Events

Celebrating the Pinetum at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum – A Rendezvous of the Northeast Region of the American Conifer Society

This year’s Tree Symposium will be held jointly with the American Conifer Society. Following is the program schedule:

9:00 AM – Registration and Coffee

9:30 AM – Welcome and Overview

Judy Snow, Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum and Debbie Merriam, President, Northeast Region, American Conifer Society

10:00 AM – Bruce Crawford, Garden Manager, The Frelinghuysen Arboretum

The Frelinghuysen Pinetum – Past, Present and Future

Hear the fascinating story of how a summer home and estate built during Morristown’s Gilded Age became an Arboretum whose collection of conifers is now recognized as a Reference Garden by the American Conifer Society. Bruce Crawford will talk about the development of the Pinetum and some of the significant older conifer specimens, as well as some of the newest dwarf conifers in the collection donated by Frank and Joan Goodhart.

10:45 AM – Beth Brantley, Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories

The Conifer Conundrum

Climate change, cultural conditions and pests and pathogens present challenges for many coniferous species. In her presentation, Beth Brantley will review species in decline, health issues and opportunities for alternative conifer species. Pests, pathogens, abiotic disorders and cultural challenges will be featured, with suggestions for managing these problems or avoiding them with more resistant conifer species.

11:30 AM – Jean Epiphan, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agent, Morris County

Creating a Woodland Garden with Indigenous Plants and Vertical Structure

Woodland gardens can be challenging to create and manage as they are inherently different from conventional garden beds and borders. Jean Epiphan will discuss how to use understory plants and shrubs, as well as natural mulches to restore soil health and native plant communities. She will offer suggestions on how to incorporate conifers at all levels of the three-dimensional landscape.

12:15 PM – Buffet Lunch

1:00 PM – Dedication of the Goodhart Dwarf Conifer Collection and tours of the Frelinghuysen Pinetum

2:30 PM – Tour of the Hammer Garden, Morristown

This program has been approved by the New Jersey Board of Tree Experts for 5.0 CEUs

This program has been approved by the New Jersey Urban and Community Forestry Program for 3.5 NJUCF CEUs.

This program is eligible for 4.0 Rutgers Master Gardener CEUs.

Registration for this program will close at 12:00 Noon on Friday, October 20.

For questions contact: mennist@arboretumfriends.net or lbencivengo@arboretumfriends.net

Members of the American Conifer Society may register at the Members of Friends price for this program.

This program will provide you with the necessary information to make your bird feeding hobby more enjoyable. Topics will include the best food to offer to attract the largest variety of birds, the different types of feeders available, why water and nesting boxes are so important, and, of course, ways to thwart those pesky squirrels!

Jim Walker is the proud owner of Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU), a retail store in Denville New Jersey which caters to the backyard bird feeding hobby. After a successful 30-year career in the corporate world, Jim pursued his passion for nature and his enthusiasm for backyard birds and opened the doors of his WBU in 2020. Wild Birds Unlimited is a 40+ year-old franchise whose mission is “Connecting people with nature and doing it with excellence”.

WBU is a Retail Partner with the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Members of the Friends receive a 10% discount off all items.  Jim will bring a variety of bird feeders, bird baths, nesting boxes, etc. to show at his presentation.

This program is free, but registration is required. Please register here

For questions, please contact: mennist@arboretumfriends.net or lbencivengo@arboretumfriends.net