Hartman ArboretumAPRIL 2024 UPDATE: A Wildflowers in the Woods event in the Stumpery had been scheduled for Sunday, April 21, but had to be cancelled due to the Gardens receiving 3.75 inches of rain the night of Thursday, April 18 . Watch for this event in spring of 2025.
MARCH 2024 UPDATE:
Warm days spark spring fever and the Hartman crew is eager to enjoy spring at the arboretum and to share it with you. We are trying a couple innovations this season. First, we are changing our work schedule a bit to accommodate those who work throughout the week and cannot make the Thursday morning work sessions we’ve been doing for years.
Second, we are planning a spring stumpery wildflower weekend, which will be a pop-up event since Mother Nature can be full of surprises and wildflowers don’t flourish for long. Watch our Hartman Arboretum and SWIMGA Facebook pages along with your email for announcements and plan to come out to enjoy the variety of blossoms. There may be some colorful trees in bloom as well. Visitors are always welcome to drop by during our work sessions or by appointment. To make an appointment, call 812-568-3661. Spring is in the air!
OCTOBER 2023 UPDATE:
SWIMGA crew members spent one morning early in September at working to remove invasive species in and near the perennial and pollinaor gardens, concentrating primarily on Japanese chaff flowers, but also tackling Japanese stilt grass and Asian bittersweet, armed with diggers, pruners, glyphosate-filled daubers and large garbage bags.. They then ventured into the woods’ edge and around the lake. Armed with loppers and chainsaw, other members of the group worked to free trees in the arboretum from the clutches of Asian bittersweet.
By the end of the morning, they had four giant garbage bags stuffed with chaff flower and stilt grass – plus additional golfcart loads piled with knotweed and other unbagged weeds. The bittersweet vines that were removed created additional trips to the burn pile.
Another Thursday work day was dedicated to placing leaf mulch in several gardens – the two wildlife gardens, pollinator garden, moonflower gardens and memorial garden. One member contributed an 18-ft. long trailer heaped with beautiful shredded, partly rotted leaf mulch. It was all hands on deck for another full morning of unloading and distributing the mulch to provide a good blanket for winter garden protection and weed barrier.
Butterflies and pollinators are still visiting and we still anticipate school visitors this fall as well. And of course, anyone is welcome to visit on Thursday mornings when our MG crew is present or to arrange other times by calling the Hartmans at (812) 963-5418 to arrange a convenient date and time to visit.
Saturday, August 19, 2023 was a fun-filled day of learning at Hartman Arboretum’s annual Butterfly Day, with kids of all ages enjoying the beautiful day as the butterflies flitted about. From 10:30 am to 2 pm, a steady stream of visitors was able to witness every stage of butterfly life. On display were larvae and chrysalises along with a few emerging butterflies who dried their wings and took flight. Master Gardeners provided information about nectar plants and various host plants for different kinds of butterflies. Guests were also educated on many other pollinators in the gardens that day, including several different bees, hover flies and more. Children also enjoyed a scavenger hunt through the gardens and took home some flowers, wildlife, and butterfly stickers as rewards. The arboretum is open to visitors most Thursday mornings when the MG crew is present or by calling the Hartmans at (812) 963-5418 to arrange a date and time.
The Hartman Arboretum was founded in 2001 to provide an outdoor classroom for schoolchildren, as well as a place where other visitors could enjoy nature and learn about the diversity of trees and shrubs found in Southern Indiana. Their website is: http://www.hartmanarboretum.org/ For more information call Hartman Arboretum at 812-963-5418.
Areas of interest include the Wildlife Garden which was planned and developed by master gardeners and includes nectar and host plants for a multitude of butterflies. Other features include a hydrangea collection, an espalier wall of crabapples, a “stumpery” woodland garden, groves of young oaks and fall color trees, a collection of spring blooming trees, a wild meadow, a collection of “under-story trees” that grow in the woods below the leaf canopy, a collection of shrubs, a blueberry patch and a memorial garden.
The Arboretum has about 500 trees of all varieties, including 17 different Redbud cultivars and 18 types of Oaks. Other areas of interest include the Wildlife Garden which was planned and developed by Master Gardeners and includes nectar plants and host plants for a multitude of butterflies.
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