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…).
Journeys of Dr. G at Tyler Arboretum 