<p>I&#8217;m often asked what&#8217;s the best time to visit Willowwood by first-time visitors. &#8220;Will anything be blooming next month?&#8221; and to them I say of course! There are always flowers (or, as it is in the dead of winter) horticultural intrigue to be found at Willowwood. One should visit weekly in order to even try [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Our unusually wet spring has continued, leaving Willowwood particularly green, lush, and floriferous as we enter into the summer. Aside from the extra maintenance, there are much worse problems one could have! Currently the Arboretum core is freshly planted with this year&#8217;s annuals, featuring colorful and tropical species that are candy for the eyes, including [&hellip;]</p>

<p>How wonderful it is to live in a world with flowers. Right now, I can’t think of anywhere that it is more floriferous than Willowwood. Although it is still early spring, many tougher-than-they-look spring flowering bulbs and perennials are up and at it. Meanwhile, swelling buds and emerging shoots remind us that there’s much more [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Thanks to the Long Valley Garden Club for the lovely lilac photographs taken at the Willowwood Arboretum.</p>

<p>“I sought the wood in summer When every twig was green; The rudest boughs were tender, And buds were pink between. Light-fingered aspens trembled In fitful sun and shade, And daffodils were golden In every starry glade. The brook sang like a robin- My hand could check him where The lissome maiden willows Shook out [&hellip;]</p>

<p>“Then summer came, announced by June,With beauty, miracle and mirth.She hung aloft the rounding moon,She poured her sunshine on the earth”-Leslie Pinckney Hill, excerpt “Summer Magic” Although the main event of spring blooms has passed, the arboretum has lots of blooms for those who are willing to slow down and look. One show-stopper that is [&hellip;]</p>

<p>“Mother Nature presents neither a wrinkled face nor tottering form, but constantly renews the bloom of her youth, while time fills up the volumes of her history.” -James Lendall Basford. Spring has settled in and Willowwood is now bursting with blooms. The main event- the annual lilac display- is now starting to reach its peak [&hellip;]</p>

<p>“Blossom by blossom the spring begins” -Algernon Charles Swinburne Suddenly it’s SPRING at Willowwood!. This winter was brutal as February was the snowiest on record for this area with over 31 inches of snow. It may have felt like winter was never going to end but the sounds of spring- the chirping birds, the hum [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Late summer is a wonderful time of year to enjoy the fullness of the gardens. The perennials throughout the grounds are large and lush. With only six or seven weeks until our first frost, now is a perfect time to enjoy the Rosarie, full of many cold-sensitive plants. Some interesting annuals are the Giant Castor [&hellip;]</p>

<p>We had such a beautiful day for our 23rd Lilac Party and we are now planning the 24th (and the 25th in 2021!) Thanks to Sue Pedersen for all the beautiful pictures.</p>

<p>Thanks to Carol Lynaugh for these images of flowers and foxes. You can see many more of her pictures of flowers &amp; foxes at Willowwood Arboretum by clicking here to go to her Google Pictures album.</p>

<p>Some wonderful birds and foxes at Willowwood by Joe Rodriguez.</p>

<p>We are happy to post these pictures from a beautiful Lilac Party. Thanks to the Bernardsville News for a number of these pictures.</p>

<p>Fred Spicer spoke on the topic, &#8220;Why Do We Botanize&#8221; at the 3rd Annual Tubbs Lecture on April 23, 2017.</p>

<p>Mother Nature offered all her choices in one afternoon &#8211; rain, sleet, snow, sunshine and rainbows but the staunch and happy party go&#8217;ers wrapped in down and wellies enjoyed the wine tasting, hors d&#8217;oeuvres by Ross and Owren, silent plant sale and music by the wonderful TEN of the NY University Glee Club.</p>

<p>Here are the finalist entries for the 2016 Photo Contest. The topic is &#8220;Spring Awakening at Willowwood&#8221;…glimpses of how the flora and fauna greet early Spring at Willowwood. Photos were taken at Willowwood from end February, 2016 through April, 2016 and the deadline for submission was May 5, 2016. Congratulations to 1st Place Winner, Donna [&hellip;]</p>

<p>This year marked the Willowwood Foundation&#8217;s 18th Annual Lilac Party. Food, drink and fashionable wellies helped all celebrate this wonderful Spring day. Photos by Susan Pedersen.</p>

<p>Enjoy these great photographs from our 2015 Photo Contest Finalists. Winner is Picture #6 by Barbara Storms. Tied for 2nd place is photo #3 &amp; #4 by Dave Mojica. 4th Place is photo #2 by Navjot Singh.</p>

<p>The 2015 Tubbs Lecture focused on Japanese Flowering Cherries, first brought to the US in 1912. The Willowwood&#8217;s collection was one of the highlights of both the talk and the guided tour.</p>