Author: Webmaster

At the Arboretum – 6/17/25

An evening stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens by members Gerry Pappalardo and Alan Sheu resulted in the following photographic record of their visit:

  • Closeup of a Magnolia grandiflora cv. ‘Edith Bogue’ flower
  • The pretty pink flowers of Cornus kousa cv. ‘Rutpink Scarlet Fire’
  • A sweet statue in the knot garden close to the gazebo 
  • A Magnolia virginiana cv. ‘Moonglow’ flower
  • The gnarly trunk of Heptacodium miconioides (Seven Sons Tree), a New Jersey Champion Tree in the Four Seasons Garden

Many thanks to Gerry and Alan for sharing these photographs with us!

Passalong Plants – June, 2025

A few years ago I was introduced to the concept of passalong plants via a book written by Steve Bender and Felder Rushing entitled, appropriately enough, Passalong Plants. In a nutshell, the book describes a behavior practiced in southern states of sharing unusual and/or interesting plants that may no longer be available commercially, thus the passalong moniker.

Over the years, I’ve received many plants of all kinds from friends and family, not necessarily unusual, but nevertheless given by gardeners wanting to share the wealth. I’ve been gifted beautiful yellow and lavender Irises, a Hellebore, an unusually dark pink Hydrangea with blue in the center of the flower, Christmas Ferns, a Prickly Pear Cactus, old-fashioned Feverfew and Money Plant, Columbines and Hyacinths.

The wonderful thing about these passalongs is that a reminder of the giver surfaces every spring as the weather warms up and the plants break ground. When the first shoots of Feverfew, Money Plant, Columbine and Christmas Fern appeared, I thought of my Mom, who loved to garden and share her plants and knowledge with me. She’s been gone for several years now, but her plants lived on in my garden and in my heart.

The dark pink Hydrangea was a gift from a neighbor who moved away. Before leaving, she invited me to choose a plant from her garden as a parting gift. The Hydrangea was not in bloom at the time, but every year when the flowers opened, I had fond memories of Jean for the lovely plant she shared with me. We lost touch, but her gift continued giving in my garden.

The Prickly Pear Cactus was a gift from an ex-sister-in-law. Although no longer part of the family, we kept in touch and she knew I would love to have a piece of her cactus. It flourished in my garden next to a stone wall and grew larger every year, with more and more lovely yellow flowers.

The yellow and lavender Irises, Hellebore, Hyacinths, etc., were all given by dear friends and fellow gardeners, reminders of cherished friendships and a mutual love or gardening.

Although I moved and no longer toil in that garden, I am in the process of creating a whole new garden with new plants as well as new passalong plants. Gardening will always be a therapeutic endeavor for me; there is nothing quite like getting your hands dirty, toiling in the earth, creating something beautiful to nourish and watching it grow.

By Margery Ennist

Images of Frelinghuysen Arboretum by Gail Susan Waimon – 6/1/25

We got an email with a big batch of beautiful pictures of the Arboretum taken by visitor Gail Susan Waimon and a nice message:

Two friends and I visited the Arboretum at 10:00 a.m. and walked about until 11:30. Although there were not as many blooms as I have seen in the past, there was still, images to shoot and joy to be had! I use my imagination then once I return home I start to edit. My iPhone pro is the devise of my choice and take a shot that interest me, then using several photo apps I go to work . Sometimes I keep a realistic ,memory or go wild and crazy beyond the original.
Apps…
picsart
Snapseed
Lightroom
Etc.

Gail Susan Waimon

Click on any of the thumbnails below to view these in a gallery. Thanks for the great collection, Gail.

Turtle from Shawn Allen – 5/22/25

Visitor Shawn Allen and family sent these pictures of a turtle they encountered, along with the following note:

Hello,

While walking along the blue trail near the Wet Meadow, my daughters and I came across a lovely, large turtle in its habitat in the Arboretum. This is the first time we’ve seen it, from a safe distance so as not to disturb it. We gave it a name: Tucker Turtle.

Kind regards

Nice pictures of a sizable turtle. Any knowledgable turtle-lovers out there? My web app says it’s a common snapping turtle. Is that right?

In any case, thanks to Shawn for the pictures of one of the Arboretum’s many interesting residents.

At the Arboretum – 5/21/25

Enjoy these wonderful photographs taken at the Arboretum by Judy Snow. Please note that the annuals at the Haggerty Education Center (HEC) entrance are made possible by a grant from the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum.

  • Foreman Dylan planting the annuals bed in front of the HEC
  • The delicate, strappy white flowers of fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)
  • A luscious raspberry colored Peony flower (Paeonia spp)
  • Star shaped, pale blue flowers of the Eastern bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) in front of the Pan herm
  • The striking dark red, scented flowers of the Carolina allspice shrub (Calycanthus floridus)
  • Two very different planters at the HEC entrance; don’t you just love the variety of lettuces combined with pansies?

Make time to visit the Arboretum and see all these plants for yourself!

Thank you so much Judy for these beautiful shots. 

At the Arboretum – 5/6/25

So many lovely trees live in the gardens at the Arboretum, quietly providing shade, shelter and beauty for all who visit. Here’s just a brief sampling: A delicate, lacy, pink dogwood (Cornus florida) blooming at wood’s edge behind the tent. A pretty white dogwood (Cornus florida) doing its thing next to the parking lot. And a magnificent European Beech (Fagus sylvatica cv. Purpurea Tricolor) at the back of the arboretum grounds. The leaves on the Beech tree are gorgeous.

There are many more beautiful trees to admire and enjoy. Plan a visit soon.

2025 Clematis, Vines & Climbers

This year’s Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum Plant Sale will have a big array of plants covering all types of garden needs. Here are some of the spectacular Clematis, Vines and Climbers we’ve got for your gardening pleasure. Click on the images to enlarge them.

Clematis Henryi
Clematis Henryi

Clematis Henryi

‘Henryi’ features profuse, showy, eight-sepaled, 6-8″ in diameter, white flowers with purplish brown anthers that cover this vine. Henryi is a garden pleasure with its elegant 6 to 7-inch white blooms in summer. A classic, award-winning selection! Bloom on this cultivar comes primarily from the previous year’s stems in early summer, but also occurs in a second flush later in the summer on the current year’s growth.

Clematis Madame Julia Correvon
Clematis Madame Julia Correvon

Clematis Madame Julia Correvon

Italian Clematis blooms for a prolonged period from late June to September, producing a large quantity of 3″ bright reddish wine flowers with yellow stamens. The viticella Clematis types flower on new growth, so they do well with a hard pruning in late winter to early spring. The roots are happiest in cool shade and the tops prefer full sun.

Clematis Nelly Moser
Clematis Nelly Moser

Clematis Nelly Moser

‘Nelly Moser’ features profuse, showy, eight-sepaled, 6-8″ diameter, pale mauve pink flowers (sepals have reddish pink center stripes) with purplish brown anthers that cover this vine in summer. Bloom on this cultivar comes primarily from the previous year’s stems in late spring, but also occurs in a second flush later in the summer on the new (current year’s) growth.

Flowers give way to attractive seed heads.

Clematis Nubia
Clematis Nubia

Clematis Nubia

Free-flowering and hardy, this exceptionally dark red, compact, reblooming clematis is excellent for large planters or as an entryway accent. Blooms prolifically from both leaf axils and stems, resulting in flowers from the ground up.

Clematis Sapphire Indigo
Clematis Sapphire Indigo

Clematis Sapphire Indigo

A short, non-clinging vine with gorgeous purple-blue flowers in June and July. It can be used as a loose open groundcover, but it works even better if allowed to twine up through small shrubs and sturdy perennials. The 4″ blooms open as an open-faced purple and mature to a beautiful sapphire blue.

A long blooming sprawler, excellent when used in mixed borders.

Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler'
Lonicera sempervirens ‘Major Wheeler’

Lonicera s. Major Wheeler

Hummingbird favorite: Lonicera sempervirens ‘Major Wheeler’ produces a blanket of tubular, reddish orange to coral flowers from late spring through summer. Later, the vines’ red berries attract goldfinches and robins. It’s a selection of our native Honeysuckle species, Lonicera sempervirens, and plants are both carefree and noninvasive. They bloom on the previous year’s growth as well as new growth. Regular pruning is not required—any pruning to shape the vine can be done once flowering is over for the season. Do provide a trellis, fence, or post with wire grid for support.

Gelsemium s. Margarita
Gelsemium s. Margarita

Gelsemium s. Margarita

Carolina jessamine. A reliable zone 6 Gelsemium! A profuse display of clear yellow trumpet flowers in early summer with semievergreen foliage. ‘Margarita’ is a superior seedling selected by Don Jacobs of Eco Gardens in Decatur, Georgia. With its much larger, more prominent flowers, it was superior in every way to common seedlings, so Jacobs named it for his wife. He had no idea that it would survive winters to minus 25 F as it has in New Jersey. Gelsemium ‘Margarita’ is a Gold Medal Award winner from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Clematis texensis Princess Diana
Clematis texensis Princess Diana

Clematis texensis Princess Diana

Scarlet clematis. Beautiful tulip-shaped flowers in June and July, with consistent reblooming in early fall. The up-facing blooms are soft pink on the outsides and dark-rose pink on the insides, making a lovely two-toned effect. The habit is scrambling, and needs some support.

PRN favorite: Unique tulip-shaped deep pink flowers followed by silky seed heads.

Lathyrus odoratus Mammoth White
Lathyrus odoratus Mammoth White

Lathyrus odoratus Mammoth White

Annual. This large sweet pea variety climbs to around 8 feet tall and produces masses of large flowers in white. Very fragrant. Good for beds, borders, trellis, rockeries and cottage gardens. Can be grown in containers. Early flowering.

Great variety for cut flowers.

Lathyrus odoratus Mammoth Rose Pink
Lathyrus odoratus Mammoth Rose Pink

Lathyrus odoratus Mammoth Rose Pink

Annual sweet pea. One of the most popular and reliable full-sized varieties available. With long stems and voluptuous rose-pink flowers….this one’s a beauty.

Provide trellis or support for sweet peas to grow up when they have grown to around 6 inches.

Passiflora caerulea Blue Bahama
Passiflora caerulea Blue Bahama

Passiflora caerulea Blue Bahama

Passionflower. A tender perennial in zones 7-9, usually grown as an annual in New Jersey. This passionflower is a beautiful and vigorous free flowering selection of Passiflora caerulea, with all its hardiness and reliability. The nectar rich flowers are adored by larger bees and the foliage is a host to a variety of butterflies.

Veggie Seedlings from Grow It Green

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

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.