H O Smith Botanic Gardens (6/2/2025)

Monday, June 2, 2025 (continued)

Next stop for the day was at the H O Smith Botanic Gardens, the "jewel" of the Arboretum at Penn State.

Appendage (2001, by Mark Mennin) with 
Salvia nemorosa 'Pink Profusion'/Perennial Salvia

A row of evergreens trimmed as a giant hedge

Cords are hung in front of the window to
prevent birds flying into the glass

View from the Overlook Pavilion towards the Bald Eagle Ridge

Northwest side of the Overlook Pavilion (2008-2009)

Southeast side of the Overlook Pavilion

Clematis integrifolia 'Blue Ribbons'/Solitary
Clematis with early blooms, a non-climbing variety

Solitary clematis with fuller blooms (KSS)

The Hosler Oak (Quercus alba/White Oak
planted in 2005 as the Arboretum Witness Tree)

Childhood's Gate (2014) leads to the Children's Garden

The donation box in the Children's Garden

Kent checks out a kaleidoscope aimed at flowers

The Children's Garden shed has a green roof

Aruncus dioicus/Goat's Beard

Pterourus glaucus/Tiger Swallowtail
caterpillar with false eyes

Calycanthus floridus/Carolina Allspice (KSS)

Fossil sculptures of blue Halysites coral
and brown Cladopora coral that existed in
the shallow seas, which covered central
Pennsylvania over 400 million years ago

Shell Bench in the shape of a Nautiloid, a mollusk

Joel N Myers Sundial (2011, by Mark Mennin) tells
time with different colored dots on the granite "pillows"
for Summer and Autumn, and Winter and Spring
in Mean Solar Time/MST, not in standard or daylight
savings time; it is extremely accurate if you know
how it works, otherwise it is a sculpture

Another view of the sculpture (KSS)

The Esplanade features annual plants

Round Meadow

Monarda bradburiana/Eastern Bee Balm

Dead trees are 'preserved' for the wildlife
they sustain in food and shelter

Aquilegia canadensis/Eastern Red Columbine

View of the Round Meadow from the Pollinator
and Bird Garden (KSS)

Pollinator and Bird Garden arch (KSS)

Pollinator and Bird Garden water feature with
an otter sculpture

Pollinator honey bee hives (KSS)

Anemone canadensis/Canada Anemone; love those Canadians!

Paeonia lactiflora 'Minnie Shaylor'/
Common Garden Peony

Vegetable garden

Bee Hotel for solitary bees (not honey bees)

Achillea 'Moonshine'/Yarrow

Iris sibirica/Siberian Iris in the Rose and
Fragrance Garden (KSS)

Iris germanica 'Black Suited'/Bearded Iris

Clematis 'Evipo039'/Large-flowered Clematis

Paeonia 'Canary Brilliants'/Itoh Peony

Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls'/
American Wisteria

Papaver rhoeas/Red Poppy (KSS)

Paeonia x suffruticosa 'Hua Xi Ren'/Chinese Tree Peony

Paeonia 'Old Rose Dandy'/Itoh Peony

Oasis Garden

Rodgersia pinnata 'Fireworks'/
Feather-leaf Rodgersia

Margery Enes Smith Soaring Waters Fountain (2002)

Cornus 'KN30-8'/Venus Dogwood

Marsh Meadow Boardwalk (2013)

Dr Keiko Miwa Ross Gateway to the Arboretum and Museum