Monthly Calendar

May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008

Special Events
Classes
Professional Training
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Symposia and Seminars
Members Only Events
Garden Discovery Series
Groovin in the Garden Concerts
Garden Railway
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Moonlight & Roses
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Odes and Toads: Children’s Writing in Springtime

Saturday, May 3
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Andrea Ross - Poet and Essayist

It’s time to get out and explore the Arboretum! What is blooming? Who is hiding under the wet sticks? In this two-hour writing workshop, join naturalist and writer Andrea Ross for a fun exploration of nature and creative writing. This two-hour-long class is ideal for children ages 6 to 12 years
old. Parents or caregivers will accompany their children.

Members: $12
Non-members: $15

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Nature Journaling Workshop

Saturday, May 3
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Jim Lockyer - Artist and Naturalist

This workshop introduces you to nature journaling and provides an overview of the tools, materials and techniques involved. Since the natural world is constantly changing, journaling is an effective way to capture your observations. Techniques discussed range from drawing and the written word to pasting, and stamping. Examples of different kinds of nature journals will be reviewed to acquaint you with various styles. The session includes an indoor presentation followed by an outdoor session for you to record your impressions. There will be an opportunity to share journal entries. Please check out www.natjour.com where reference information is available including a complete list of materials. You may bring your own materials or purchase a basic package for a cost of $12 payable to the instructor.

Members: $37
Non-members: $45

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

The Wonders of the Wissahickon: A Walking Tour Along Forbidden Drive

Saturday, May 3
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. FULL!
Ken LeRoy - Horticulturist and Owner, LeRoy Tree and Landscape Care

We will start our guided walking tour at historic Rittenhouse Town, an early industrial community along the banks of the Monoshone Creek and the site of the first paper mill in British North America. From there we will walk about three miles on fairly flat terrain along Forbidden Drive. Ken will share his knowledge of the plants, trees and geology found in the park as well as the history of the area. The Wissahickon Section of Farimount Park has a fascinating history from the early days of the Lenni Lenape Indians to recent years and the ongoing efforts to preserve the historic structures and open space along it. We will finish our day with a delicious lunch at the historic Valley Green Inn, which was built in 1850 on land that was part of a several hundred acre tract purchased from William Penn in 1685. Valley Green has been called the “emotional center” of the park and is a beautiful location to stop for lunch. We will meet at the Arboretum and travel by small bus. Wear good walking
shoes. Park in the meadow next to the entrance kiosk.

Members: $65
Non-members: $77

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Garden Discovery Series: Bug’s Eye View

Saturday, May 3
11am-3pm

We’ll inspect the world as an insect would. Make your own slide or use one of ours to see nature’s variety: colors of pollen, shapes of lichen and sizes of fern spores.

Wildflowers for the Woodland Garden

Saturday, May 3
1 – 3 p.m.
Kate Deregibus - Horticulturist, Morris Arboretum
Elective in the Landscape Design Series

Get to know some of the delicate earlyblooming wildflowers native to eastern woodlands including Virginia bluebells, trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit and bloodroot. Kate, who has worked extensively ordering
plants and caring for wildflowers in the Morris Arboretum’s collection, will acquaint you with the cultural requirements for a wide variety of beautiful plants and how to best use them in the landscape. This program will start with an indoor slide presentation and will feature a walk to some of the shady areas in the Arboretum where these plants thrive.

Members: $25
Non-members: $30

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Nature in Your Neighborhood

Sunday, May 4
1 – 2 p.m.
Pam Newitt - Nature Educator, Nature by the Yard

Your own back yard is a great place to observe nature. Learn about the kinds of animals you can find in your neighborhood, the skills you need to spot them, and safe ways to observe them. Pam will introduce you to some real critters including turtles, lizards, and a variety of insects. She will discuss how animals help to disperse and pollinate plants and how they depend on plants to live. She will use skins, skulls, feathers and other animal and plant artifacts to give the students an authentic, memorable and educational experience. The program begins with a classroom presentation, and then, weather permitting, we will head
outdoors to explore and discover. This program is for ages 4 to 7 years old.

Members: $12
Non-members: $14

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Perennials for Shade: A Nursery Trip and Workshop

Tuesday, May 6
10 a.m. – 12 noon

We will visit Carolyn’s Shade Garden, a nursery and display garden located in Bryn Mawr, PA, specializing in low maintenance and organically grown flowering perennials for shade. The owner, Carolyn Walker, will personally take us on a tour of this small but beautiful two and a half acre garden. She will share her knowledge of shade gardening including tips on soil preparation, suggestions for deer resistant plants, and information on unusual but easy-to-grow perennials. Her garden features plants in various landscape settings including a woodland garden, wall garden, and rock garden. She will provide cultural information about the plants and ideas on how to effectively use them in the landscape. Plant purchases are possible but
optional following the tour. We will meet at Carolyn’s Shade Gardens in Bryn Mawr. Directions will be sent.

Members: $30
Non-members: $35

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Digital Photography

Section B: Five Tuesdays:
May 6, 13, 20, 27, & June 3
7 – 9 p.m.
Arnold Winkler - Photographer

So you just bought a digital camera…what now?? This five-session class starts by introducing you to the vocabulary of digital cameras. After mastering the language of pixels, mega pixels and giga bytes the
instructor will review photography basics including exposure, aperture, shutter speed and focal length. You will learn how to upload images into your computer and how to organize them for easy access. Arnold will
discuss modifying and enhancing images and you will become familiar with the basic features of Adobe Photoshop, a program commonly used for photo manipulation. Turning your digital images into prints will be
discussed along with e-mailing images and putting them on the web. Some of the online services that can help you with these operations will be reviewed.

Members: $125
Non-members: $150

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Plant Sale

PLANT SALE PREMIER LEVEL MEMBERS ONLY EVENTS
Invitations will be mailed to members at the noted levels. 
To make a reservation for these events click here.
Reservations are required for all of the following events:

Thursday, May 8
11:30-2pm.
Plant Sale Luncheon
Open to Oak level members ($500) and above. Guests enjoy lunch with Arboretum Director Paul Meyer, as well as the first opportunity to purchase plants.

Thursday, May 8
5:30 -7:30pm.
Plant Sale Preview Night
Open to Chestnut level members ($150) and above are invited to enjoy an evening of fun, food, and shopping.

Click here for more information about the Members-Only Plant Sale Events

Plant Sale

PLANT SALE MEMBERS ONLY EVENTS
Invitations will be mailed to members at the noted levels. 
To make a reservation for these events click here.
Reservations are required for all of the following events:

Friday, May 9, 2008
10:00am - 8:00pm.
Plant Sale Members Only Day
Bring your membership card, wallet and wagons.  Shop early for the best selection. Don't forget to clip your free bonus plant coupon found in the Plant Sale brochure.

Friday, May 9, 2008   
 5:30 - 7:30PM
Plant Sale Family Night
Beech level members ($90) and higher are invited to bring a picnic dinner and join us for entertainment and dessert and most importantly shopping! 

Click here for more information about the Members-Only Plant Sale Events

Plant Sale

General Admission Plant Sale

Saturday, May 10
10-4pm
and
Sunday, May 11
12-4pm

Hundreds of trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials, many of which are unusual or difficult to find at other garden centers, will be available to the public for two days, on Saturday, May 10^th from 10 am – 4pm, and Sunday, May 11^th from 12 noon – 4 pm. Arboretum horticultural experts are on hand to answer questions and advise attendees with their choices.

Orienteering at the Arboretum

Saturday, May 10
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Mark Frank - Delaware Valley Orienteering Association

Join enthusiast Mark Frank for an introduction to orienteering. Orienteering is the skill that allows you to find your way between specified points through unknown terrain by using a detailed map. It has been dubbed “the thinking sport” because of the combination of three-dimensional thinking, navigating (either by walking or running), and
concentration. If you enjoy a challenge, this is the sport for you! We will start inside learning the basics, then go outside to try them out!
Come dressed for the weather and for a walk around the Arboretum. This class is for ages 8 years old and up. Dress for the weather.

Members: $12
Non-members: $15

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Mother’s Day Wreath Workshop

Saturday, May 10
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Cheryl Wilks - Floral Educator and Owner of“Flowers on Location”

Make mom/grandma a keepsake wreath that she’ll be able to treasure for years. There will be lots of flowers, ribbons, accessories and more to design a one-of-a-kind personalized masterpiece. This workshop, designed for 5 to 12 years old, is guaranteed to ignite their creativity and make it fun to learn about the elements of design. All materials are included.

Members: $30
Non-members: $32

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Forest Bingo, Turtle Races and Other Adventures

Saturday, May 10
1 – 3 p.m.
Irene Safren - Naturalist, Churchville Nature Center and the Eagles Mere Conservancy

A variety of fun activities will take us throughout the Arboretum at a beautiful time of year. Activities include a scavenger hunt to find natural treasures and a game of forest bingo where the shapes you discover in nature become your bingo sheet. You will explore different habitats to find suitable animal homes and we’ll get a close up look at some
intriguing critters under the microscope. You'll create a turtle with materials that will be supplied then we’ll hold turtle races to see
whose creation is the speediest. Come join us for this fun and creative exploration of the natural world. This is an intergenerational program designed for all ages.

Members: $16
Non-members: $18

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Birding at the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove

Tuesday, May 13
7:45 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Ruth Pfeffer - Expert Birder and Trip Leader

On this trip we will visit nearby Mill Grove, John James Audubon’s first home in America. At 18 years of age Audubon came here to live and pursue his passion for drawing birds. Today, 175 acres of Mill Grove's original estate remains largely as Audubon found it – a haven for birds and wildlife. In this historic spot we will have the chance to accompany
expert birder, Ruth Pfeffer, at the height of spring migration to some of the same spots used by Audubon himself. Miles of trails, some with beautiful views of the Perkiomen Creek, wind through the sanctuary. Feeding stations, nesting boxes and specially planted trees and shrubs offer food and nesting sites for a variety of bird species. We will also visit
the original stone farmhouse that serves as a museum displaying original Audubon prints, oil paintings, and memorabilia. Bring binoculars, your lunch and something to drink. Park in the meadow next to the entrance kiosk. We will travel by bus.

Members: $45
Non-members: $50

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Mt. Cuba and the Thyrums: A Trip to Two Great Delaware Gardens

Wednesday, May 14
7:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. FULL!

We will go first to Mt. Cuba Center, the former estate of Mr. and Mrs. Lammot du Pont Copeland. This beautifully maintained garden, which is at its peak in spring, specializes in plants native to the Piedmont
region. Shortly after completing their house in 1935, the Copelands hired landscape architects to design and develop a series of garden spaces on their estate. Today, the Copelands’ legacy lives on, elegantly portrayed in the formal gardens, woodland landscapes, pastures, and fields. After lunch at a local restaurant we will visit the lovely garden of
Eve and Per Thyrum. The Thyrums have been gardening on this two-and-a-half acre property, which was a former overgrown orchard, since 1980. They do all of the work in the garden themselves. Because they spend lots of time outdoors, the garden has become the family’s outdoor living space. Eve is a collector of unusual woody plants and shade loving perennials. The garden features eight different water features and lots of statuary of different shapes and sizes. Meet at the
Arboretum. Park in the meadow next to the entrance kiosk. We will travel by bus.

Members: $90
Non-members: $100

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Iris in the Garden

Saturday, May 17
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Bob Gutowski - Director of Public Programs, Morris Arboretum

The iris has been admired, traded, worshiped and cultivated throughout the northern hemisphere for thousands of years and for thirty years in Bob Gutowski’s garden. In his garden at the Arboretum’s Miller’s Cottage there are two dozen species and over two hundred named varieties extending the iris season from March through June with repeat
blooms in autumn. Bob likes their deerresistance, diversity, rainbow hues, fragrances, seasonal delight, histories and associated memories. This session includes iris admiration, discussion, demonstration and
digging in the Miller’s Cottage garden. Get the hands-on story on how to select and grow irises in the mixed border or in iris beds. Learn why the iris has a reputation as both easy and difficult, old fashioned and modern, friendly native and exotic pest, common place and rare, companionable and isolationist, beautiful and more beautiful. Other plants, natural history and spring gardening tips will not be neglected. Students are welcome to bring rhizomes. Enter the Bloomfield Farm
driveway across Northwestern Avenue from the public garden entrance. Park and meet in the lot to the side of the Horticulture Center, a large building that resembles a garage. We will walk to the Millers Cottage.

Members: $25
Non-members: $30

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Hedgleigh Spring Garden Tour

Section B
Saturday, May 17
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Charles Cresson

Take a tour of Hedgleigh Spring with avid gardener, author and plantsman, Charles Cresson, who will personally guide you
through his residential garden in Swarthmore. This two-acre garden has been part of Cresson family life for more than a century. The house
sits on a sweeping lawn surrounded by ancient oaks and black gum underplanted with mature azaleas and dogwoods. The central flower garden of roses and perennials contains over 100 feet of flower borders. A combination of stone retaining walls, grade changes, and shrub plantings divide the property into intimate spaces and microclimates that include woodland gardens, a small pond, a creek with a waterfall, a
vegetable garden, and a lowland perennial meadow. The group will meet at Hedgleigh Spring in Swarthmore. Travel directions will be sent prior to the trip.

Members: $30
Non-members: $35

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Lots of Pots: Creating Beautiful Containers

Saturday, May 17
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Ray Rogers - Author and Horticulturist

In this course Ray presents a fresh approach to container planting and design. He will do more than simply provide a finite number of “recipes” for specific planting combinations. Rather, he will take you on an engaging exploration into basic design principles including color, line, form, space, and texture as well as show you how to appreciate focal
points, exploit the potential of empty containers, and more. This is a two part course beginning with an illustrated lecture and ending with a container planting demonstration.

Members: $25
Non-members: $30

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Tree Identification and Appreciation: Native Trees and Shrubs

Section A: Saturday, May 17
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. FULL!

Section B: Saturday, May 17
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Ken LeRoy - Horticulturist and Owner, LeRoy Tree and Landscape Care

Native trees and shrubs, found on many properties, help create beautiful low maintenance landscapes while providing abundant wildlife habitat. Starting with trees and working from “the top down” helps us to understand which plant communities are characterized by the dominance of particular trees and shrubs. Understanding these relationships allows us to reproduce native plant communities and create effective habitat gardens. In this overview of native Pennsylvania trees you will learn how to identify them by examining flowers, bark,
leaves and habit. Tree lover Ken LeRoy will take you on a tour of the Morris Arboretum focusing on native trees and shrubs and
providing identification tips. He will discuss fruiting and flowering times and how these native plants are best used in the landscape. He will also talk about potentially invasive trees commonly used in the home landscape.

Members: $25
Non-members: $30

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125

Garden Railway Grand Opening

Memorial Day Weekend
Saturday, May 24 - Monday, May 26

This year’s Garden Railway theme, ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD is sure to delight visitors with scores of new buildings that will transport visitors to the far ends of the earth. Spanning the globe, visitors will see perfect miniatures of architectural wonders and experience magical visits.

New this year as part of our Grand Opening Weekend celebration will be a Victorian-era Ride-On-train – May 24-26 ONLY. This trackless, electric environmentally friendly Ride-On Train will loop around the Morris Arboretum Garden every 20 minutes.  Cost is $3 per person. Timed tickets will be available.

Visit the Governor’s Residence and a Nearby Private Garden

Wednesday, May 28
7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

On this trip we will see the recently renovated gardens surrounding the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg. The Susquehanna Garden,
designed as an outdoor living space for the First Family features the Susquehanna River and its wildlife. Penn’s Woods is an educational showpiece highlighting the finest and most historically significant plants, shrubs and flowers native to Pennsylvania. The Rose Garden, with over 250 roses, provides a spectacular show and should be at peak bloom. We will also tour the mansion, designed in the 18th century English Georgian style, which features open spacious rooms for entertaining and public functions. After lunch at a local restaurant we will visit the York garden of Louis J. Appell, Jr. Mr. Appell’s garden is beautifully laid out and shows his skillful practice of ornamental horticulture and love of nature. He has many wonderful botanical specimens, some of which have come from the Morris Arboretum’s collection. A stone garden folly is a garden highlight. Meet at the Arboretum. Park in the meadow next to the entrance kiosk. We will travel by bus. Trip includes transportation and lunch.

Members: $120
Non-members: $140

Call to register for classes (215) 247-5777 ext 156 or 125