The Arboretum at Penn State

A dusting of snow added just the right touch to the winter planters and beds recently!

Congratulations to our Autumn 2020 Photo Contest winners, and thank you to everyone who submitted an entry! 1st Place Kelly Johnson 2nd Place Anita Graham 3rd Place (tie) Lynn Lysek and Chandan Akiti

We're decking the halls with nature-inspired wreaths! This amazing winter wreath features a papier-mâché great horned owl, created by Arboretum staff member Rebecca Horwitt!

A rainy autumn day in a garden can bring out colors and textures we may not notice otherwise.

Berries, berries, berries! They are an important source of food for wildlife in the winter . . . and a lovely sight to behold in the garden when leaves have fallen.

Holiday lights and trees are ready for visitors to enjoy at the Overlook Pavilion! Take some photos of yourself and friends at the displays to help spread good cheer. Remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing to help keep everyone safe.

The upper 35' to 40' of two picturesque 70-foot-tall Table Mountain pine trees are being mounted in special brackets to serve as perches for raptors in the new Pollinator and Bird Garden. Read all about this unique installation! https://news.psu.edu//two-tall-snag-trees-installed-arbore

Rhus chinensis 'September Beauty' (Chinese sumac) is in its autumn glory right now at the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens! If you are looking toward the fountain from Park Avenue, you will notice our "colony" of this deciduous shrub on the right in front of the walled gardens. Three different views are provided here.

Get ideas for autumn garden and porch décor by checking out the planters and displays at the Overlook Pavilion. The container plants are identified as "Overlook Pavilion Birch and Terra Cotta Containers and Hanging Baskets" on the list in the brochure rack next to the pavilion office door. In the next couple of weeks, we will begin changing the displays to feature winter plants.

We just finished planting! A grand total of 13,000 plants found their new homes this weekend! Thank you volunteers!!! #volunteersrock #pollinatorgarden #pollinatorslovepsu

... And they’re off! Planting resumes today for the new Pollinator and Bird Garden. 33 awesome volunteers will take the hill and install nearly 7000 plant plugs during this session. #volunteersrock #psuarborteum #pollinatorgarden #pollinatorslovepsu

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all." Stanley Horowitz

Learn the latest news about garden and museum construction and how to receive advance notice about Arboretum programs in our autumn newsletter at https://arboretum.psu.edu//2020-Autumn-Arboretum-Newslette. You can sign up to receive future newsletters on this page: https://arboretum.psu.edu/involvement/. Photo: Pond and Boardwalk taking shape in the Pollinator and Bird Garden

There is still striking foliage to view before winter winds blow!

Join Victoria DeLeo in Childhood’s Gate Children’s Garden from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2020, for an interactive program on the way insects see the plant world! This activity is appropriate for children of all ages.

Hear how the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar inspired one of the most popular sculptures with the very youngest visitors to Childhood's Gate Children's Garden. Colorful and friendly looking, this unique sculpture is large enough for several children to sit on, making it a popular photo spot in the gardens. https://tinyurl.com/y3kpuuza

Please join Paper Bird Creative & Education for "Amazing Owls" tomorrow, Saturday, October 17, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the children's garden! Learn about the adaptations native owls use to survive, including silent feathers, incredible eyesight, and sharp talons.

We would like to share with you more fall color in the gardens!