When I began working at Landis as a horticulturist in 1998, the Horticulture Committee issued a moratorium: we could not plant plants at the Arboretum! You might wonder why, but the grounds had fallen into disrepair, plantings had been declining, and there were many dead trees throughout the Arboretum. Fred Lape’s curated collections were suffering from neglect. The Rhododendron Collection, for example, was ravaged by deer and almost completely overrun with invasives.
Buildings needed long overdue repairs, and it was difficult to keep up with maintaining the trails and mowing the open areas. Due to limited funds and lack of resources, we simply couldn’t take care of what we already had.
Over the course of the first three years of my employment, I worked to restore these often unique plantings and managed to bring many specimens back to life. I removed dead trees and started to incorporate the horticultural health practices that our employees still use today. Three years later, in 2001, the moratorium was lifted, and the first new plants were installed at Landis. The Arboretum’s Northeastern Oak Collection is just one success story, and it is nationally recognized by the American Public Garden Association.
In 1998, we had 97 acres of land and only about two miles of hiking trails. The Fred Lape Trail passed through the collections, and the Woodland Trail led visitors past the 400-year-old Great Oak, which became Landis’ logo. After we had stabilized most of the collections, we moved toward creating new trails to utilize more of the Landis Arboretum property and highlight its natural features. This initiative led to the development of the Willow Pond Trail, Acorn Trail, Pioneer Trail, and, later, the Ancient Forest Trail and the Waterfall Trail. Today we boast around ten miles of maintained trails for hikers of all levels. Our now nearly 300 acres are open to visitors from dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.
At that time, the buildings also needed work. The historic barn was one snow storm away from falling down. Trustees, spearheaded by Herm Finkbeiner, raised capital funds to save the building. It was structurally secured and professionally painted, and a new roof was installed. The 1850s Farmhouse was also badly in need of structural repairs. The basement was continually damp, and the house itself had a musty smell.
The Meeting House was “rustic,” to say the least. From inside, you could see daylight coming through the boarded walls, and frequently bees -- and sometimes birds -- got trapped inside. The building was often mouse-infested. The signature “million dollar view” we enjoy today from the Meeting House was non-existent because there weren’t any windows facing that side of the valley, and there was no deck. The building did have a unique sliding barn door that we occasionally opened during events to showcase the potential of the site. [See below for pictures of renovation efforts.] In addition, our Greenhouse Building, Propagation Room, and Harkness Library Classroom needed attention.
Over the past decade, the help of our Board of Trustees, members, volunteers, and staff, combined with generous grants and donations, has allowed us to make the Arboretum what it is today: a distinctive public garden and a destination for the arts and nature education. Most recently, the philanthropy of the Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation has funded substantial renovations to all of the Arboretum’s buildings. Those renovations are highlighted in the Landis’ 2024 Annual Report, available on the website.
This year, we are making an extra push to improve our horticultural collections, both the historical plantings by Fred Lape and George Landis and the newly installed trees and gardens, which will include a handicap accessible garden. We have already been busy this winter pruning some of our heritage trees and are planning to landscape the areas adjacent to the Nicholas J. Juried Pavilion and Meeting House.
Looking back over my 30-year tenure at the Arboretum, I am proud and grateful to have witnessed how “our garden has grown” – and continues to grow -- and in knowing that Landis will be here for future generations to enjoy.
The recent updates to the Nicholas J. Juried Meeting House were accomplished with many hours of volunteer time and expertise. In the pictures below you see the stalwart team that made it all happen.
