboretum. A huge, very fragrant flower on the Magnolia grandiflora cv. Edith Bogue (Southern Magnolia Cultivar), the large trumpet shaped flower on a Brugmansia (Angel’s Trumpet), the spidery white flower on the annual Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower) and the light orange flower on the Campsis radicans (Trumpet Creeper Vine) climbing over the arbor leading into the Haggerty Education Center. Plan to visit soon!

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

Thanks to frequent contributor, Steve Kanan, for these fine closeups taken at the Frelinghuysen on Friday, 7/1/22.

A gorgeous warm, sunny day with clear blue skies and abundant white fluffy clouds floating overhead. The cottage next to the Haggerty Education Center is surrounded by many different plants and flowers. Some of the flowers blooming today: a lacy, light blue Nigella damascena (Love-in-a-Mist), an Oakleaf Hydrangea, a spike of Stachys cv. Summer Romance (Betony) being visited by a pollen covered bee, and a bright yellow Coneflower (Echinacea).

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.

A new batch of closeups from contributor, Steve Kanan who says, “Relaxing with the macro early Friday evening after a long week. Thank you Frelinghuysen for being there.”

Cloudy and muggy with rain in the forecast. Nevertheless, lots in bloom in the gardens. A sea of Callirhoe involucrata (Purple Poppy Mallow) gently swaying in the breeze, a tall Verbascum thapsus (Common Mullein) blooming against a Blue Spruce in the background, the complex, scented flowers of Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed), the fluffy white flowers of Sambucus canadensis cv. Maxima (American Elderberry) and the tall, feathery, pale yellow flowers of Thalictrum flavum subspec. glaucum (Meadow Rue).

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

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.