On a beautiful spring day, Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum dedicated the long-anticipated Dorothy Knippenberg Propagation Greenhouse. The handsome new structure replaces the original greenhouse built in the 1930s that had fallen into a hazardous state of disrepair.
The spacious new greenhouse enables Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum to propagate trees, shrubs, and perennials for areas throughout the arboretum; provide plants for plant sale fundraisers; overwinter and propagate plants for the Sensory Garden and help to preserve the unique plant varieties for which Laurelwood is renowned.
Dorothy Knippenberg was a knowledgeable horticulturalist and hybridizer who created a unique collection of rhododendrons and azaleas for Laurelwood. Some plants in the collection are nearly impossible to replace. A dedicated rhododendron team of volunteers will propagate these unique plants in the new greenhouse to ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to study and enjoy plants not found in many other places in New Jersey or in the region.
Maintaining a large arboretum such as Laurelwood requires constant replacement of trees, shrubs, and perennials as they age, sustain weather, insect, or wildlife damage, or die. The new greenhouse will allow for the propagation of trees, shrubs, and perennials for future use in the arboretum.
The propagation greenhouse is managed by horticultural manager Joan Scott-Miller with the help of assistant manager Kay Gardener and volunteers Joe Di Giacomo, Sean Hartman, Georgette Moesch, Lori Origlio, Edith Coka-Jordi, Lorraine Meyer, Kathy Muttick, Nancy Alexander, Carol Heimbach and Jane Van Eeuwen.
The Dorothy Knippenberg Propagation Greenhouse was funded by a grant from the Passaic County Open Space, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust, with additional funding from Wayne Township’s Open Space Fund and Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum.