Saturday, 25 July, 2009
Rutgers Gardens Open Day
Today is the 45th annual Rutgers Gardens Open Day. Way back, when a date was to be chosen, someone cleverly asked the meteorology department at Rutgers what summer Saturday was the least likely to be rained on. Last Saturday in July was the answer, and it certainly seems to be correct as every Open Day I've attended has may have been hot, might have been humid, but it didn't rain on the event.
The trial garden is filled with annuals, familiar favorites and new introductions, all splendidly in bloom.
Well attended tours are conducted, on the hour.
"Doc" Hamilton, director emeritus of Rutgers Gardens, heads out, bullhorn in hand. Bruce Crawford, current director, ponders a question.
There's a plant sale. It may not be as huge as the May extravaganza, but today's sale
is also more peaceful, less feeding-frenzy-of-sharks attitude.
And clearly, people are finding excellent plants to bring home and plant with instant results.
There's a wine tasting. Six New Jersey wineries, a modest $5 fee - and you get to take the glass home with you.
As you might expect, there are all sorts of gardens, subsets of Rutgers Gardens, to be enjoyed.
Plants like this wonderful Hydrangea quercifolia, oak leaf hydrangea,
that just happens to be the June 2009 plant of the month.
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The recently redesigned Ornamental Grass Garden (see here) is looking quite splendid, exemplified by
Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola', Japanese forest grass, with a peaceful, gently overflowing fountain.
Wander the garden and find all sorts of interesting plants and objects, such as this airy set of rings
nestled in the shade, a torus less solid yet more permanent than a donut.
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Next year, if you find yourself in or around New Brunswick, New Jersey on the last Saturday in July,
do add the Rutgers Gardens Open Days to your itinerary. You'll be glad you did.