Colonial Park Gardens

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Somerset, NJ
Colonial Park Gardens

Visit the van der Goot Rose Garden, Arboretum, Perennial Garden, and Fragrance & Sensory Garden!
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03/31/2026

Note the 2 different dates and locations for our annual Arbor Day native woody plant giveaway. We will also be joined by members of the Somerset County Native Plant Society👍

03/26/2026

Spring is here and the forsythia are blooming🏵, which means we are busy pruning our roses. Roses are pruned this time of year for health; we're removing dead, damaged, and spindly canes to increase air circulation, prevent disease, and encourage strong growth. Our very cold winter means there was a lot of winter damage! But never fear, an application of organic fertilizer and mulch will set them up for a great season. Our garden gates will open April 15th and you can expect the first few blooms of the rose 'Canary Bird' by the end of the month with peak bloom the first and second week of June🌹 Until then, enjoy the emerging signs of spring in the Arboretum and Perennial Garden, open every day from sunrise to sunset🌞

03/14/2026

Behold the first dogwood blooms of the season 🏵, from Cornus mas and Cornus officinalis 'Kintoki', a.k.a. cornelian cherry or cornel dogwood. Both can be grown as spreading multi-trunked shrubs or trained as small trees, produce bright yellow blooms two weeks before forsythia, and yield bright red oblong fruits (note some of last season's fruit in the photo) which attract birds and are edible to humans, tasting like a sour cherry. The main difference is that C. officinalis offers attractive exfoliating bark. Location-wise, C. mas is closed to the Duck Pond and C. officinalis is near the D & R Canal Bridge. Though not as showy as later-blooming Cornus florida or kousa species, these dogwoods are trouble-free and an absolute delight this time of year🏵

03/03/2026

Learn practical skills that you can implement in the care of your trees and shrubs👍
Register today:
www.somersetcountyparks.org/horticultural-programming

03/02/2026

Enjoy artwork by local artists at the Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills😃 This exhibit is open during garden hours, so if the weather permits, take a walk in this beautiful woodland rock garden. Early spring blooms are opening daily🌸

02/27/2026

Spring is on the way and the garden is emerging from a deep winter's rest. Birds are singing, snow is melting, and early flowers are emerging🌸 Enjoy cheerful blooms of Hamamelis 'Sunburst' and 'Jelena', gorgeous hybrid witch hazels growing along the garden path towards the canal bridge. In the next few days, look for other late winter/early spring flowers and bulbs, like 'Glenda's Gloss' hellebore and Galanthus nivalis, the dainty snowdrop. Put on your waterproof boots and visit soon to watch the seasons change😃The Arboretum is open every day from sunrise to sunset.

01/29/2026

Due to the weather, the Conifer Collection Tour has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 7 at 1pm. There are still a few spots left🌲 Hope to see you there😃

https://www.somersetcountyparks.org/horticultural-programming

01/23/2026

Enjoy the first new blooms of the year🤩 Hamamelis vernalis 'Autumn Embers' is a a selection of a vernal witch hazel native to the Ozark plateau (MO, AR, OK) and naturally blooms in winter🔥 Named for it's fiery colored fall foliage, 'Autumn Embers' flowers have 4 crinkly copper colored petals which curl up in the cold and unfurl on warmer days, emitting a clean and spicy fragrance, and believe it or not, attract brave pollinators🐝🪰 These blooms will last for many weeks and soon be joined by a nearby vernal witch hazel 'Purple Ribbons' and 'Sunburst', a hybrid witch hazel, with sunny yellow blooms🌞 Bundle up and enjoy the beauty of a winter garden.

01/06/2026

Bundle up and join us for a free educational tree walk. Learn how to incorporate conifers in the landscape, the history of our collection, and key identification features, such as how to tell a spruce from a fir🌲 and the definition of a pine fascicle🤔

Register now:
https://www.somersetcountyparks.org/horticultural-programming

12/21/2025

Enjoy the shortest day, longest night, and our towering Norway spruces🌲 The Arboretum is open every day, from sunrise to sunset.

11/26/2025

'Tis the season to visit our hollies and enjoy the diverse forms and foliage (or lack thereof)💚 Check out the striking ornamental fruits, especially noticable on Ilex verticillata 'Winter Gold', a deciduous winterberry holly. While poisonous to humans, they are a great winter food source for birds. Dense evergreen holly foliage is gorgeous and offers shelter and protection to birds, small mammals, and insects. Can you spot all 7 varieties of Ilex (holly) in the first image? Bonus shot of our garden cat Dolly, sitting under Ilex verticillata🐈‍⬛️🤩

11/14/2025

There is something flowering in our gardens every day of the year🌸 Stop by the Stone Cottage to enjoy a gorgeous, late season bloom from Iris 'Autumn Circus'. This tall bearded variety is deer resistant, drought tolerant, and reblooming😍

Address

156 Mettlers Road
Somerset, NJ
08873

Telephone

(908) 722-1200

Website

http://www.somersetcountyparks.org/

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