Adkins Arboretum transforms landscape into works of art

By Lara Lutz

Artist Paul C'zanne expressed these thoughts more than a century ago, but he would nevertheless recognize how well they are explored today at Adkins Arboretum on Maryland's Eastern Shore. And rest assured-you don't need artistic talent to enjoy it.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre showcase of blooms and textures native to the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Located 25 miles east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Adkins is the only arboretum focused on plants native to the Eastern Shore. It's also a member of the National Park Service's Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network, a system of natural, historical and cultural sites that highlight Chesapeake region heritage.

Throughout the arboretum, a team of staff, artists and volunteers has interpreted and accented the landscape to emphasize both the beauty of the moment and the play of seasonal change.

"We draw from many disciplines to help people appreciate nature and the environment," said executive director Ellie Altman. "Art is one more way of doing that-it helps to see anew and discover beauty and wonder."

Exhibits in Adkins' art gallery rotate throughout the year. In February and March, it features top entries in the arboretum's annual art competition, which receives nature-related entries from throughout the East Coast.

During the summer, visitors will discover playful and provoking outdoor sculpture tucked into nooks of fields and forests.

Poetry workshops, films, and nature journaling also enrich the experience at Adkins, along with music performances and a book club. But the arts play a supporting role for the arboretum's primary mission: conserving the native landscape.

Nurturing the region's native plants is important because much is being lost to development. This is especially troubling because the Delmarva Peninsula hosts a wide range of species.

"This is the center of the Coastal Plain, which stretches from Florida to Maine. So species that prefer the north and species that prefer the south both tend to overlap here. We even have some overlap with Piedmont habitat, which is farther to the west," said conservation curator Sylvan Kaufman.

The arboretum protects and nurtures more than 600 species of native plants, shrubs and trees.

Before the arboretum opened in 1980, most of its 400 acres were farmland, mixed with small patches of forests. Today the forests are about a century old, filled with oak, pawpaw, river birch, holly, magnolia and ironwood trees. In warmer months, the understory swells with azaleas, may apples, laurel, pink lady slippers and cranefly orchids.

Two meadows also provide a tranquil setting for walkers. Both host a variety of wildlife, such as bobwhite quail, bluebirds, turkeys, foxes, deer and field mice.

Four miles of trails loop through the grounds on flat to mildly rounded terrain. Blockston Branch Trail is handicapped accessible, winding through a narrow stream valley that was carved by the last ice age. Bikes and leashed dogs are welcome. Winter visits, on foot or cross-country skis, are also rewarding.

"That's when you can really see the structure of the forest, and the shape of the trees," Kaufman said. "The river birch has such pretty, peeling bark. And there are great views, going deeper through the trees than you can see at other times of year."

Winter is also an excellent time to see how plants transform. Winterberry sheds its leaves to reveal red berries along the length of its branches. Milkweed has hollow pods where seeds and silk escaped into the fall winds. The cranefly orchid sends broad green leaves onto the forest floor to absorb light while the tree canopy is thin.

The winter demonstration gardens may help visitors re-think their landscaping options. Here, a pleasant combination of shapes and textures adorn plants that homeowners often hack to the ground by autumn, more from habit than necessity.

Any time of year, Adkins Arboretum offers plenty of resources to help visitors understand what they encounter and to use their knowledge at home. They offer workshops on garden design, help with plant research, and host plant sales twice a year.

"People don't always know about native plants that are excellent in the ornamental landscape and also attract beneficial wildlife," Altman said. "Homeowners who've made the switch discover many rewards year-round."

Guided walks, free with admission, take place on most Saturdays between April and November and on the first Wednesdays of those months. For self-guided tours, pick up "What's in Bloom?"-a take-along trail guide that is tailored to the season. The same information can be previewed on the arboretum's website.

An audio tour is another option, blending several local voices that describe natural and cultural history along the trails.

Adkins Arboretum plans to open a new, larger visitor's center in 2009. The center will use environmentally sustainable building techniques and enhance the nearby gardens and boardwalks. It will also, of course, feature more exhibit space, to celebrate the art and ecosystem of the Bay's Coastal Plain and to inspire those who visit.

Distributed by Bay Journal News Service