Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum (FOLA) hosted its annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon this fall at the Knippenberg Center for Education. A highlight of the event was the dedication of the Native Plant Demonstration Garden, which serves as the landscaping for the Knippenberg Center.

FOLA President Alice Moskowitz thanked the dedicated volunteers who work so hard to keep Laurelwood beautiful and who help manage the FOLA organization. “We could not do it without you,” she said. “This has been a terrific year in terms of volunteering. We have a core group of volunteers every Tuesday and Friday, as well a number of new volunteers. When the final timesheets are counted we expect to have exceeded last year’s 10,000 volunteer hours.”

The recognition program featured a talk and slide show given by FOLA’s Executive Director Elaine Fogerty about native plants and how they are used in the new garden. “Native plants are species that were present at the beginning of European settlement in North America and have evolved to grow in a specific region,” she said. “This garden features plants that are native to New Jersey and are particularly well-suited to home landscapes in our region.” FOLA is planning a series of educational programs for adults and children to be conducted in the garden in 2016.

At the conclusion of the program, Alice Moskowitz cut the ribbon to officially dedicate the Native Plant Demonstration Garden. “We are very proud of this newest addition to Laurelwood Arboretum, which was funded by a grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust and the Ira A. Roschelle Family Foundation,” she said. “We also want to thank Kathleen Salisbury, President of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey for presenting the concept for the use of the space and Elaine Fogerty who designed the garden.”