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Spring Holds a Special Joy – 4/19/22

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Sunday Daffodils

I have just enjoyed back to back visits to Willowwood so as not to miss a single new thing. While a stop at the arboretum is a delightful experience in any season, spring holds a special joy. Although the Bloom Report provides a wonderful way to “stay in touch” it is hard to resist snapping photos of the daffodil field, blue bells, magnolias and more to share with family and friends. The daffs alone are sunshine for the soul.

Be sure to put a visit on your spring “to do” list and also make note of the date for next year’s Lilac Party. After a three year hiatus our Trustees are hard at work creating an exciting event for Sunday, May 21, 2023. As we gather once more among the Lilac Blooms we will have a great deal to celebrate.

On behalf of the Trustees, thank you for your continued interest and support of the very special Willowwood Arboretum.

Happy Spring!

Meryl Carmel
President, Willowwood Foundation

Arboretum Updates

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They always say that hope springs eternal, but so do Gardens especially during spring!   Let it be known that Willowwood is certainly not an exception to the rule.  If you have been by the Arboretum of late, you will have noticed the entanglement of invasive plants along Longview Road to the East of the entrance has been removed!  To me, it is a welcome sight to preview the Dawn Redwoods and other conifers within the confines of the arboretum as you approach along Longview.  Later this spring and summer the area will be planted with primarily herbaceous material that will echo the meadows beyond.  In addition, several genera of deer resistant woody plants will be added to ensure there is color and structure throughout the year.  In the year to come, we will work on clearing and replacing the invasive plants on the other side of the entrance.

Another project that we are looking forward to this spring is replanting the Rosarie.  The garden has of a very axial design with a focus on plants of the Rosaceae or Rose family, which inspired the gardens’ name.  In order to give it an even more unique feel, the planting was intended to provide a Mediterranean twist with silver foliage worked amongst some brightly colored flowers!   The new planting will hold true to the original intent of the garden and feature silver and robust green foliage combined with blues and touches of hot orange and red.  This spring, the Holly hedges that surround the garden were given a rigorous pruning and the Wisteria arbor is getting a restoration with some new lengths of Juniper logs.  I should note, the Holly Hedge was not all that received a substantial pruning this spring and winter.  Most of the Lilacs along with numerous other shrubs received a good rejuvenation pruning as well.   

Last fall, a number of Magnolias were transplanted to the hillside of the Long Meadow in an effort to give them a bit more elbow room to ensure proper growth.  I am happy to say the plants have survived the move without incident.  The new location should also provide a colorful spring display in the years to come as our visitors enter and exit the Arboretum.

If you have not been out yet this year, there is much to see!  The early spring bulb and shrub display has been wonderful despite the chill of March and the display of Tulips to come promises to be a delight.  Please come out and see what the Gardeners have been working on for your enjoyment, since as you know, the colors of spring will always sprout eternal!  

Bruce Crawford
Manager of Horticulture
Division of Cultural and Environmental Resources
Morris County Park Commission
P.O. Box 1295, Morristown, NJ 07962-1295

Bloom Report – April 8, 2022

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“There comes a day towards the end of March when there is but little wind. The Sun has gained much power, so that it is pleasant to sit out in the garden, or better still, in some sunny nook of sheltered woodland”

-Gertrude Jekyll

The first warm days of spring are really here since the solstice on March 20th. The cool, wet weather from the past few days slowed the spring blooms but on a lovely sunny day the gardens are becoming a welcoming oasis of spring blooms. Some of the classic early spring flowers are still around, namely dozens of Hellebores, Siberian squill, and the early spring daffodils. The next phase of spring bloomers is just starting and will last for the next few weeks. This week the cherry blossoms and Magnolias are just starting to open at the arboretum and daffodils are steadily emerging in an assortment of colors and shapes. There are many other blossoms appearing as well, although many are not as prominent as the flowering trees. One of these is the Sanguinaria ‘Multiplex’ which is currently blooming among the Siberian squill in the Rockery. This perennial favorite is naturalizing among the gravelly garden and has a wonderfully fluffy appearance with its multitude of petals. There are also some small Tulipa turkestanica growing in front of the Tubbs House, although these are easy to miss if you walk past them before they’ve opened up in the sunlight. The garden also smells like spring. The Lonicera fragrantissima has been in bloom for several weeks and is still attracting some eager bees and many of our Magnolias have a delightful fragrance. 

This is a beautiful and rapidly changing time in the garden so be sure to bring your camera to capture the moment. We also recommend stopping to sit out in the garden (perhaps in the cottage garden?) like Gerturde Jekyll recommends.  

Zinnia Cheetham
Plant Records Curator Specialist
Division of Cultural and Environmental Resources
Morris County Park Commission
P.O. Box 1295, Morristown, NJ 07962-1295

2022 Lilac Party CANCELLED

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After much soul searching the Willowwood Foundation Board of Trustees has made the difficult decision to cancel our annual Lilac Party. We do so in this time of uncertainty out of the utmost concern for the continued safety of our guests and staff.

Please know that in the months ahead our committee will be hard at work planning with an eye toward creating a spectacular Lilac Party for 2023.

Be on the lookout for the Spring Bloom Report to gauge the best time to stroll among the Lilacs on your own. Take pictures and enjoy the beauty of the Arboretum and our natural world!

Thank you for your continued support of Willowwood Arboretum!!! Can’t wait to safely celebrate Spring and stroll among the lilacs with you once more.

Meryl Carmel, President, Willowwood Foundation

Early Fall 9.24.2021

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“Then summer came, announced by June,
With beauty, miracle and mirth.
She hung aloft the rounding moon,
She poured her sunshine on the earth”
-Leslie Pinckney Hill, excerpt “Summer Magic”

Although the main event of spring blooms has passed, the arboretum has lots of blooms for those who are willing to slow down and look. One show-stopper that is easy to pass by is the great masterwort (Astrantia major) in bloom in the cottage garden along the back of the greenhouse. The blooms look like little fireworks and are beautiful when observed up close despite their diminutive size. Another unique bloom hidden among the planting beds is the Tricyrtis latifolia (Toad Lily) in the Rockery near a boxwood (Buxus microphylla). These flowers have an unusual shape and bright red speckles on the petals. Some other beautiful plants to observe are the Clematis vines (Clematis ‘Madame Julia Correvon’ and Clematis viticella ‘Etoile Violette’) growing on the trellises on the front of the propagation greenhouse. The blooms have big, bold purple blossoms and the seedheads they form will be just as showy as the flowers themselves.

Other plants are not so subtle. Visitors entering the Cottage Garden through the main gate will see Spiraea japonica ‘Dart’s Red’, which is a vibrant shade of deep magenta, all along the front border. There are also a number of other pink blooms in the Cottage Garden including Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) and the pink Hibiscus and Phlox will be in bloom later this summer.

For those who prefer muted tones, Pan’s Garden is still in bloom planted with predominantly white flowering plants. The highlight during late June is the Astilbe ‘Deutschland’ which sends up sprays of delicate white flowers. There are also white blooms on the Magnolia sieboldii in the Woodwalk just around the corner near the towering rhododendrons. The Magnolia blooms face downward for an excellent view of the flowers. Closer to the parking area, the prominent flowers on the Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen’ are on full display alongside the Shingle Barn and Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ is in bloom near the entrance to the propagation greenhouse.

Enjoy your summer and stay safe!