Morris Arboretum’s Scarecrow Design Contest is back for the 13th year (spooky, right?) with the 2020 theme, “Fairy Tale ‘Crows.” Think back to your favorite fairy tales. Who was the character you liked or feared most? It’s your chance to re-create a scarecrow version of a fairy tale character for display at the Morris Arboretum. Scarecrows will be on display throughout the Arboretum from October 3 through November 1. Visitors will vote for their favorite scarecrow online to determine the winners. Top prize for the winning scarecrow is $250. Registration opens on August 31 and ends on September 25. $25 for Arboretum members, and $30 for non-members. The Arboretum supplies a frame, straw and burlap to get you started. Now is the time to register! Go to: morrisarb.org/scarecrows.

Check out Virtual Classes offered this fall

Learn about creating colorful gardens in small spaces using the cemetery’s cradle graves, which are similar to raised garden beds, as inspiration. Register now.

This class will discuss a few of the endless container gardening possibilities including herbs and vegetables, succulents, and ornamental containers for all seasons (especially fall!). Register now.

Join Jenny Rose Carey, renowned gardener, educator, historian, and author in a one-hour session to appreciate and enhance your shady garden areas. Register now.

This course combines the theoretical with the practical to help you understand some of the fundamental elements of artistic design and how to apply them to a realistic plan for your home landscape. Register now.

The Shop at Morris Arboretum is moving outside! During public hours (advance admission tickets still required) on Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13, find all the great things you love from the Shop outside under our tent behind the Visitor Center. Missing that Morris honey? We have it! Want a little something the kids can take with them to remember their amazing visit? Stop by!

We really want to make this Tent Sale special so, for these three days, members receive not the usual 10% but 20% off Shop inventory. That’s not all! Dividend plants for members will also be available during this time. Reserve tickets now.

Read Executive Director Bill Cullina’s article on seed starting on the blog.

Member Dividend Plant Distribution
Now that the Arboretum has re-opened to the public, we can distribute the 2020 Member Dividend Plants. New this year we are offering two locations and two timeframes for pick-up:

• Friday, September 11 – Sunday, September 13 at the Widener Tent (during the Shop Tent Sale)
• Thursday, September 17 – Wednesday, September 30 at the Fernery Plaza

We are keeping it simple and contactless, but an advance ticket is required. Click here to reserve a date and time from one of the dates listed above. On your selected date (and time), make your way to the distribution location at the Arboretum and take the plant of your choice. Individual, Dual, Family, Beech, and Chestnut members may select one plant per membership. Holly, Oak, Laurel, and Collectors Circle members may select two plants per membership. Remember, advance tickets (free for members) are required for admission to the Arboretum even if you are just planning to pick up your dividend plant and you do not plan to visit other areas of the garden. Any questions, email members@morrisarboretum.org.Winter Photo Contest
Beat the summer heat and think back to shots of snow-covered trees and holiday lights. Morris Arboretum wants to see how you’ve captured the magic of wintertime in our garden for a special upcoming project! Send us your best original image of a Morris Arboretum winter scene by October 1st. One winner will have their image showcased (with photo credit) on Morris Arboretum’s 2020 holiday card! The top three finalists will all receive a set of four Morris Arboretum guest passes. More information.

From the Garden to the Laboratory: Philadelphia’s Botanical Past with Chantel White, Teaching Specialist for Archaeobotany, Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM), University of Pennsylvania Museum
Friday, October 9 | 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
This class will provide participants with a behind-the-scenes look into the Penn Museum’s Archaeobotany Lab where 200-year-old plant evidence from historic Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia is currently being analyzed. Participants will learn how preserved seeds are microscopically examined and identified, and how the results from Bartram’s Garden are providing new information about the horticultural history of the city. Register now.

Fruits to Nuts: Collecting, Cleaning and Sowing Your Own Seeds with Bill Cullina, F. Otto Haas Director, Morris Arboretum
Wednesday, October 14 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am
In this workshop, Bill will cover the basics of seed collection and cleaning followed by seed sowing and overcoming dormancy, then put these practices to work with a live-streamed demonstration using representative trees, shrubs, and perennials. Register now.