Colonial Park Gardens Receive National Accreditation

Somerset County Park Commission Colonial Park Gardens has been awarded a Level 1 Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum. 

The recognition honors Colonial Park Gardens for having achieved particular standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism.

 

Colonial Park Gardens is now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.

The 5 ½ acre Arboretum is located in the western section of Colonial Park in Colonial Park Gardens. It is comprised of over 900 specimens of trees and shrubs. The Arboretum is of interest to students of botany and horticulture as well as plant enthusiasts and park patrons and makes a beautiful backdrop for weddings and dedication ceremonies. Here visitors will find many species and varieties that are native to the United States as well as Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East. The current collection has a very well rounded representation of trees from many different taxonomic groups.  

“ArbNet accreditation is a significant accomplishment and a tribute to the dedication and talent of the Colonial Park Gardens staff, and the curation of a remarkable collection of diverse, interesting and beautiful trees and shrubs” commented Shauna Moore, Horticulture Supervisor. “With the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden having earned the ‘2015 World Federation of Rose Societies' (WFRS) Garden of Excellence Award and now the ArbNet recognition, Colonial Park Gardens can justifiably be considered one of the best gardens in the world.”

Colonial Park Gardens are located at Parking Lots A and F, 156 Mettlers Road in Somerset, (Franklin Township) New Jersey.

For information on Colonial Park Gardens call 908-722-1200, ext. 5721. 

For information on Somerset County Park Commission activities and programs visit www.somersetcountyparks.org or call 908-722-1200.