Rutgers Master Gardener Association has presented its 2017 State Award to Laurelwood Arboretum’s Plant Collection Management  Committee, chaired by Master Gardener Betty Montagne. The efforts of this hardworking committee of volunteers are multifaceted. They worked in the field to identify woody plants and certain herbaceous perennials and created a detailed record for each plant. They developed a computerized database to catalog the arboretum’s plant records. Metal tags with a plant’s scientific name, common name, variety or cultivar and accession number were affixed to the plants.

This is an ongoing project that entails monitoring the condition and inventory of all plant groups in the arboretum. The committee’s current focus is on special collections, including the native plant teaching garden, rhododendrons, lilacs, trees and shrubs.

A comprehensive program of plant collection management has become the recognized standard of excellence for arboretums around the country. Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum and the Master Gardener Association of Passaic County are proud to have our talented volunteers as part of this valuable program.