Photo Galleries

Gorgeous weather, clear blue skies, sunny, a light breeze, temperatures in the low 80s – there’s nothing quite like a beautiful Indian Summer day! The pollinators at the Arboretum were taking advantage of the weather as well and were all over the gardens doing their dance.  A male Monarch Butterfly was flying from flower to flower on the Verbena bonariensis plants; the males can be identified by the dark scent patch along the fifth vein of the hindwing. An unidentified butterfly (perhaps a Painted Lady?) was also visiting the Verbena flower clusters and bees were all over the Caryopteris shrubs. A Nasturtium continues to bloom in the gardens next to Matilda’s cottage, a bright sunny yellow with red veins.

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

Fall’s muted colors are featured in the images from Steve Kanan’s visit to the Arboretum yesterday. Thanks, Steve, for these and we look forward to more beautiful pictures as Fall progresses.

Fall has officially arrived, but there is still much color to be found in the autumn gardens at the Arboretum. A Cornus kousa (Kousa Dogwood) is covered with a multitude of ornamental (and edible) globose, reddish, compound berries about the size of a cherry. Numerous patches of lavender Colchicum autumnale (Autumn Crocus) are blooming all over the grounds; in spite of its name, this plant is not in the crocus family, it is deadly poisonous, however. Almost hidden in the beds as you come up the driveway from Hanover Avenue is the fascinating Tricyrtis hirta (Toad Lily), its jewel-like flowers blooming on arching, unbranched stems. Fall is fleeting, so make plans to visit soon!

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

Fall is just a few days away, and there is a decidedly autumnal feel to the air. I discovered a couple of late bloomers at the Arboretum today: The small white flowers of Clerodendrum trichotomum (Harlequin Glorybower) are lovely against the large shrub’s bright green leaves. In the same area, under a large Quercus rubra (Red Oak), a large stand of Cimicifuga ramosa cv. Atropurpurea (Bugbane or Black Cohosh) is in full bloom, its white spikes of tiny fragrant flowers attracting bees and even a hummingbird, which I was not quick enough to photograph! Last, but not least, the immature cones on the huge Cedrus atlantica cv. Glabra (Blue Atlas Cedar) growing next to the Mansion are just beginning to take shape; when mature they will be barrel shaped and sit upright on the branches.

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

Mid-September flowers, a pretty pink Hydrangea and a peach-colored tropical Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia). A wide angle shot of the large bed that borders the driveway as you come up from Hanover Avenue features a large white Hydrangea, some ornamental grasses, the Seven Sons Tree (Heptacodium miconioides) on the right and other plants as well.

Picture credits: Margery Ennist

The tropical plants are really enjoying the hot, humid weather we’ve been experiencing. 

A Pineapple plant (Ananas comosus, in the Bromeliad family) is growing in a bed next to the Mansion by the Rose Garden and it has produced a fruit! The bed of tropical plants next to the Carriage House on the way into the Haggerty Education Center is a vibrant, colorful collection of Coleus, Croton, Banana and Colocasia surrounding a Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) with its very symmetrical crown of dark green, glossy leaves.

A tall, slender terracotta vessel is home to a spectacular Staghorn Fern (Platycerium). You can find it nestled in a shady corner next to the front steps to the Haggerty Education Center.

Summer will soon be officially over, so make sure to visit the Arboretum soon!

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

Steve Kanan recorded these late summer images of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Autumn will soon take hold, as illustrated by these beautiful pictures.

Texture, height, form and color all contribute to the creation of a lovely garden “snapshot” such as that presented by the tall, purple Tibouchina, daisy-like yellow flowers in the middle and the lower Black-eyed Susan’s at the front of the bed in the photo below. Purple and yellow are opposites on the color wheel and thus make for a strong complementary color combination.

The recently opened path that links the waterwise deck area to the lower area in front of Matilda’s cottage is another example of combining color, form, shape and height to create a pleasant to the eye vignette; there is a variety of low succulents, large mounds of silvery Artemisia. coral colored flowers in pots and more; there’s a bench nearby that allows a visitor to sit and enjoy the scenery.

Verbena bonariensis punctuates the gardens next to Matilda’s Cottage with its airy purple flowers held aloft on delicate stems; the pretty Rudbeckia ‘Henry Eilers’ with its spoon-like yellow flower petals is happily blooming in front of the Branching Out fence.

It’s late August but the grounds at the Arboretum are still putting on quite a show. There’s a large pink Dahlia ‘Belle of Barmera’ blooming in the Cottage garden. The circular Tropical Garden in front of the deck by the Marsh Meadow is a wonderful assembly of Monstera, dark leaved/red flowering Cannas, tall Banana plants, Brugmansia, Elephant Ears, Rubber plants, etc. And the beds at the entrance to the Haggerty Education Center have filled out in an exuberance of muted pinks, from the flower heads of Savannah Ruby Grass (Melinis nerviglumis ‘Savannah’) to the tiny round pink flowers of Talinum ‘Jewels of Opar’ to the larger flowers of Digiplexis ‘Illumination Flame’. Be sure to schedule a visit soon.

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

Steve Kanan sent us a new batch of photos from a walk at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum. Nice hummingbirds, Steve. Thanks for the lovely pictures.

Several weeks ago, we featured the lovely Koelreuteria paniculata ‘Rose Lantern’ tree. The delicate yellow flowers have transformed into green “lanterns”; eventually these will dry and hold the next generation’s seeds. Isn’t nature amazing?

Picture credits Margery Ennist.

A pretty Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia cv. ‘Acoma’) is blooming along the driveway as you come up from Hanover Avenue, its delicate, crinkly, white flowers floating above the foliage like soft little clouds. The attractive, exfoliating bark offers winter interest once the foliage and flowers have fallen.

Picture credits Margery Ennist.

Regardless of where my travels may take me, I am always drawn to the plants and flowers typical of the area I’m visiting. A few special ones from my recent trip to Portugal:

High above the Atlantic Ocean at Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point in Europe) I found a feathery yellow flower blooming among its succulent-like leaves, probably a Delosperma (Ice Plant).

In a seaside town, lining the street, the striking red bottlebrush flowers of the Pohutukawa metrosideros excelsa trees (New Zealand Christmas Tree) were putting on quite a show.

Bougainvillea could be found everywhere, draped over walls, fences and buildings and covered in masses of papery magenta flower bracts.

A day trip to the Douro Valley was a wonderful experience; the hillsides of this World Heritage designated area are covered in grapevines as far as the eye can see. The harvest will begin in September followed by the production of the world famous Port wines of Portugal.

Thanks to frequent contributor, Steve Kanan, for another batch of lovely pictures. He said he enjoyed normal weather so much that he followed up his morning visit with another in the afternoon.

Don’t miss out on summer at the Frelinghuysen — visit the gardens soon.

Katharine Boyle visited the Arboretum yesterday and sent this batch of beautiful pictures along with the following note:

…it’s been a while. And to my utter surprise, I spotted a pineapple there! It must have been “welcoming” me back.

Thanks, Katharine, for the lovely images.