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In December, upper left, the bench at the new observation deck. It overlooks the newly cleared section of the arboretum. Top middle: The now-closed in stream. Trees with and without snow. 

 

 

 

Birthday bash set

for Palmer

arboretum

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

WOODSTOCK --- In May the Palmer Arboretum kicks off its celebration of a century. 

The property, just behind Palmer Hall on Rt. 169, was donated by Minnie Palmer Dean in 1915.  Originally it was 5 acres and it was designed to be a walkway to Roseland, but the walkway was never done. The arboretum is currently just under 2 acres. It turned into a jungle in the 1970s and 1980s, according to Chairman of the arboretum's board, Bill Brower. 

In the past few years, with the help of grants and volunteers, the arboretum is being resurrected.

A rain garden was installed with the help of a grant and a master plan was created with the help of UConn students. The transformation is continuing, and May 4, the celebration of 100 years of the arboretum begins. Family Day in the Arboretum will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to Brower. It will include a scavenger hunt, tree identification, a picnic lunch, possibly music and much much more.

"We're looking forward to celebrating the arboretum's birthday," Brower said. A two-year celebration is planned.

The rain garden alleviates a drainage problem at the arboretum on the hill. In the last few months, the volunteers have enclosed a drainage swale to take care of more drainage problems in the arboretum proper. 

Brower said, "We had some great work days from (students from) Hyde and Pomfret schools. With the money saved, we put in a bed of five Chinese tree peonies from Cricket Hill Gardens in Thomaston. If these do well, we hope to scatter some more around the park. We got a discount on three plants and they donated two more. We also put in three mini oakleaf hydrangeas  by the sign for three-season interest . Sprucedale gave us a discount also."

He added, "We have a wildflower garden going in in the spring. Linda Kaplan, a master gardener from UConn’s program, has designed it. It will honor Arthur Manthorne, who cleared paths in the 'jungle' to begin the restoration of the arboretum in the '70s. Before he died a few years ago, he gave us some wildflowers from his nursery. This garden will add to the plants under the false cypresses."

In addition, Brower said, Matthew Sheldon and his son Conrad worked weekends to finish clearing the spring area of multiflora roses and euonymus (both invasive species). He said Matthew also cleared a huge walnut of huge smothering bittersweet vines and pruned some shrubs and plans to finish the path around the arboretum with a few bridges over the outlet of the springs.

 

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