Quintessential mid-summer weather: hazy, hot and humid, scarcely a breeze to be found and no relief from the puny little puffs of air movement encountered. Stayed in the shade, looking for relief from the heat; thank goodness for the various water fountains dotting the property, their rippling waters and dripping sounds provided some respite from the heat, even if only fleeting. Photos show the Sylvan Terrace pool and fountain, the Shade Garden goldfish pool and mini waterfall, the Rose Garden fountain with its four jets and the trickling fountain next to the pergola behind the Mansion – most of the water features on the property are either in the shade or shade is nearby. Stay cool!
A hot summer day, the gardens are a bit dry and blooming less profusely, but plenty of color can still be found. A medium-sized Crape Myrtle shrub (Lagerstroemia indica cv. Velma’s Royal Delight) is full of flower clusters, the Black-Eyed Susan plants (Rudbeckia) are beginning to bloom and there are pockets of Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) blooming in several beds.
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! “
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.
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.
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.
Achmea Blanchetiana Hawaii
Achmea Blanchetiana Hawaii
Achmea Blanchetiana Hawaii
This is the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Photo Gallery. Click on the title of one of the albums below to open it where you may then browse the pictures. To receive photos regularly, sign up for our weekly email blast by clicking here.
We welcome pictures from all our friends and visitors — send any you would like to see here to webmaster@arboretumfriends.org.
In anticipation of the Tree Symposium in November, here are just a few examples of the variety of trees in The Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s collection. A lovely Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ (Blue Atlas Cedar) in front of the Mansion, a majestic Quercus rubra (Red Oak), an ornamental Cornus Kousa (Kousa Dogwood) and an Acer palmatum cv. Sango Kaku (Coral Bark Japanese Maple) in full fall attire.
A month ago we posted photos of the missing arbor and newly repaved walk into the Haggerty Education Center. We’re happy to share the news that the new arbor has been installed and it is a thing of beauty, as can be seen in Bruce Crawford’s photo below. A closeup of the new walk’s paving design is also attached.
Make sure to visit soon to see the new arbor/walk as well as all the lovely end of summer and early autumn flowering plants.
As frequent visitors will attest, in addition to the lovely gardens, a variety of different locations on the grounds of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum offer areas for rest, casual strolls and relaxation. The Marsh Meadow Observation Deck is a combination gazebo and deck overlooking the marsh meadow – the view changes with the seasons, but there’s always something to see, flowers, birds or hovering dragonflies. Another lovely destination is the garden to the right of the Mansion. As you walk through the arbor you’re welcomed by the soft splashing sounds and sights of the raised fountain and lush plantings; the benches in this garden room offer a nice spot for rest and quiet contemplation. For those looking for something less sedentary, the paths through the woods and through the meadow behind the Mansion offer a different perspective, you might see wildlife (squirrels, rabbits), hear bird song and enjoy the less manicured areas at the Arboretum.
Thanks to Member Gerry Pappalardo for this week’s photos.
Speaking of trees, have you ever observed the complex architectural form of some tree branches? Here’s a wonderful photograph of the branching on a Japanese Stewartia tree (Stewartia pseudocamellia). Squirrels are among the fauna frequently seen at the Arboretum, this one is overseeing its domain from the branches of a Maple tree (Acer). Another frequent visitor to the gardens at the Arboretum are butterflies, this lovely Swallowtail was seen nectaring on the flowers of a Butterfly Bush’s (Buddleia).
Thanks to Heather Emelander for the Stewartia photo and to Gerry Pappalardo for the Squirrel and Swallowtail shots.
This week we’re featuring some of Member Gerry Pappalardo’s photos, the variety of plants in the Arboretum’s gardens is clearly evident by the following shots:
The interesting flower of Aechmea fasciata, commonly called Silver Vase or Urn Plant is native to Brazil. This plant is in the Bromeliad family and is often grown as a houseplant. The flowers can last for months.
The architecturally interesting seed pod on a Magnolia grandiflora ‘Victoria’; these pods are large, cone-like fruits that open to reveal seeds that are often red and waxy.
The pretty Okra flower reminds us of a mallow, as they are in the same family. Abelmoschus esculentus produces an edible green seed pod, often used in Gumbo.
Can you tell from these photos what’s missing and what’s new? The old arbor on the way into the Haggerty Education Center (HEC) was in pretty bad shape, so it has been removed and will be replaced with a new one sometime soon. The walkway from the old arbor into the HEC had become hazardous and has been replaced with a brand new, attractive and safe one. A gorgeous, bold and bright tropical Rushfoil (Croton) can be seen on the right as you work your way to the HEC’s front door. Out by the first parking bay, the leaves of a Cotinus (Smoke Bush) glisten with raindrops from the storm that blew through on Sunday afternoon.
You may know that the meadow behind the Mansion is under restoration; this is a time consuming but very worthwhile undertaking using a variety of native plants. Here’s a photo showing progress to date. The wet area behind the Marsh Meadow Deck is full of Marsh Mallows (Althaea officinalis) in bloom, not edible, but a very pretty sight nonetheless! Foliage as well as flowers contribute to the beauty of our gardens, as evidenced by the lovely Balloon Flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus) in the Blue Garden in front of Matilda’s cottage and the purple and green leaves of the Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyeriana). Persian Shield is native to Myanmar and is an annual in our New Jersey gardens.
Photos of the meadow and Balloon flower courtesy of Heather Emelander. Member Gerry Pappalardo provided the photo of the Marsh Mallows. The Persian Shield photo is from Sandy Brighouse, also a member of the Friends. Thanks to all!
The Haggerty Education Center’s raised beds are a cheerful mix of bright and sunny annuals in shades of red, yellow and blue, all beautifully displayed against the evergreen shrubs in the background. Several tall Bronze Fennel plants (Foeniculum vulgare) are in full bloom in the gardens next to Matilda’s Cottage, and the bees are busy pollinating their flowers. It’s mid-summer and the Hardy Hibiscus plants are putting on their annual show with a variety of large, colorful flowers; this week we’re featuring the gorgeous pink flower of Hibiscus moscheutos cv. Copper King with its red center and veining. Each flower only lasts a day, but the show goes on for weeks with new flowers opening daily. There are many other Hardy Hibiscus plants at the Arboretum; plan a visit and see them all!
Thanks to Valerie Scarinci for the Hibiscus photo.
The gardeners at the Arboretum are certainly doing their job keeping things watered in this heat! A Purpletop Vervain (Verbena bonariensis) and a lovely spotted white Asiatic Lily (Lilium spp) are blooming in the beds near Matilda’s Cottage. Several Amaranth plants are also in bloom next to Matilda’s Cottage, showing off their striking red flowers. One of the common names for the Amaranth is Love Lies Bleeding, a very apt description for this unusual looking plant!
On Sunday, July 14th a group of people joined us for Dr. Jon Greenberg’s Biblical Botany Walk. Dr. Greenberg led us around the Arboretum’s gardens to specific plants, such as Chard and Figs, and spoke about them in terms of their significance in the Bible as well as their symbolism and history.
It was a very hot day, so many thanks to all who attended and stayed with us for the duration of the program!
Typical summer weather, hazy, hot and humid. When you visit be sure to keep to the shady spots, but do enjoy the pond in front of Matilda’s Cottage where a Nymphaea cv. Rose Arey (Water Lily) is blooming; you might even spot a frog or two! The garden slope in front of Matilda’s is a lovely collection of Artemisia, ornamental grasses, and other drought resistant plants. A Cotinus (Smoke Bush) by the Arboretum’s rear exit is covered in wispy, airy, smoky looking flowers.
Plan a visit soon, but remember to bring a bottle of water and wear a hat.
Thanks to Valerie Scarinci for the Water Lily photo and to Judy Snow for the Smoke Bush flowers and slope garden.
The gardens are bursting with color, bright yellow two-toned Rudbeckias (Coneflowers) are in bloom in the entrance garden, bees are keeping busy on the Asclepias (Milkweed) flowers and another bee visits the Campsis radicans (Trumpet Vine) growing up a light post.
Summer has arrived and with it a whole array of lovely, fragrant colorful flowers to delight the senses.
Many thanks to Valerie Scarinci for the photo of the Trumpet Vine climbing the light post and to Judy Snow for all other photos this week.
One of the great things about gardening is the ability to create planters to place around your property to fill in an empty space in a flower bed, or to create a focal point. There’s no limit to your creativity since the planters can be placed wherever needed and the contents can be as exotic as you want.
Here are three that can be seen around the Haggerty Education Center: A large terracotta planter containing Billbergia cv. Hallelujah Queen’s Tears, orange Zinnias and a delicate white Bacopa. Another pot placed in the shade behind the handicap ramp contains Bacopa again, a couple of bright red flowers (perhaps a Begonia and Petunia) and a large leafy tropical all nicely backed up by an Oakleaf Hydrangea in full bloom. The third planter has a trellis for the pink Mandevilla to twine up plus a dark leaved vine to provide contrast between the pink and white flowers. I call this one Pretty in Pink!
There are more planters scattered around the property, so why not visit and try to find them all!
I had a chance to walk around the Arboretum grounds this week, even in the heat, I was able to find shady spots and cool plantings such as the crisp, green and white combination of Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ leaves and Hydrangea macrophylla cv. Tokyo Delight lacecap flowers (Wolf Eyes Japanese Dogwood and Tokyo Delight Bigleaf Hydrangea) next to the first bay in the parking lot. A large planting of purple Stachys officinalis (Bishop’s Wort, Betony or Wood Betony) completely surrounded the shady base of a tree at the end of another parking bay. As I strolled along, I happened upon a lovely view of the driveway coming up from Hanover Avenue, beautifully framed by shady greenery.
Come for a visit and discover your own special shady places!
June is here, the traditional month for weddings and bridal bouquets. Even though all brides don’t choose all white flowers for their bouquets, some of the blossoms to be seen at the Arboretum would certainly make lovely ones. For example, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’ (Oakleaf Hydrangea) and the appropriately named, feather-like flowers of Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil’ (False Goatsbeard) would make a stunning combination; also the beautiful flowers of Stewartia pseudocamellia would provide an eye-catching focal point in any bouquet. For a totally different look, how about adding a deep red Calycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ (Raulston’s Allspice or Sweetshrub) to the mix?
Make time for a visit soon, there is so much to see and enjoy!
Many thanks to Heather Emelander for this week’s photographs.
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!
