December 3, 2018 – Three talented botanical artists, Carol Ashton-Hergenhan, Deborah Keyser Dion, and Susan Mintun (Jenkins Board Member), have partnered with Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens to complete a florilegium comprised of approximately 36 artworks. Over the next two or three years, the artists will individually create paintings or drawings from the flora in Jenkins’ plant collection. The Florilegium will have many benefits: it will document the history of the garden, can serve as reference
August 8, 2018 – There has always been a Director with the Sweetman name at Jenkins Arboretum since 1974 until 2019. Leonard Sweetman was hired by the trustee at that time to begin the initial plantings even before opening to the public in 1976. As the only full-time gardening director, Leonard worked tirelessly for the last 12 years of his life in growing a public garden for the future yet one he would never have
June 6, 2018 – At the 2018 Annual Conference of the American Public Gardens Association, Harold Sweetman was awarded one of the Association’s most prestigious honors. The Award of Merit recognizes an American Public Gardens Association member who has performed with distinction in the field of public horticulture and has excelled as a public garden professional at one or more institutions. The recipient’s accomplishments encompass some combination of botany, horticulture, conservation, gardening, research, extension, education,
March 13, 2018 – Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens is comprised of many different kinds of gardens with a new one soon to be added. A new Children’s Garden will open this spring near the John J. Willaman Education Center. A committee of Board members, Staff, and Volunteers have been carefully planning all winter to create a unique space designed to engage children in nature through creative play. The garden space is an ideal scale for
December 6, 2017 – In December 2017, Steve Wright, Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens Director of Horticulture and Curator of Plant Collections, received one of the two prestigious Chanticleer Scholarships. Since 2008, The Chanticleer Scholarship in Professional Development has promoted creativity and leadership by providing public garden professionals across the country with financial support for academic training to improve their leadership skills. Specifically, the scholarship supports an educational experience and travel expenses to meet with other