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<p>“There comes a day towards the end of March when there is but little wind. The Sun has gained much power, so that it is pleasant to sit out in the garden, or better still, in some sunny nook of sheltered woodland” -Gertrude Jekyll The first warm days of spring are really here since the [&hellip;]</p>

<p>After much soul searching the Willowwood Foundation Board of Trustees has made the difficult decision to cancel our annual Lilac Party. We do so in this time of uncertainty out of the utmost concern for the continued safety of our guests and staff. Please know that in the months ahead our committee will be hard [&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>How is it possible that 2021’s spring and summer have come and gone? Despite lingering Covid 19 concerns, we are happily welcoming the nascent signs of autumn at Willowwood.&nbsp; I am so grateful that the Arboretum continues to provide the public with such a beautiful and comforting oasis as Willowwood and my appreciation extends to [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Dear Friends of Willowwood, I am perched in my home office enjoying the beauty of our home garden just outside my window. My blue lace hydrangeas are in their glory. Doesn&#8217;t it seem like the lush landscape of June is even more spectacular than ever this summer? And visitors continue to find Willowwood to be [&hellip;]</p>

<p>It is with great pleasure that I write to introduce Meryl Carmel as the new Willowwood Foundation President and Joseph Arvay DMD who has the difficult job as replacement for past Treasurer and long time Trustee Stathis Andris to whom we owe many thanks for his financial diligence and guidance. I will assume the responsibilities [&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>Welcome to the Willowwood Arboretum. The Lilacs are in bud and some of them like Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Annabel’, one of the best pinks, are just beginning to bloom. The next couple of weeks will be wonderful as more Lilacs will open with sweet lilac fragrance perfuming the air. The 2021 Lilac Path Brochure (click [&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>Greetings and Happy Spring, With spring in the air, lengthening daylight hours and the awakening of the natural world, I’m feeling my energy begin to return after a year like no other. Like many of you, my attention this time of year turns to the garden and our hidden Gem, the Willowwood Arboretum. The gardens [&hellip;]</p>

<p>“I&#8217;m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”― L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables The beauty of the autumn season has begun and visitors may now enjoy the arboreta during standard operating hours, daily from 8AM to dusk. The maples, dogwoods, and katsura are all changing color at the Willowwood [&hellip;]</p>

<p>WELCOME BACK to the Willowwood Arboretum! Beginning Monday, August 3, Willowwood is open Monday through Friday, 10 am to 3 pm. CLOSED WEEKENDS. Buildings are closed but most gardens and walking trails are open. A porta john is available. This quote by Minnie Aumonier seems apt for this moment in time- “When the world wearies [&hellip;]</p>

<p>As Covid restrictions have eased a bit, we are pleased to announce that the Willowwood Arboretum is open to visitors Daily 8 am to Dusk. All Buildings will be closed. A porta john will be available. We ask that our guests continue to follow all social distancing guidelines and recommendations. Masks and 6&#8242; distances between [&hellip;]</p>

<p>In the Fall, 2019 newsletter we remembered the Life and years of service of Willowwood Foundation Trustee, Becky Terry, Library Committee Chair and Lilac Party Co-Chair with Anne Peterson. Our May 2019 Lilac Party’s success was due to the shared hard work of both Becky and Anne especially in selecting the plants for our annual [&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>D-shaped exit hole of EAB adults. © DAvid R. McKay, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org Since its discovery in Michigan in 2002, the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis or EAB) has destroyed hundreds of millions of ash trees throughout the United States. This invasive insect is native to Asia and attacks all species of ash (Fraxinus) [&hellip;]</p>

<p>The Summer 2018 issue of The Black River Journal featured our Spring 2018 Lilac Party, with several pictures including this one of our trustees: (from left to right: Dan Will, Kate Burke Walsh, Leslie Allain, Peter Williams, Alice Cutler, Meryl Carmel, Brace Krag, President, WW Foundation, Pam Jeanes, Margo Dana and Jason Andris)</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>Willowwood is beginning to burst with lush foliage and colorful flowers from the plentiful rains the last few weeks. Visitors this week will see the Wisteria floribunda in peak bloom growing on rustic arbors throughout the gardens. The cottage garden is also beginning its display of alliums, cheerfully busting from the ground in explosions of [&hellip;]</p>

<p>It may not be a bright sunny day but Mother&#8217;s Day and May is very special at the Willowwood Arboretum.Mother Nature has been very capricious this Spring but we are delighted to have the vibrant redbuds, tulips, azaleas, the first Lilacs of the season, the lovely purple wisteria and the wonderful rare Japanese flowering &#8216;green&#8217; [&hellip;]</p>