Rutgers Gardens Celebrates Centennial Anniversary

During Rutgers’ historic 250th year, its ‘secret garden’ turns 100

EDITOR’S NOTE: Editors are encouraged to send a reporter or photographer to cover this event. Contact Bruce Crawford, manager of Rutgers Gardens, by phone (office) 848-932-8451, (cell) 732-735-6108, or by email crawford@aesop.rutgers.edu.

The event is invitation only.

WHAT: Outdoor reception with installation of two permanent benches and a plaque to commemorate the centennial and the announcement of an exciting master plan for the next 100 years. Naming ceremony of a commemorative bearded iris hybrid ‘Centennial Charm’ developed for Rutgers Gardens’ anniversary by nationally known bearded iris breeder, Kelly Norris.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 17, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Roy DeBoer Evergreen Gardens at the Rutgers Gardens. Use Parking Area near the Log Cabin, 140 Log Cabin Road, New Brunswick, N.J.

WHO: Bruce Crawford, director of Rutgers Gardens; Bob Lyons, chair, Rutgers Gardens Advisory Board.

Photo: Todd B. Bates

BACKGROUND: The development of Rutgers Gardens began in 1916, when 35.7 acres of land – known as Wolpert Farm – was purchased on May 17, 1916, from Jacob and Celia Lipman. Today, this area of land defines the heart of the gardens, extending from the holly collection down to the Log Cabin. The area was expanded with the purchase of the Welshman Farm in 1923, which is still dedicated to research. It was further expanded in 1937, with the addition of Helyar Woods. Rutgers Gardens began as a learning space for local farmers to teach them about the new trend at the turn of the century – ornamental horticulture – and was not meant to be public. Rutgers Gardens was never denied to the public, however, and the love for and dedication to it by students, faculty and the public blossomed and along the way the gardens grew. “We don’t want to call it a secret garden anymore. It’s no longer a secret. We want people to be able to visit us once a month for the next 30 years because every time they come, they experience something different,” says Bruce Crawford, director of Rutgers Gardens. “I want this to be the place that never grows old.”

ABOUT RUTGERS GARDENS: Rutgers Gardens cultivates inquisitive minds, great plants and inspired gardening through educational exploration and enjoyment. Largely a self-sustaining operation, the botanical gardens – one of the few in the country that does not charge an entry fee – are open 365 days a year. Rutgers Gardens hosts a wide range of public activities to support over 180 acres of maintained and natural areas, and offers a diversity of educational programs for students and the public. It boasts one of the largest collections of American hollies in the U.S as well as pollinator gardens; a bamboo forest; and more than 10 other diverse, beautiful horticultural exhibits. Rutgers Gardens serves multiple roles promoting and providing accurate information about public horticulture and the connection among plants, human health and nutrition.