Rutgers Gardens (130 acres) is the official

botanic garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

, located on the outskirts of Cook Campus, at 112 Ryders Lane, North Brunswick, New Jersey. The grounds include 60 acres of designed beds, specialty gardens, tree and shrub collections, lawns, and walking paths, as well as the adjoining 70-acre Frank G. Helyar Woods. The gardens are open year-round, without fee, and feature horticultural collections arranged in garden settings. In 2017 it was granted landmark status by the American Society for Horticultural Science.

History

The land was originally purchased in 1917. Rutgers Gardens—then called "Horticultural Farm No. 1"—housed the Experiment Station's peach-breeding program, although ornamental displays were also established in the early 1920s in conjunction with ongoing ornamental research. In 1930, the farm featured more than 600 varieties of dahlias and iris, including test gardens developed in coordination with the Dahlia Society of New Jersey and the American Iris Society. Trials of gladiolus were also established, in cooperation with the New Jersey Gladiolus Society. These and other displays were opportunities to showcase selected and developed varieties in cooperation with community organizations. Around this time, a shrub display garden containing over 200 species and numerous varieties was established, which remains one of the oldest surviving sections of the existing collection (which was expanded between 1930 and 1950). Some of the oldest hollies at Rutgers Gardens were planted in the late 1930s, and expanded through the 40s, 50s, and into the 60s, as part of an active breeding program. Many of these make up the foundation of what is now a significant collection. A 1936 photo of Horticultural Farm No. 1 shows a series of nine display gardens, of which the bearded iris display was the precursor to the current Donald B. Lacey Display Garden, originally constructed in 1964. Later additions and removals of plant, as well the establishment of various new ornamental and tribute gardens, have shaped Rutgers Gardens into its current form. Rutgers Gardens3640443470 5cd2116461 b

The name of Rutgers Gardens is strongly associated with that of Bruce "Doc" Hamilton. In the 1990s, despite strong opposition, Rutgers University planned to sell Rutgers Gardens for urban development. In 1993, Dr. Bruce Hamilton, Rutgers professor, accepted responsibility for directing the Gardens' management and funding. Thanks to his dedication, to generous supporters, and to the work of many volunteers, the Gardens survived for everybody's enjoyment. Rutgers Gardens was once managed by its director, Bruce Crawford, and Laura Lawson, chair of Rutgers' Department of Landscape Architecture. Still a self-supporting entity, the funds necessary for maintaining the gardens, purchasing equipment and materials, supporting salaries, and providing public programs are raised through facility rentals, special events, membership dues and donations. Every Friday, there is a farmer's market that attracts local business owners from across the county. Things that can be purchased include honey, Hungarian Rolls and dried mangos.

Collections and features

Current collections and features include: * American Hollies - one of the largest collection of American Hollies in the United States, including selections from Dr. Elwin Orton's '' Ilex opaca'' breeding program. * Bamboo Forest - a large grove of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

('' Phyllostachys nuda''), originally planted in the 1950s, with a winding path by a small stream. * Donald B. Lacey Display Garden - unusual and colorful annuals, tropicals,

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicina ...

s, and

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the edible flower, flowers, ...

s. * Ella Quimby Water Conservation Terrace - demonstration of drought-tolerant plants, including ''

Amorpha canescens ''Amorpha canescens'', known as leadplant, downy indigo bush, prairie shoestring, or buffalo bellows, is a small, perennial semi-shrub in the pea family (Fabaceae), native to North America. It has very small purple flowers with yellow stamens whi ...

'', ''

Berberis ''Berberis'' (), commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world (apart from Australia). Species diversity is greatest in South Amer ...

'', '' Ceanothus americanus'', '' Hypericum'' 'Hidcote', ''

Juniperus Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

'', and ''

Hylotelephium telephium ''Hylotelephium telephium'' ( synonym ''Sedum telephium''), known as orpine, livelong, frog's-stomach, harping Johnny, life-everlasting, live-forever, midsummer-men, Orphan John and witch's moneybags, is a succulent perennial groundcover of the ...

'' (formerly ''Sedum'') 'Autumn Joy'. * Ornamental Tree Collection - unusual small trees, including India Quassiawood (''

Picrasma ailanthoides ''Picrasma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Simaroubaceae, comprising six to nine species native to temperate to tropical regions of Asia, and tropical regions of the Americas. The species are shrubs and trees growing up to 20 m tal ...

''), the state's largest Paperbark Maple ('' Acer griseum''), a very large Persian Ironwood ('' Parrotia persica''), and a fine '' Cornus kousa'' var. ''chinensis''. * Rhododendron and Azalea Garden - small trees and groundcovers, with a variety of shrubs focusing on

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

s. The collection started in the 1930s and now includes '' Cornus kousa'', ''

Davidia involucrata ''Davidia involucrata'', the dove-tree, handkerchief tree, pocket handkerchief tree, or ghost tree, is a medium-sized deciduous tree in the family Nyssaceae. It is the only living species in the genus ''Davidia''. It was previously included wi ...

'', '' Metasequoia glyptostroboides'', and '' Rhododendron mucronulatum''. * Rain Garden - The intent was to develop a garden with positive environmental aspects, yet that remained attractive throughout the year with minimal maintenance. It contains a water feature with a 750-gallon cistern that is recharged via the rain water from the roof of a shed located 30' uphill of the garden. The water is circulated through the water feature via a pump at the bottom of the cistern through a series of bogs, over a waterfall and back into the cistern. The waterfall above the cistern is essential for permitting aeration of the water. Two layers of 2" thick filter material lie above the cistern to capture any sediment and debris that would otherwise accumulate in the cistern. * Roy H. De Boer Evergreen Garden (1958) - fine specimens of ''

Pinus strobus ''Pinus strobus'', commonly called the eastern white pine, northern white pine, white pine, Weymouth pine (British), and soft pine is a large pine native to eastern North America. It occurs from Newfoundland, Canada west through the Great Lake ...

'' 'Pendula', ''

Tsuga canadensis ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of ...

'' 'Sargentii', and many other cedars,

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfam ...

s, and firs. * Shade Tree Collection - many mature shade trees, including ''

Aesculus The genus ''Aesculus'' ( or ), with species called buckeye and horse chestnut, comprises 13–19 species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. They are trees and shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with six spe ...

'', '' Toona sinensis'', '' Tetradium hupehensis'', '' Fagus'', ''

Quercus dentata ''Quercus dentata'', also called Japanese emperor oak or daimyo oak ( ja, 柏, ''kashiwa''; ; ko, 떡갈나무, ''tteokgalnamu'') is a species of oak native to East Asia ( Japan, Korea and China). The name of the tree is often translated as ...

'', ''

Tilia ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Britain and Ireland they ...

'', and ''

Ulmus Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North ...

'' specimens. * Shrub Collection - hybrid and species lilacs (dating from 1927) and other shrubs, including '' Buddleia alternifolia'', '' Corylopsis spicata'', ''

Diervilla lonicera ''Diervilla lonicera'', commonly referred to as northern bush honeysuckle, low bush honeysuckle, dwarf bush honeysuckle, or yellow-flowered upright honeysuckle, is a deciduous shrub native to the northeastern United States and Canada. Its specifi ...

'', and '' Hamamelis vernalis''. The garden also includes two notable trees: '' Magnolia kobus'' and ''

Magnolia virginiana ''Magnolia virginiana'', most commonly known as sweetbay magnolia, or merely sweetbay (also laurel magnolia, swampbay, swamp magnolia, white bay, or beaver tree), is a member of the magnolia family, Magnoliaceae. It was the first magnolia to be ...

''. * Tribute Gardens - a series of "outdoor rooms" that are available for a person, family or corporation to build in honor of someone they know or love. The garden "library" is the Art Rudolph Sun and Shade Garden, featuring two patios—including one beneath the Lillian Koelsch gazebo—for quietly sitting and reading a book. This room features plants that will provide color and interest in a garden that spends part of the day in sun, the remainder in shade. The "recreation room," the Edwin J. and Ida M. Otken Memorial Garden, is partially enclosed by a "Victorian Style" fence, and features a mixed border of shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses, a large walk area, and a central grass circle that features two bright-green, oversized Adirondack chairs, which have become a popular identifying feature of Rutgers Gardens. * VSA (Volunteer Supported Agriculture) Garden - located adjacent to the Community Youth Garden, behind the Donald B. Lacey Display Garden. The VSA vegetable gardeners follow organic growing methods which include chemical free gardening, four-year crop rotations, green mulches, composting and the incorporation of winter cover crops. These organic methods support a dynamic living soil ecology resulting in stronger pest and disease resistant plants. Harvests are shared among the VSA volunteers and a portion is donated to local soup kitchens.

Landmarks

* Log Cabin - The Log Cabin was built in 1936 by the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

(WPA). Today it is actively used for receptions and other events in the gardens. The log cabin overlooks

Westons Mill Pond The Westons Mill Pond is a dammed section of the Lawrence Brook located in the Westons Mills section of East Brunswick East Brunswick is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The suburban bedroom community is part of t ...

, a section of the

Lawrence Brook Lawrence Brook is a tributary of the Raritan River in Middlesex County, New Jersey, in the United States. Course Originally a stream, its course now includes man-made lakes created by dams built in the 19th and 20th centuries: Deans Pond ( Sou ...

. * Holly House - As you enter the Rutgers Gardens, adjacent to the American Hollies, you will find a historic blue building now known as Holly House. One of the original structures at Horticultural Farm No. 1, it was built in the early 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a public work relief program during the Great Depression. Its original purpose was for storage and sorting of research materials. Holly House was renovated in the 80s, and it now acts as the headquarters for the Garden Club of New Jersey and as the site for a number of continuing education classes. Garden Buildings
Accessed March 12, 2021.

Pictures

Image:Rutgers Gardens - arboretum.JPG, Arboretum Image:Rutgers Gardens - conifers.JPG, Conifers Image:Rutgers Gardens - log cabin.JPG, Log Cabin interior File:Rutgers Gardens3639659369 18e3f58373 b.jpg, Rutgers Gardens late in the season File:Rutgers Gardens3639659405 ce3481fbe6 b.jpg, Bamboo Forest File:Rutgers Gardens3639659427 cb851dd07a b.jpg, Stream in Rutgers Gardens File:Rutgers Gardens3639674109 dd39cdf70e b.jpg, Stream in Rutgers Gardens File:Rutgers Gardens3640443470 5cd2116461 b.jpg, Rutgers Gardens late in the season File:Rutgers Gardens3640443520 e11837a395 b.jpg, Rutgers Gardens late in the season

History

Collections and features

Landmarks

Pictures

See also