07/27/2026
Since we’ve made so many new friends lately, I wanted to share our story—we are the Hartman family and we love sharing this arboretum with you.💚
Grant and Jean Hartman started the Hartman Arboretum 25 years ago as a retirement project, planting trees and gardens in the pastureland around their home. Their goal was to create a place for people to come and learn about the trees, plants, and wildlife of southwestern Indiana.
Their son, Brian Hartman, and his family live on the property as well. Brian helped design several of the gardens, oversees the maintenance of the arboretum, and serves as the President of the Board.
I’m Kaylynn McCalister, Grant and Jean’s granddaughter. I started working as Arboretum Manager about 2 years ago after my little boy, Frankie, was born. My husband, Jacob, helped me build our website and supports me in so many ways. We are expecting another baby boy in November.
We love learning about nature, collaborating with community partners, sharing the place with visitors, and getting to see our family grow here too!
The Hartman Arboretum now contains over 250 trees in our collection, with a focus on natives and seasonal color, and 6 distinct gardens, which are maintained by the Master Gardeners. We are open to the public on Thursday mornings when our volunteers are on site and for at least one public event a month. Our next event is our big Butterfly Day on August 15! We also welcome groups of all kinds for tours and educational experiences and photographers for beautiful sessions. Call or text 812-802-3039 or message here to set up a visit or learn more!
We hope you see Grant’s vision to create this place, Jean’s hospitality to invite people in, Brian’s dedication to maintaining it, and my enthusiasm for growing it every time you visit. Welcome to the Hartman Arboretum! 💚
