NJ Champion Tree- Thuja plicata Willowwood Arboretum – home to 13 Champion Trees That is why there are more old trees in forests than living on their own as stand-alone trees. Peter Wohlleben writes, “But why are trees social beings? Why do they share food with their species and sometimes nourish their competitors? The reasons are the same as for human communities: there are advantages to working together.” Trees connect in a forest and need each other to thrive, as is so beautifully written by Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from a Secret World. Or somebody that advocates and supports a cause or mission. The word champion means one that out-competes another. It’s an interesting concept they label them as such. Willowwood is considered New Jersey’s most extensive and longest operating arboretum, with unusual collections of treasured trees and other plants. Others say it’s a way of stabilizing the trees in swampy conditions. Some say they help roots to absorb oxygen in the waterlogged soil. The Cypress Pool Garden is filled with cypress knees that look like tiny gnomes gathering around swampy pools of water. Someone decided to plant some daisies to create a sunny corner here.Then came the most remarkable and amusing part of the journey. Here’s a cheerful splash of hot pink and coral pink flowers. I wonder if parents have a difficult time keeping their children out of this stone tower – it would be so fun to play “Castle” here!įrom here you can see the Herbfarm and hotel building. It’s always relaxing to stop and listen to the fountains here. These must be edible pansies for fresh, spectacular salads, I’m guessing.Ĭuriously, there are snapdragons and lavender growing near basil. We love snooping around the herb and vegetable beds seeing what’s growing. I imagine that well behaved hotel guests are contributing by not tossing cigarette butts on the ground. We are always amazed by how immaculately landscaped and well kept the grounds are. ![]() This is just one of the many lovely seating areas that Willows Lodge guests can relax in. Here are some lovely heirloom tomatoes – imagine how delicious they taste! I wonder if they are intended for the Herbfarm or Barking Frog guests?Īnother view of fresh foods grown right on site! ![]() These flowers give a sudden tropical air to this part of the garden!Īs we made our way further into the herb garden area, we noticed fun little extras tucked away in the beds – a rusty milk pail, metal wheels, makeshift stepping bricks, etc. Jen was overjoyed to see these bright orange, yellow and pink, vibrant flowers. I needed another minute to admire this quirky, whimsical birdbath/planter! Who can tell me the name of these lovely pink flowers? Let me know in the comments section below! Of course we feel compelled to include a photo of this magnificent willow tree – it’s Willows Lodge, after all! I don’t remember this beautiful flower-filled figural head vase from last time! Check out the beautiful purple dahlias, too. This “Riverside Terrace” sign marked the path into the gardens. We love this “Welcome to our Happy Place” stone sign! (I am confident speaking for both me and Jen in this instance!) ![]() Surely there are flowers in bloom now that we hadn’t seen back in June! Last week, near the end of Seattle’s summer, we were curious to see what the gardens at Willows Lodge looked like.
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