10 Tips Every Visitor Should Know Before They Go

Visitors exploring the new Patrick Dougherty scultpure 'A Waltz in the Woods'.

Guest blogger, Kristen Bower recently set out on a solo visit of the Arboretum. After a leisurely outing, Kristen shared some great insight and tips for making the most of a day in the garden:

If you’d like to learn more about the Arboretum from an expert, you can take one of the weekend tours or you can explore on your own. You can walk briskly to get the heart rate going; you can spend extra time looking at, photographing, or sketching plants, trees, or insects; or you can sit on a bench and meditate or read.

Before you set out on your own, here are a few tips:

• Wear good walking shoes. Your feet will thank you for it.
• Wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
• Bring your membership card (or sign up! You get into the Arboretum free all year long, and receive discounts in the Shop, café, on classes, and local retailers – trust me, I use mine often!).
• Bring your camera, sketchbook, journal, a book to read, and/or binoculars, depending on your preference. You might even want to bring a magnifying glass to get a closer look at flowers, bark, mosses, insects, etc.
• Bring some water or a bottle to fill up at the water fountains. You also might want to bring a small snack, such as a granola bar.
• Pack bug spray, just in case, you are out in nature after all!
• Download one or more of the various self-guided tour maps from the Morris Arboretum website.
• Bring a backpack, if needed. I tend to have enough things with me that a backpack is helpful.
• Pick up a map of the Arboretum at the Visitor Center before you get started.
• Have fun and explore!”

Treat Yourself: The Perfect Solo Outing at Morris Arboretum

Many of us visit the Arboretum with family and friends, however, have you ever treated yourself to a day out on your own? We get pulled in various directions daily by work, family, and other commitments. Sometimes we need to give ourselves a break, and find some “me” time. The Arboretum is a great place to reset your mind, rejuvenate your spirit, rekindle your creativity, and get some exercise at the same time. I recently took a “me” day at the Arboretum. Here are some of the things I did on my most recent solo outing that will hopefully inspire you to treat yourself to a day out.

• Took a morning class: I often start off a solo visit to the Arboretum with a weekend class. Learning something new is a great way to spark your inner creativity. I’ve taken classes in everything from botanical illustration and canning, to pruning and shade gardening. The atmosphere is fun and friendly, and I always meet new people with similar interests.

• Enjoyed a bite to eat at the Compton Café: The café behind the visitor center is so convenient, and saves me from having to leave the Arboretum to get food before exploring. The café offers soups, salads and sandwiches. It’s open seasonally, so check the hours before you go.

• Visited the Rose Garden: I can’t visit Morris Arboretum without stopping in the Rose Garden. It’s more than just roses. There are lots of interesting perennials and annuals in the garden beds, plus the plantings in the rock wall are fun to check out. On my visit, the place was alive with insects – all sorts of pollinators such as digger wasps, bumble bees, honey bees, tiger swallowtail butterflies, and hummingbird hawk-moths (large moths that are often mistaken for hummingbirds). I am a shutterbug, so I spent quite a bit of time taking photos of flowers and insects.
  

  

  Hummingbird Hawk-moth

  
  
  
  
• Enjoyed some quiet time: When on my own, I like to find the quiet, out of the way places. The area that encompasses the Key Fountain, Ravine Garden, Mercury Loggia, Seven Arches, and the Japanese Overlook garden is often less crowded, and you can find several peaceful places with shaded benches. I took my time sitting on as many of these benches as possible, enjoying the sounds of the birds, and breathing in the fresh air. Birds often visit the shallow water at the bottom of the Key Fountain, and there is a lovely spot to sit at the top where you can watch the bubbling water. The soothing sounds of water can also be heard from the benches across from the Mercury Loggia fountains. I also ventured into the Japanese Overlook garden, where I really enjoyed the stone formations, moss, lichen, and ferns. There is a shady, circular stone area to sit.
  

  

  Key Fountain

•  Explored a new area: I had never been to the wetland, and today seemed like a good day to check it out. To get there, I took the unpaved, woodland trail that starts next to the Fernery. As I walked this less-traveled dirt path, I saw a group of Canadian geese lazily floating down the Wissahickon Creek, and heard birds amongst the trees. As I reached the wetland, right away I could see what a peaceful, magical place it is. The bench by the pond is the perfect spot to reconnect with nature. You can hear insects in the grasses, frogs in the pond, various birds singing in the trees, and will most likely see some monarchs making their way toward the milkweed. Turtles sunbathe on rocks in the pond. I had downloaded and printed out the wetland tour from the website, and was able to read more about the history of this place and the native plants and creatures that call it home. It was the perfect way to end my “me” day at the Arboretum.
   

  

  Wetlands

 
I thoroughly enjoyed my solo day at the Arboretum and I hope I’ve inspired you to do it, too. It may seem like a luxury to treat yourself to a day at Morris Arboretum, but your mind and body will thank you for it. Taking the time to reconnect with nature can be healing, inspiring, and rejuvenating, and a lot less expensive than spending the day at the spa!

Article contributed by Kristen Bower, Guest Garden Blogger for Morris Arboretum

Hug More, Climb Less

The Arboretum’s beloved Katsura tree is renowned for its sweet, cotton candy-like aroma in summer.

 
The Arboretum is a great place for both adults and children to learn about and interact with nature, and most importantly, see some unique and beautiful trees. Kids are some of the Arboretum’s most energetic visitors. They have fun running through acres of open meadows or rolling down the hills. Some also like to climb the trees.

Climbing a tree is no doubt one of the great pastimes of childhood. Unfortunately though, not all trees are meant to be climbed, especially those at the Morris Arboretum. Most people don’t realize that the Arboretum is actually a living museum, and each of its trees is part of a very valuable collection. Many of the Morris Arboretum’s trees are some of the oldest and rarest of their kind – some are even current or former state champions. Climbing these trees, as well as the others in the garden, can stress them or even break their limbs, and can damage their bark (which acts like the trees “skin”), leaving them vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Climbing these trees, as well as the others in the garden, can stress them or even break their limbs, and can damage their bark (which acts like the trees “skin”), leaving them vulnerable to pests and diseases.

There are many ways to enjoy the trees at the Morris Arboretum without climbing them. Trees provide us with plentiful shade from the hot summer sun. On your next visit, find a big tree, sit underneath, and really notice how the temperature changes under the shade of the tree. Observe the shapes and patterns of the leaves on different trees, and look for flowers on summer-blooming varieties. Stop and take in the scent of the trees. The Arboretum’s beloved Katsura tree is renowned for its sweet, cotton candy-like aroma in summer. Take a few minutes to watch the birds, squirrels and other animals that call the trees their home.

Trees give us so many gifts and ask for little in return – all they want is some water, sun, and a bit of love. So be a “tree hugger,” not a climber on your next visit.  And make sure to find your favorite tree at the Arboretum and give it a hug!