Carl W. Fenninger and his Holly Collection

I am always looking for new sites around Tyler Arboretum that previously have not caught my eye. Not far from the collection of birdhouses and the giant Cape May Birdhouse (one of Tyler’s treehouses), by the sign that describes the lilac collection and diversity at Tyler, I saw this stone under the shade of a nearby tree:

This certainly left me curious!  I had already learned about Tyler’s holly collection and blogged about the arboretum being an official holly arboretum, but the name Carl Fenninger did not come up in my initial search.  In addition to the information on the plaque, this is what I have learned about Mr. Fenninger:

• Elected to the Philadelphia Botanical Club in 1947
• Active member of the American Rock Garden Society (at least from years 1947-1948)
• Lecture Committee for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 1956
• Member of the American Daffodil Society in 1958 and 1959 and 1968
• Director of the American Horticultural Society (years I could not locate)
• Served for ten years as the Secretary/Treasurer of the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboretum
• Recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (March 10, 1964)
• Named an Honorary Life Member to the American Public Gardens Association in 1973

Certainly, Mr. Fenninger’s contributions extended well beyond his dedication and work with Tyler Arboretum!  What I have not yet found in my internet searching is his connection specifically to holly.  Time to keep digging (digging virtually, that is…).

 

 

 

The sabbatical comes to an end… but the journey does not!

My sabbatical at Penn State Brandywine began on July 1, 2013.  One year ago, I made a promise to myself that one of my sabbatical activities was to get to know more about Tyler Arboretum – the activities and events, the people, everything!  I have thoroughly enjoyed my time blogging about my adventures volunteering, participating in programs, and getting to know more about the fascinating history, culture, and science of this public garden.  Alas, my sabbatical time has officially ended, and now – it is back to work!  I’ll be back in the classroom this fall semester, off doing research on an oceanographic cruise, and working with students (the most rewarding part of my job).

Interestingly, before my sabbatical even came to a close, I was surprised to find several people asking me… “so what is going to happen to your blog?”  I was pleased to hear that others were hoping I would continue with stories about Tyler Arboretum.  And I certainly feel that I still have so much more to learn.  So…. the [blogging] journey will continue!  My posts will not be coming out quite as frequently, but I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned about the holly collection, and it is going to be fascinating to report what I experience at Nightfall on July 15 (such an innovative idea for Tyler!).

In the meantime, as I type this post while on a US Airways flight, look at what is mentioned in the June 2014 US Airways Magazine – a shout-out to Tyler Arboretum (in the Pushing Boundaries article on page 185)!  Let the journey continue, even from the friendly skies…

 

See my first post from one year ago – The journey begins!