Press Releases

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.

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.”