April 6-12 - Forsythia

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Over the next few weeks, sunny splashes of bright yellow flowers will brighten the Arboretum as the Forsythia comes into bloom.  The blooms on this member of the olive family are slightly bell shaped, and range in color from buttery yellow to deep gold.  Watch and enjoy these various shades of yellow to appear over the next weeks.

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March 30-April 5 Crocus

​Prior to most trees leafing out in the Arboretum, a sure sign of spring is the blooming of the crocus.  You will see a number of these on both Campuses--some tucked in resident gardens, others in more prominent places in Courtyard Gardens, and this year in the Meditation Garden..

Just when it seems like winter will never lose its icy grip, the goblet-shaped crocus pushes through the snow to put on a show of color.  These blooms offer a variety of colors that stand out against the bleak late-winter landscape.  Not only do crocus provide late winter/early spring garden color, but they naturalize, meaning that they spread and come back year after year for an ever-larger display. As a bonus, deer, squirrels, and rabbits rarely bother these early little bulbs.

March 24-30 Coral Bark Japanese Cut Leaf Maple

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Near the intersection of Estaugh and Medford Leas Way, you will find the specimen tree:   Japanese Cutleaf Maple--Acer palmatum 'Coral Bark".

This beautiful small tree has brilliant coral bark on the young branches, and over the past weeks, the color has greatly intensified.  The color provides a wonderful focal point in the Arboretum to cheer us, even on a gloomy day.

Watch the pale green leaves emerge as spring arrives, and see them deepen
in color over the summer months.

March 17-23 Signs of Spring

Even though the first day of Spring is not until Thursday, March 20, if you look closely you will see signs of spring all around the Arboretum.

Keep an eye out for:

• Daffodil bulbs as they push up out of the ground.
• Look up at the tops of trees and shrubs to see buds forming with the promise of blooms and leaves.
• Watch out and listen for birds as they gather nesting materials.

March 9 - March 16 Witch Hazel

Hamamelis x intermedia Diane—Witch Hazel-- is an extremely rare specimen tree in the Barton Arboretum and is known for its wonderful fragrance, hardiness, and uniquely colored winter-blooming flowers.

This hybrid is a jewel in the landscape with its coppery-red flowers, which appear in late winter and early spring, before the leaves, and are produced so abundantly that you will want to cut some of the flowering branches for gorgeous indoor arrangements.

Check out this tree in the area between Court 7 and Court 2 on the Medford Campus. In addition, there are Witch Hazels on the Lumberton Campus to enjoy.

March 2 - March 8 Paperbark Maple

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Another wonderful specimen tree in the Barton Arboretum is one that features interesting reddish brown bark --Paperbark Maple -- Acer griseum. This tree is easily found on the Terrace outside of the Lounge on the Medford Campus. As we look ahead to spring, you can still enjoy this specimen and appreciate the unusual exfoliating bark before the leaves come out.  A slow grower, the tree is drought tolerant, and a mature treeranges from 15-30' in height.

February 23-March 1 Ever Abundant Snow

​The ever abundant snow this season has brought both beauty and challenges, but did you know there are some actual benefits to a snow filled season?

While we may be tired of shoveling snow, driving on slippery roads and getting wet feet, the abundant snowfall is a blessing in disguise for lawns and gardens.   
There are several key ways that snow actually helps:   

·       Snow acts as an insulator. An adequate layer of snow actually protects less-than-hardy plants from extreme cold. Roots even continue to grow under the snow when temperatures are not too cold and earthworms and soil microbes keep at work as long as the soil doesn't freeze.

·       Snow helps water the landscape during the winter. Evergreen trees require moisture during the winter, and can suffer desiccation during dry periods. Once dormant and nestled beneath a few inches or more of snow, these plants are kept safe and moist.

·       Snow delivers nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil. Nitrogen is an important plant nutrient that is found abundantly in the atmosphere and is essential to plant growth.

·       And last, but not least, white snow provides a great visual contrast to things like seed heads on ornamental grasses, bright berries on holly and early blooming garden plants like witch hazel stand out.

February 10-16 Beauty Berry through the Seasons

This year, the Callicarpa Americana—otherwise know as the American beauty berry, has been highlighted throughout the seasons.  In the spring, it shares a delicate blossom, in the fall, the shrub is covered with purple berries, and just this past week, the berries served as a veritable buffet for the birds in the Atrium located outside of the Community Building.  It seemed that over the course of one afternoon, the birds descended upon the Callicarpa and feasted on the colorful purple berries that we had all enjoyed seeing over the past few months.  Very interesting to follow this shrub through the seasons.

Jump to the October post which has a photo from the July post 

February 2-9 Leatherleaf Mahonia

When people think of evergreen shrubs, typically you think of Pines, and Firs, but there is another category of evergreens--Broadleaf Evergreens. This category of shrubs/trees includes boxwoods, Japanese hollies, and
pyracantha.

Leatherleaf mahonia (Mahonia bealei) is yet another example of a broadleaf evergreen.  We have a number of them in the Arboretum, but you can easily find one in the garden in Court Four.  The foliage is coarse and
distinctive and does not drop its leaves in the fall. In late spring large clusters of electric blue "grapes" grace this plant.  Check this shrub out 

now and visit it again to see its "grapes" in the spring.

January 26- February 1 Yellow-Fruited Holly

In front of the Nature Center on the Medford Campus, you will enjoy seeing the Yellow -fruited American Holly--Ilex opaca 'Xanthocarpa'.  A wonderful characteristic of this holly is the yellow berries that adorn this  tree.
This medium-sized evergreen tree with its bright yellow berries is a treat to the eye, when so many trees have lost their leaves for the winter season.

January 19-25 Snow Drops

As you meander through the Atrium in the Medford Campus Community Building, be sure to look for one of the first blooms of 2014--Snowdrops (Galanthus) are a bulb that produces  one small white flower, which hangs down off its stalk like a "drop" prior to opening. You will find a patch of these blooming alongside the stone walkway in the Atrium.  These perennial bloomers give us hope that spring will come.

January 12-18 Screech Owl

In addition to human inhabitants within the Barton Arboretum & Nature
Preserve, we also enjoy many species of birds--flying friends who make
their home on both campuses.

The Eastern Screech-Owl is one such bird who has been sighted on both
campuses.  The owls are well camouflaged and hide in nooks and crannies of
trees through the day--many living in owl houses that have been
constructed by our residents.    The photo below was taken by Jane
Bourquin a few years ago. If you train your ear to their call, you may catch them in view at dusk.
Check out this link to hear the mysterious trill, which may sound spooky,
but is sure to catch your attention.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/eastern_screech-owl/sounds

January 6-11 River Birch Trees

Take a special look and enjoy the River Birch Trees which are sited on both campuses.  As you enter the Lumberton Campus, the River Birch greet you on both sides of the entry and on the Medford Campus, one of the easy spots to find them is in the Front Parking Lot.  These trees are native to North America and make a wonderful addition to the Arboretum.  The textured, beige bark provides a unique winter interest to enjoy.

December 29- January 5 - Wreaths and Greens

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As you enjoy a walk around the Campuses, you will see a good number of fresh holiday wreaths adorning the doorways of our residents' homes.  Many of these were made at Pathways Programs hosted earlier this month, while others were crafted by Debbie Lux and sold at the Craft Fair.  How wonderful that the greens for these wreaths came from the Arboretum--yet another benefit of living and working within an Arboretum.

Fran Webb and Debbie Lux at the 2013 Craft Fair

December 22-28 - Greenhouses

Another wonderful aspect of living and working in the Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve is the easy access to our two Greenhouses.  One is located in the Nature Center and the other is located on the Ground Floor Haddon, right near the Thrift shop.  Under the care of the MLRA Greenhouse Committee, and Debbie Lux, residents store their prized plants in these locations to "winter over."  On a cold wintery dayl, you can enjoy a breath of spring and summer as the plants await their return to the outdoors.

link to Perry's Haddon Greenhouse Blog

December 15-21 - Hornet's Nest

This week, check out the Bald-faced Hornet nest in the tree in Parking Circle C on the Medford Campus.  Now that the leaves have dropped, the nest is easily visible.   When spring arrives, the Bald-faced Hornet queen collects wood fiber to make her nest. Some of the fiber can come from a house or fence. The gray paper nest, which houses the social colony, is suspended from a tree branch.  The nest in Parking Circle C is the size of a football.

As winter approaches, the wasps die, except the freshly fertilized queens. These hibernate underground, under logs or in hollow trees until spring. The nest is generally abandoned by winter, and will not be reused.

Webmaster's note: On the Barton Arboeretum's page about Tours there is a photo of a high school student holding up a nest which had fallen to the ground. http://bartonarboretum.org/ArboretumTours.htm

December 8-14 - Christmas Tree

As plans proceed for the Estaugh Redevelopment, an Oriental Spruce had to be taken down to make way for the Redevelopment improvements.  Staff have been hard at work to preserve the top of the tree as a special treat for us all to enjoy this Holiday Season.  The tree top has been secured in the area outside of the Colonial Dining Room and Garden Dining Rooms near the Gazebo. This location allows for folks to enjoy it from multiple locations including the Fitness Center, Studio, Pool, Holly Room and Linden Room.

Stay tuned for a special lighting of the tree as we approach the holiday season!

November 24-29 - American Winterberry

One of the wonders of the Fall season is the Ilex verticillata - the American Winterberry.

This shrub is prized as an ornamental plant with a splash of bright color from densely packed berries.   The bare branches covered in berries are also popular for cutting and use in floral arrangements.

You can enjoy this plant on both campuses--just look for the bright red berries!

November 17-23 - Pruning

One purpose of the Arboretum is to promote the love and knowledge of horticulture.  On November 6, as a component of our Pathways to Learning Program, Ken Hutz, arborist, provided a class entitled "Pruning in Your Home Garden."  This course was attended by 22 individuals, a blend of residents and members of the local community. Ken was able to share his skills in pruning with the group and use the Medford Campus as his "classroom".  We are so fortunate to have the ability to invite the local community in to the Arboretum to learn about good pruning techniques and to share knowledge on this topic.

November 10-16 Ginko biloba

Native to China and also called "maidenhair- tree," Ginkgo biloba is a slow-growing, deciduous tree that is often used as an urban street tree, since it has a tolerance to air pollution. The fan-shaped leaves have
turned a glorious golden yellow this past week.

You can enjoy a group of three of these trees at the intersection of Estaugh Way and Medford Leas Way, on the Medford Campus, as well, you can enjoy them along Main Street in the town of Lumberton.