Arboretum visitor, Kathy Baker, shared these beautiful pictures of the Frelinghuysen’s Rose Garden.
Thanks, Kathy for the great images of early summer roses;
This week we’re featuring photographs taken by a couple of our Members, Michele Finkelstein and Lisa Bencivengo.
Michele’s photos show a close-up of lovely Honeysuckle (Lonicera) flowers and raindrop covered foliage, a Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria) standing out amongst the green plants in the Four Seasons Garden, a Chinese Plum (Prunus ‘Mume’) espaliered on the Carriage House wall underplanted with a variety of colorful blooming plants and a closeup of one of the plantings in the Nurserymen’s Garden by the Carriage House.
Lisa’s photos lead us through the quiet, shady paths in the Sylvan Garden; first we pass the tranquil pool with a view through the foliage towards the Mansion, then down the path on the way to the pedestrian bridge and finally we’re treated to a glimpse of this year’s Fairy Houses (usually on display through the end of July.
Make time to visit the Arboretum, there is always so much to see and enjoy.
An evening stroll through the Arboretum’s gardens by members Gerry Pappalardo and Alan Sheu resulted in the following photographic record of their visit:
Many thanks to Gerry and Alan for sharing these photographs with us!
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
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.
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.
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.
Make time to visit the Arboretum and see all these plants for yourself!
Thank you so much Judy for these beautiful shots.
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.
New Jersey sometimes feels like deer heaven, so the quest for deer resistant plants seems endless.
This Rutgers webpage (https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deer-resistant-plants/) can be of real help in finding plants that Bambi won’t enjoy as much as you. They caution us all, though, that “no plant is deer proof,” so be forewarned.
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.
‘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.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.