Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum facts for kids
The Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum is a beautiful garden and plant collection located on the campus of Georgian Court University in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, United States. It's a special place where you can see many different kinds of trees and plants.
This arboretum was once the amazing landscaped park for the winter home of George Jay Gould I, a very rich man whose father, Jay Gould, was famous for railroads.
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How the Arboretum Began
In 1896, a talented architect named Bruce Price was hired to turn the land into a grand Georgian-style country estate. The soil in this part of New Jersey, called the New Jersey Pine Barrens, wasn't great for growing fancy plants. So, workers brought in 5,000 cartloads of rich, fine soil from nearby Monmouth County to help the plants grow!
Bruce Price designed three of the four main gardens: the Italian Garden, the Sunken Garden, and the Formal Garden. A Japanese designer named Takeo Shiota created the beautiful Japanese Garden.
The Arboretum Today
The arboretum you see today was officially started in 1989. It's named after Sister Mary Grace Burns, who used to be a biology professor at the university. The entire campus, which is about 155 acres (62 hectares), is part of the arboretum.
Here, you can find many unusual plants from other parts of the world. But it also has a great collection of plants that naturally grow in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Some of the most impressive plants are the very large and old oak trees and Pitch Pines (Pinus rigida).
Exploring the Gardens
The arboretum has several unique gardens, each with its own special feel and plants.
The Formal Garden
The Formal Garden is a pretty oval-shaped flower garden. It's surrounded by many different trees like American Holly (Ilex opaca), Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus), and Norway Spruce (Picea abies). You'll also see Sawara Cypress (Chamaecyperis pisifera), Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo), and Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica).
Among the flowers, you can spot white daisies, primroses, black-eyed susans, daylilies, and purple veronica. There are also balloon flowers, verbena, asters, and chrysanthemums, plus many other seasonal flowers.
Founders' Grove
Founders' Grove is a special area with unique trees. Some of these include Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha), Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), and Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora). You can also find a Weeping Norway Spruce (Picea abies cv. 'Pendula') and a Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum).
Over the years, more trees have been added, such as American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), and Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana).
The Italian Garden
The Italian Garden is full of classic beauty. It features a Fountain of Apollo and a cool wrought iron eagle statue that was bought from the Paris World's Fair in 1900. You'll also see life-size statues of Greek gods and goddesses, and flower pots on marble stands.
Two curved pergolas (walkways with open roofs) have Tuscan columns, marble benches, and more statues. Most of the trees here are conifers (trees that have cones and needles). These include Blue Pine (Pinus wallichiana), Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus), and Pitch Pine. You might also see Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) and Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis).
The Japanese Garden
The Japanese Garden is a peaceful spot. On the island in the middle of the garden, there's a grand Koyamaki (Sciadopitys verticillata) tree. Other plants here include Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata), Japanese Cherry (Prunus serrulata), and Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum).
You'll also find beautiful irises (Iris spp.), Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.), and Laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides).
The Sunken Garden
The Sunken Garden is a unique area that connects to Lake Carasaljo through a lagoon. It has a beautiful 17th-century marble fountain from southern France. There's also a grand double marble staircase with lion statues on each side. The carved marble benches are copies of benches found in the Vatican Garden.
The lagoon connects to Lake Carasaljo under a bridge that was also designed by Bruce Price and fixed up in 1999. In the Sunken Garden, you can see colorful azaleas (Rhododendron spp.), Sawara Cypress, myrtle, and Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis).
Images for kids
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Sculptural detail
See also
In Spanish: Arboreto de Sister Mary Grace Burns para niños
