Under the Canopy

This article was published in the March 2021 issue of Warrenton Lifestyle magazine.

A creek runs through Rady Park Arboretum in Warrenton, Virginia

Nestled within a group of neighborhoods on the northwest side of Warrenton at the end of Fauquier Road is Rady Park Arboretum. Upon arrival, visitors emerge into a forested garden landscape, complete with gentle streams and winding pathways that lead to garden beds showcasing an array of mostly native Virginia shrubs and trees. The arboretum serves as both a sanctuary and a classroom to community members and nature enthusiasts alike.

While the park itself is managed by Warrenton Parks and Recreation, the arboretum portion was created as a demonstration project and is maintained by Fauquier and Rappahannock County Master Gardener volunteers under the auspices of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Office. The Master Gardeners developed a variety of landscapes within a section of the park that exemplify how mostly Virginia-native woody plants can be used – both aesthetically and practically – by landowners in the region. Co-project leaders are Mary McGee and Winny Buursink.

Buursink explains that this arboretum is unique. It is set up in a public park, and not as a seperate stand-alone entity. It also demonstrates to the homeowner plants in a garden setting. “In [many] arboretums you see all the plants in a row, as in a museum,” she says. “Here, we put them in context of the garden; as if you were to take a painting from a museum and put it in a living room with furniture around it, we plant a tree with shrubs and plants around it so you can see what it would look like in your garden rather than in a stiff, formal setting.” This method of showcasing the plants both helps other gardeners to understand and visualize their own landscapes and provides a beautiful setting for parkgoers to enjoy.

Promoting Health and Well-being by Restoring Nature

Stumps from ash trees lost to an infestation of emerald ash borer are left along the creek to reduce soil erosion

In recent years, the arboretum lost a number of large ash trees to an infestation of emerald ash borer, a beetle that has killed over one hundred million ash trees in North America by feeding on the inner bark of the trees, rendering them unable to transport water and nutrients. “This park had about 20 ash trees taken down, especially around the playground, and ash trees are huge shade trees, so we lost a lot of tree canopy,” says Buursink.

In the fall of 2019, the park received a grant from the PATH foundation to replace trees that had been lost to the beetle infestation. When applying for the grant, the Master Gardeners cited mental health as a primary reason for restoring trees on the property. “I found studies about how much tree canopy influences people’s mental wellbeing,” says Buursink. Studies on this topic abound, each finding similar positive correlations between increased tree canopy and improved mental health. “So,” Buursink says, “restoring the tree canopy is what we’re trying to do.”

Using the money received from the grant, Master Gardeners have been able to plant beech, catalpa, elm, maple, pecan and oak trees, each selected either because they were a good match for the soil conditions at the planned planting locations or because they are known to be resistant to disease, such as the Dutch elm disease. So far, the trees are thriving and have garnered great interest from park visitors.

Obedient Plant, Physostegia Virginians, is a Virginia-native plant that blooms in September and is a great late-season source of nectar for native pollinators

A Lifeline During COVID

Natural spaces such as the Rady Park Arboretum have been especially critical throughout the COVID pandemic, during which many people have relied on public outdoor spaces to relieve stress and maintain their physical and mental health. Buursink states that she has noticed an influx of individuals who simply come to enjoy the solace that can be found within the peaceful landscape of the arboretum. “During the pandemic, for a lot of people, this [has been] their lifeline,” she says.

The outdoor space also provides a comfortable setting for safe social interaction. McGee says that she has noticed visitors using the space to safely gather in small groups with friends and family for celebrations that can no longer take place indoors. “I saw a little kid, about three, that was having his birthday,” she says. “The parents had brought in a little tent and hammock…and they had it all set up. There were presents and there were just a few people. It was all done according to the COVID recommendations, and I thought, ‘Wow, that is a major use of the park.’”

Education and Resources

The arboretum is not only open for observation – there also are educational tools and programs provided by Master Gardener volunteers that are available to the public at no cost. And, these services even extend beyond the bounds of the park. “We have pamphlets, and we have the resources of the help desk,” says McGee. “If you have a plant that’s not doing well, you can call the help desk any weekday at 540.341.7950 #1 and they will try to provide you with an answer. They can come and test your soil, or you can do it yourself and bring in a sample at the Extension Office at 24 Pelhan Street in Warrenton. We also give guided tours of the arboretum, and we usually have at least one event per year here.”

“Another great teaching tool is the website that we have,” says Buursink. “The plants are all labeled with the common name, Latin name and origin, and a QR code.” The QR code allows users to scan the codes correlated with the plants they are viewing using a phone or tablet to get information straight to their device from the website.

Persimmon trees are known for their thick, square bark, sometimes referred to as alligator skin

And, while the Master Gardener volunteers are full of valuable knowledge that they are eager to share, the arboretum still continues to provide new teachings even for them. “Occasionally we have failures,” says McGee. “I think just like any garden, we’ve found a couple of trees that just didn’t make it. And that’s a learning experience too. I actually have not removed them from the website because I think that’s part of what [people] need to know.”

As far as the public is concerned, the educational and recreational opportunities the park provides have proven to be highly valued. “We had one little boy whose father is a professional fundraiser,” says McGee, “and [the father] wanted to instill in the child the idea of giving. The two of them came and presented us with a check. They said that they wanted to do it because the little boy enjoyed coming to the park and playground, and he loved walking around over where the trees are. That’s the kind of feeling we normally get from people.”

Learn more about the Rady Park Arboretum at plantsmap.com/organizations/rady-park-arboretum.

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Painting in Warrenton