Out and About in the Arboretum

As we all know, April showers bring May flowers, but this year, they brought a lot of color to our Courtyard Gardens already! On a rainy dark day, or on a sunny one, our residents and staff are especially appreciative of the cheerful colors as we are out and about traversing the Court walkways — safe and under cover. Take a look — there is much to discover and enjoy.

As residents were out and about in the Courts last week, they were delighted and surprised by a welcomed bouquet of daffodils delivered to their doorstep. They were a welcome burst of spring color, during these troubling times around the world. The donation was a gift of a thousand thanks from the Estaugh Board and the Linside Farm, the family farm of Estaugh Board member Scott Jones.

As we enter into the month of April, and the Arboretum comes alive, we celebrate the creativity of our residents on the Lumberton Campus who have put together an outdoor Scavenger Hunt on their Campus. The hunt asks you to find such trees as the Horse Chestnut Tree, the tree planted in honor of one of our pioneers, as well as note how many Sawtooth Oaks are on the Campus. A key requirement is that the hunt is done with attention to social distancing from each other. Results are due back later this month. Will keep you posted as to the results.

As we all work together to get through this challenging environment, this could be a wonderful time to get out and about in the arboretum. How fortunate are our residents and staff to live in, and work in the Barton Arboretum and Nature Preserve.

Of course, you will need to remain socially distanced, which means 6 feet apart from anyone who may be with you. We all must look after our mental and physical health, and fresh air, nature and exercise are important for that. Again, remember the rule of social distancing.

You may want to use this time to take a walk on the nature trails, on either campus, or take a look at Court 17 on the Medford Campus to enjoy the daffodils and camellias. Also, keep an eye out for the magnolias in bloom–a wonderful way to lift your spirits with their showy blooms and fragrance.

We just enjoyed the first day of Spring-March 19, 2020 and we are definitely enjoying the early signs of spring. We all have seen daffodils blooming, trees setting buds and some trees actually in bloom with their beautiful spring color. The daffodils that you see in bloom now will be joined by daffodils that are due to bloom later in the spring season. This purposeful selection of different bloom times helps to extend the season of this favored flower. Over the past three years, over 30000 daffodil bulbs have been added to the Medford Campus collection, so keep your eyes peeled as they unfold!

Just this past week, the Meadows on both Campuses got their annual early spring mowing. The reason for the mowing is to stimulate new growth for the season to come. We were fortunate to find just the right time for this task to be done. Already, blue birds have been spotted in both Meadows and a flock of very happy red wing black birds were enjoying the Oak trees in the Medford Campus Meadow.