Alice Moskowitz

Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum will host a Rhododendron Festival the weekend of May 18 and 19. During the two-day festival, visitors and their families can enjoy peaceful walks surrounded by majestic flowers, guided tours to learn more about the rhododendron collection, and opportunities to learn about the Knippenberg legacy of rhododendrons.

The All Wayne Orchestra will perform on Tuesday, May 7. Musicians from grades 3 through 12 will present their spring concert under the direction of Sheila Mendel. The event is free, and the public is welcome to attend.

Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum will host its annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 11. This year’s sale will feature a limited number of rhododendrons, azaleas and pieris ornamental evergreens obtained from R. F. DeMarco Nursery, where Laurelwood’s founders, John and Dorothy Knippenberg, purchased rhododendron and azalea plant plugs for their nursery.

On Thursday, April 25, Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum will host Botany, Books and Buds, the first in a series of monthly book club gatherings to discuss garden-related books. Botany, Books and Buds will be held the fourth Thursday of each month from April through October.

The fourth week in April includes both Earth Day and Arbor Day. Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum invites adults and children of all ages to celebrate these events at a special Arbor Day weekend. On Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, free native New Jersey tree saplings will be given to arboretum visitors.

Photos and names of volunteers with 1,000 hours of service over 12 years and volunteers who logged 100 hours or more in 2018.

Stretch your body, relax your mind and relieve your tensions at a series of 1-hour gentle chair yoga classes on Wednesdays at 10 am Through November. The chair yoga classes will be led by Robin Abrett, a Kripalu Yoga teacher with advanced certification and trainings. “No experience is necessary to participate in the class, and there is no need to get up and down from the floor.”

Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum will host an exhibition of artwork by students in William Paterson University’s art department. The nature-inspired works will be on display from April 7 through April 28. The exhibit is curated by Professor Matthew Finn and Professor Leslie Nobler. The Opening Reception for the exhibit is scheduled for Sunday, April 7.

April is National Volunteer Month, and the volunteer season will begin at Laurelwood Arboretum on Tuesday, April 9. Anyone who is interested in volunteering is welcome. In addition to gardening, there are a number of construction projects to maintain the bridges, paths, and other structures in the arboretum.

Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum will host a midwinter tree tour on Saturday, February 23. Winter is an ideal time to appreciate the natural architecture of the arboretum and to enjoy the quiet dignity and delicate textures of its evergreen and deciduous trees.The tour will offer a special perspective on the horticultural design and landscaping.