2012 Year in Review - The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College

The green roof on theWister Center in 2012VISITOR BROCHURES: Given the multiple ways and reasons visitors come to the campus-arboretum,we provide free brochures in brochure boxes in many gardens and collections. The 25 titlesoffered included: Hydrangea Collection, Cherry Border, Peonies, The Isabelle Cosby Courtyard,Dean Bond Rose Garden, Historic Trees, Holly Collection, Pollinator Garden, Crum Woods, TheOrganic Lawn Initiative, Introductory Tour, Green Design, The Winter Garden, Art in the Garden,Scott Outdoor Amphitheater, The Wister Education Center and Greenhouse, The James R. FrorerHolly Collection, Ornamental Grasses, A Cast of Conifers, Native Trees for the Home Landscape,and Crum Woods Trails. An estimated 3,000-4,000 brochures were distributed in 2012.8 ProgramsWINTER CELEBRATION: The 31st Winter Celebration was held on January 14 in the ScienceCenter. Following Michael Petrie’s presentation, the 125 who attended enjoyed the donation baraccompanied by hors d’oeuvres. This event is designed to educate while providing a social gatheringand is not designed as a fund-raising event.WISTER EDUCATION CENTER: Since the Wister Center opened in the fall of 2009, volunteershave used it 5-6 half days a week: Mondays – flower arrangers, Tuesday and/or Wednesday afternoons– Greenhouse volunteers; and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings by gardeningvolunteers. Reviewing the calendar for the Gillespie Room for the year, 170 events, meetings,classes, and workshops were scheduled during the year – 55 of these were in support of Collegefunctions and departmental meetings. At the close of FY 11-12, the debt on the building fund stoodat $127,327, with the remainder due by June 2014.WOODY PLANT CONFERENCE: On July 25 the 16th Woody Plant Conference drew 420 forthe day-long event, which was held at Villanova University due to ongoing renovations in the LangPerforming Arts Center. Speakers included: Heidi Hesselein, Greg Hoover, Andrea Jones, DarylKobesky, Tom Ranney, and Scott Weidensaul. The planning committee was chaired by Julie Jenney,and involved six co-sponsoring organizations.WORKSHOPS: Hands-on opportunities to learn are a mainstay of our educational efforts. In 2012,nine workshop sessions were held covering topics of chocolate with Nancy Stiebitz; pruning withThomas Hawkins; the botany of beer with Dan Shaw and Julie Jenney; the botany of gin withMeredith Maciolek; cultivating cool-season edible containers with Josh Coceano; and greenwreaths. Altogether 204 participated in these workshops.WWW.SCOTTARBORETUM.ORG: In 2012 the Scott Arboretum website had a total of 1,905,228hits (compared to 1,187,532 in 2011), representing 127,409 visits. The Woody Plant Conferencewebsite (www.woodyplantconference.org) had 48,641 hits representing 13,317 visits, and thePerennial Plant Conference website had 68,810 hits representing 16,946 visits. Blogs, “GardenSeeds,” were viewed 132,556 times in 2012 (compared to 99,281 in 2011).