The Garden of the Garden State The NJBG/Skylands Association is pleased to announce publication of a new book about the New Jersey State Botanical Garden. Entitled Skylands – The Garden of the Garden State. The book captures the history of the original private estate and the beauty of the public garden it has become today.
“This book was lovingly crafted by people who know the Botanical Garden well, and it shows,” said Tom Grissom, Chair of NJBG’s book committee. “Our talented and dedicated team created a colorful, photo-filled homage to a wonderful public resource.”
Editors Alex Rainer, Dorothy Dobek and Linda Glasgal blended input from many different contributing writers into a well-documented narrative tracing the property’s history from gentleman’s farm to private botanical showcase, then to a religious college and finally a state park. The story is populated with the fascinating personalities who lived and visited at Skylands, where guests included J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, President Grover Cleveland, and Ethel Barrymore.
Additional chapters of the book explore the architecture of Skylands Manor, the Garden’s Tudor manor house, and the many different specialty gardens which make up the Botanical Garden. It is richly illustrated with photos from Skylands’s historic archives, as well as beautiful contemporary photography by regional talents including Joseph Cooper, Melina Fuda, Gail Hawthorne, Edwin Karr, Gene Bigliano, Maja Britton, Pauline Maniscalki, Dr. Edith Wallace, and many others.
Frank Dyer, President of the NJBG/Skylands Association, said, “With an eye to the future, we are also working to conserve the book’s historical source materials, which range from hundred-year-old magazines to antique glass plate photographs and hand-drawn architectural plans. We greatly appreciate the generous support of the Fred J. Brotherton Charitable Foundation, which has partnered with NJBG to underwrite this project.”
Skylands – The Garden of the Garden State is available for purchase at NJBG’s website, www.njbg.org, or by calling the NJBG office at 973-962-9534. Copies may also be purchased at NJBG events or during regular office hours (Tues, Wed and Fri from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm).
Copies are also being donated to local public libraries, schools and universities, to further the Association’s mission of protecting, preserving and promoting the Botanical Garden. To solicit a copy for your library or school, please call the NJBG office. The New Jersey State Botanical Garden at Skylands, which appears on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places, is open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm every day of the year. Admission to the Garden is always free. Parking is also free in the fall, winter and spring.
In 1966, the State of New Jersey purchased the 1,117 acres of Skylands as the state's first acquisition under the "Green Acres" preservation program. Governor Thomas Kean designated the central 96 acres surrounding Skylands Manor as the State's official botanical garden in 1984.
Since 1976, NJBG/Skylands Association, an incorporated, member-supported non-profit organization, has worked with the State to preserve and protect Skylands and its historic structures. NJBG sponsors volunteer gardeners, educational programs, concerts and events throughout the year at the Botanical Garden.
NJBG receives no funding from the State of New Jersey or from on-site operators. Donations and sponsorships are always appreciated.
NJBG/Skylands is located on Morris Road in Ringwood, New Jersey. For an event schedule, membership brochure, directions or more information, please call 973-962-9534 or visit www.njbg.org.
