Alice Moskowitz

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.

Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum is offering an opportunity to donate either a beautiful hand-hewn bench by artist David Robinson or a contemporary teak bench. There are 11 spots in the arboretum where a bench would be a welcome addition. The style and size of bench has been chosen to fit each location.

At its annual meeting, Members of Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum elected the Board of Director and officers for a two-year term, beginning January 1, 2019. The meeting also featured a year-in-review slide presentation by Ruth Hayden. Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum celebrated its 15th anniversary this year.

Once again, Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum volunteers are decorating the main entrance and grand staircase at historic Skylands Manor for the annual Holiday Open House, sponsored by the New Jersey Botanical Garden. This year’s theme, “A Country Manor Holiday,” is a tribute to the many festive celebrations held there when Skylands was a private estate.

Two students from William Paterson University in Wayne have been working as interns, supporting the work of the Plant Collection Management Committee and earning course credits. “Our interns devoted many hours to the painstaking tasks of identifying trees and shrubs, recording their location and navigating the arboretum to tag the plant material.”

On October 5, the McHutchison Horticultural Group of Wayne returned to Laurelwood Arboretum for a third time this year. The y planted Dusty Miller, Artemisia, blue fescue, Russian sage, Lamb’s Ear, ‘Purple Sensation’ allium, lavender, sage and Bluebeard. They then mulched the plant beds.

Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum is sponsoring a very special program, “The Art of Ikebana,” on Sunday, October 14. Ikebana translates as “Giving life to flowers.” It has been practiced in Japan for hundreds of years, and there are several thousand schools or styles of Ikebana worldwide.

Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum recently dedicated a Founders’ Garden to honor those who had the vision to established the organization 15 years ago: Nancy Alexander, Howard Aschoff, Nancy and Alex Fadydnich, Betsy Hayes Gatti, Bonnie Joachim, David Kooistra, Joan Scott-Miller and the late James E. Taylor.