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Newsletters
Our membership newsletter is issued two times per year and includes details about the Arboretum's latest planting projects and plant accessions. The newsletter highlights Partners program volunteers and provides information about upcoming events hosted by the Delaware Valley College and the Henry Schmieder Arboretum.
To download the latest newsletter, please click on the following link (Please note: the following document requires Adobe Reader. To download Adobe Reader free-of-charge, visit Adobe's website).
Please feel free to contact the Arboretum staff with any questions. We may be reached at the following contact information:
The Henry Schmieder Arboretum
of Delaware Valley College
700 East Butler Avenue
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-489-2283
Fax: 215-489-2404Dr. Barbara Muse
Arboretum Director
215-489-2287
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)Mary Boyle
Arboretum Horticulturalist
215-489-2366
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)Sharon Haddon
Administrative Secretary
215-489-2283
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Please click on the link below to view the registration form for the Spring 2010 Henry Schmieder Arboretum presentation (Please note: the following document requires Adobe Reader. To download Adobe Reader free-of-charge, visit Adobe's website).
The Founders Lectures are free to Schmieder Arboretum members and current Delaware Valley College students. Nonmembers are invited to attend at a cost of $5 for each lecture. No registration is necessary for the Founders Lectures.
This season's Founders Lectures will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings in Room 114 Mandell Building (Smart Classroom).
Elements of Creative Gardening:
Experience, Observation and Imagination
PLEASE NOTE: THIS PRESENTATION HAS BEEN CHANGED
Rick Darke • Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Wednesday, April 21, 2010
7:30 p.m. • Mandell 114
Members: Free | Nonmembers: $5 | DelVal Students: Free
Note: All other presentations are free.
Reception in Mandell lobby begins 6:45 p.m.
Book-signing immediately follows the presentation.
How can we best bring our experience, our powers of observation and our imagination to the making of uniquely inspired, sustainable landscapes? Rick Darke will explore the essential elements of creative design by looking at a wide array of global gardens and regional habitats.
Rick heads a Pennsylvania-based consulting firm focused on landscape ethics, photography and contextual design. His work blends art, ecology and cultural geography in the creation and conservation of livable landscapes. His projects include scenic byways, transportation corridors, corporate and collegiate campuses, conservation developments, botanical gardens and private residential landscapes. Rick’s work has been featured on National Public Radio and is reflected in his many books, including The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest and The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes. His latest book, an expanded edition of William Robinson’s classic, The Wild Garden, was published in November 2009 by Timber Press.
Moss Magic
David E. Benner • Wednesday, March 24, 2010
7:30 p.m. • Mandell 114
Are you tired of mowing, fertilizing, and watering the lawn? We will learn about the establishment of moss lawns and how they can be grown in shade areas with no weeds, no mess, no watering, no mowing, no fertilizing, and almost no maintenance.
In 1962, Dave Benner was a pioneer in developing moss lawns to replace grass in shady areas. The Benner property has been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers, and books. Pictures of the unique moss lawns and native wildflowers have graced the pages of such publications as Architectural Digest, Country Gardens, Taylor’s Guide to Natural Gardening, American Nurseryman, and most recently, House and Garden magazine. Through the years, Dave has become a sought after lecturer who has spoken to various horticultural societies, arboreta and garden clubs up and down the east coast. He is currently the Botanical Consultant for Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve.
Dave was a faculty member at Delaware Valley College and taught in the Ornamental Horticulture Department for 22 years before retiring in 1989.
Bonsai
Chase Rosade • Wednesday, April 7, 2010
7:30 p.m. • Mandell 114
Chase Rosade will provide a fascinating display and lecture demonstration on the development of Bonsai from general nursery stock. Eight to ten Bonsai will be displayed along with an explanation as to how these Bonsai are grown. The demonstration will show how to style a Bonsai through pruning and the use of wire as well as directions for the general care of Bonsai. Questions and discussion will follow.
Chase Rosade is a Bonsai artist, lecturer, teacher, and grower. In 1963, he had the opportunity to apprentice Bonsai with Kyozo Yodshida of Nara, Japan. After returning to the United States, Chase started teaching and lecturing on Bonsai. In 1970, the Rosade Bonsai Studio, located in New Hope, opened its doors. Chase has given programs for hundreds of Bonsai clubs on this continent. He has traveled the world and has been a judge and major guest speaker at several international conventions, including those in Indonesia, New Zealand, and India. Chase received a B.S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College.
The Winterthur Garden
John Feliciani • Wednesday, April 28, 2010
7:30 p.m. • Mandell 114
This presentation will provide a seasonal visual tour of the world famous Winterthur Garden, located outside of Wilmington, Delaware. The focus will be on H. F. du Pont's use of color.
John Feliciani is the Curator of Horticulture and Director of the Horticulture Department at Winterthur, where he has been employed full time for 38 years. He is the fourth generation in his family to work at Winterthur and started working in the Winterthur cut flower garden, along with his father and grandfather, at age 10. John received a B.S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Delaware.
Members Plant Swap
Monday, May 10, 2010
5 – 7 p.m. • All Purpose Room, Student Center
Always a favorite, this is the opportunity for members to exchange their favorite or most unusual perennials, trees, shrubs or groundcovers with those of other gardeners. Even if you come to the Swap plant-less, you’ll get a chance to go home with some new plants! This is a juried event, so please remember that weedy, rampant-growing, or invasive species will not be accepted, but the more unusual or choice plants that you bring, the more opportunities you gain to select plants!
- Seasonal gardening
- Events planning and hosting
- Planning and staffing our booth at the annual Bucks Beautiful Garden Fair
- Our Members Plant Swap
- Our annual display at the world-famous Philadelphia Flower Show
Benefits of becoming a Partners Volunteer
The Arboretum offers our volunteers the opportunity to learn from faculty and staff, enjoy an annual trip to a local garden-related site, an annual thank-you luncheon and picnic and receive a discount at The Market (Shadybrook's Market at DelVal)
How to Volunteer
If you are interested in joining our Partners Program, please call the Arboretum at 215-489-2283 or e-mail us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Join us as a Member of the Henry Schmieder Arboretum. Benefits include Spring & Fall "Gold Leaves" Membership Newsletters, free admission to all Founders Lectures, 2 guest passes for Founders Lectures, discounted admission for Arboretum Presentations and a 10% discount at The DelVal Farm Market.
To join, simply download our Membership Application, fill out and mail with your contribution.
Henry Schmieder Arboretum Membership Application
The Arboretum offers both spring and fall programs. These events include lectures by local and nationally-known speakers, as well as workshops, tours, and plant swaps:- Spring and Fall lectures and workshops
- Philadelphia Flower Show in early March -- Delaware Valley College has exhibited for over 50 years!
- Bucks Beautiful Garden Fair in March -- Community festival held annually at the college includes Arboretum booth offering herbs, forced bulbs and related items for sale
- Plant Swap for members in May
- Poinsettia Trials in November
Click on the link below to view the Spring 2009 Henry Schmieder Arboretum Program Schedule (Please note: the following document requires Adobe Reader. To download Adobe Reader free-of-charge, please visit Adobe's website).
The Arboretum is open for public admission at no charge. Arboretum and grounds are open daily from dawn until dusk.
Visitors should check-in at our Security Office upon arrival. The Security Office is located by the college's main entrance off of Route 202. Call for information and guided-tour fee. Greenhouses are open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Please click on the links below to view maps of the Henry Schmieder Arboretum.
Since this is a college campus, visitors are welcome to enjoy a self-guided tour seven days a week - any day of the year! There is no entrance fee. Visits, however, are limited to the hours between dawn and dusk. All visitors must stop in first at our Security Building, where you will receive a temporary parking pass and maps for a self-guided tour.
Guided tours of the Henry Schmieder Arboretum are limited and available only by appointment. To make an appointment and request a fee schedule, please contact Sharon Haddon at 215-489-2283.
Our special collections include:- Beech Collection
- The Bieberfeld Oak Woods
- Gazebo Annuals Garden
- John Herbst Winter Walk
- Hillman Family Garden
- Iris and Peony Garden (redesigned and renovated in 2004-2005)
- Lois Burpee Herb Garden
- Martin Brooks Conifer Collection
- Rose Garden (redesigned and renovated in 2003)
- Rock Garden
- 1920s Cottage Garden
- Woodland Walk
Enjoy these and many other garden areas that display native and exotic plants.
Plantings in various parts of the Arboretum change with the seasons. There is always something new to see!Seasonal Interest at the Henry Schmieder Arboretum
- Spring - Masses of daffodils, tulips and pansies, woodland ephemerals and our exceptional collection of flowering trees
- Summer - Colorful seasonal plantings, including annuals, perennials and even some tropicals, all of which complement the green of trees, shrubs and lawn.
- Fall - Foliage color intensifies as green fades and reds, oranges and yellows glow on the numerous old trees and specimen plants. Many of our gardens sport shrubs and grasses and native perennials that become the stars of our autumn display.
- Winter - The pastoral setting includes old barns and centuries-old buildings that are often best enjoyed after the leaves have dropped and the structures become more prominent
Our campus is open and free for self-guided tours from dawn to dusk every day of the year. Please stop by our Security building first to pick up a walking-tour map and visitor parking permit (parking can be limited when classes are in session, and all cars must be identified by a Delaware Valley College hang tag). Our self-guided tour covers approximately two miles in a loop around the 60-acre main campus. Most areas are wheelchair accessible.
If you visit during the week when classes are in session, you can stop by our Arboretum office in the Greenhouse Complex. Please call 215-489-2283 or 215-489-2366 to let us know that you will be stopping by.
Guided tours are available on a limited basis. A per-person fee is charged. Please call Sharon Haddon at 215-489-2283 for more information.
The purpose of the Henry Schmieder Arboretum is to complement and enhance the mission of the Department of Ornamental Horticulture and Environmental Design and Delaware Valley College, emphasizing scholarship with applied experience.
The Arboretum's primary mission is education through the display of common and unusual plants in pleasing combinations and ideascapes. The Arboretum serves as an outdoor laboratory for teaching and research. Lecture series, workshops, tours, industry events and involvement in community beautification and betterment further the Arboretum's educational mission and its role as a horticulture resource for the college, industry and region.
The concept of our campus-wide Arboretum dates back to the founding of Delaware Valley College as the National Farm School in 1896. The school's founder, Joseph Krauskopf, included an arboretum in the original plans for the school. However, it was not until 1966 that the Arboretum, under the stewardship of Horticulturist David Benner, was recognized and named.
The Arboretum is named in honor of Henry Schmieder, a faculty member of the college from 1921 to 1964. He was a gifted teacher and a Renaissance man who taught an amazing variety of subjects in liberal arts, science and agriculture. His brilliance as a teacher and his depth of knowledge embodies the spirit that is Delaware Valley College. He was described by Joshua Feldstein, President Emeritus of the College and a student and colleague of Henry Schmieder as "a man with an intensely inquiring mind; a man who never ceased to be a student of the life he found everywhere about him."
At the time of his death, Henry Schmieder was cataloging the Arboretum collection and had plans for its expansion to make the campus a living resource for students, the community and the horticulture industry.
Welcome to the Henry Schmieder Arboretum of Delaware Valley College, a horticultural jewel in the heart of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Just west of Doylestown, the Arboretum encompasses 60 acres of Delaware Valley College, a four-year college with a long tradition of practical horticultural education.
The Arboretum complements the mission of the college's Department of Ornamental Horticulture and Environmental Design by providing a living laboratory of mature trees and remnant native woodland. The Arboretum's designed gardens serves as a "green resource" for the surrounding community.
Seasonal beauty combines with the Georgian architecture of many of the college's buildings to make the Henry Schmieder Arboretum a pleasant location here in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia.
Click here for the Spring 2010 Arboretum Brochure (please note: the preceding document requires Adobe Reader. To download Adobe Reader free-of-charge, please visit Adobe's website).