Willowwood Arboretum Open House

Willowwood Arboretum, Chester Township - Fall Open House Sunday 9/16/2012

The coming of fall brings a new palette of colors to Willowwood’s meadows and gardens. Sunday, September 16, 2012 from Noon to 4 pm, the Arboretum’s Horticulture Staff will host an “Open House”, free to the public.

At 1 pm, the new hiker's observation platform will be dedicated in honor of Dr. Ted Stiles, a Rutgers professor and scientist whose passion was the natural world and who served as a Willowwood Foundation President and long time trustee.

Visitors can stroll the meadows and trails (wear hiking boots!) with Dr. Emile DeVito of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation or take a walking  tour of the arboretum’s “September Garden Highlights.” Bring your camera to capture the many species of birds and butterflies, both migrating and native, who call Willowwood home.

Bring a blanket and maybe a picnic and listen to musical entertainment provided by the All Trio, a well known local group from Chester, whose mix of folk, bluegrass and fan favorites will highlight the afternoon and will have you dancing on the grass in the Cottage Garden.

And for the kids, Michael Hartnett, a story teller, and local author of a nature fantasy novel Tales of Allamucha will highlight the afternoon spinning some intriguing tales of nature’s secret creatures - the ‘Leavers’ Shelley Crux and Cordelia the Catfish. Phenomenal events of imaginary wonder await children who learn of these wonderful characters who inhabit the world of ‘Allamucha’

.  Visit an exhibit of Leaver portraits that includes: Shirley Nine Rain, Nestor Hilltop, Lord Splinter, The Twig Hermit, Longy and Tula Loop, Hedda Dresser and many more.

Also, The Tubbs House, an 18^th century residence that is rarely open, will be available to the public from 1:30 – 3 pm.  Its furnishings and artifacts illuminate the lives of Henry and Robert Tubbs and Dr. Benjamin Blackburn, who developed Willowwood’s extraordinary plant collections.  Plants from the Arboretum will be on sale.

Light refreshments will be served, compliments of the Willowwood Foundation.

For more information or GPS directions, visit www.willowwoodarboretum.org.  The Willowwood Arboretum is located at 300 Longview Road, Chester Township (Far Hills section).