Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands

Oct 6^th - Join New Jersey's State Mycologist Glenn Freeman for a mushroom walk. [10-noon]

Oct 20^th - Superb birder John Maret leads a fall bird walk, concentrating on fall migrants. [8:30-11 am]

Important open space question on November 6th ballot: We urge you to get out and vote YES on Public question #2 - the Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres and Historic Preservation Act of 2007. If passed, it will authorize the state to issue $200 million in bonds to fund the state's Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT) programs for one year. GSPT is New Jersey's primary preservation funding source - it preserves open space, and protects farmland and historic places. Since its establishment in 1998, in partnership with nonprofit organizations and local and county open space programs, the GSPT has preserved hundreds of thousands of acres throughout the state. It was a key source of funding for the preservation of the Princeton Nursery Lands. Passage of this bill is critical for the funding of future restoration efforts at the Mapleton Preserve!

Historic preservation funds received from Middlesex County: The South Brunswick Township Historic Preservation Commission recently received a $75,000 grant from Middlesex County for preparation of a preservation plan for the Propagation House and a stabilization plan for the two cold storage warehouses. Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands thanks Middlesex County for this badly needed funding! The preservation plan paves the way for future restoration, if suitable and timely funding can be obtained.

In Memoriam: William Flemer, III passed away on April 22, 2007 at the age of 85. He was president of Princeton Nurseries from 1972 until 1992 in partnership with his brother, John W. Flemer, who died in 1982. Princeton Nurseries was founded in Kingston in 1913 by their grandfather, William Flemer, Sr. In its heyday, it encompassed 1,200 acres in Kingston, Plainsboro, West Windsor, Princeton and South Brunswick and was the largest nursery in the United States. William Flemer, III helped the nursery achieve international renown through his innovative selection of improved cultivars of shade and flowering trees; he held patents on more than 45 trees, shrubs and vines. Some of his best known introductions are the Princeton Sentry Ginkgo, October Glory Red Maple, Shademaster Honey Locust, Green Vase Zelkova, and Snow Queen Hydrangea.

While Mr. Flemer will be best remembered for his many plant introductions, he was also active in many nursery industry associations. Over the years, he served as president of both the New Jersey and the American Association of Nurserymen, the Eastern Regional Nurseryman's Association, the National Association of Plant Patent Owners, and the International Plant Propagators Society. He was a fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society, served as chairman of the U.S. National Arboretum Advisory Board and was a member of the board of directors of the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. He was named the Nursery Management Professional (NMPRO) Nursery Grower of the Year in 1998.

Locally, he served as president of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association from 1956 to 1966, and was an avid naturalist and birder. He wrote several books and articles on plants and nursery work, and received many prestigious awards for his life's work, including the Hall of Fame Award from the American Association of Nurserymen, the Gold Veitch Memorial Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society and the Medal of Honor from the Garden Club of America. The son of the late William Flemer, Jr. and Emma W. Flemer, he is survived by Elizabeth S. Flemer (his wife of 58 years); children William Flemer IV, Louise Gross and "Heidi" Hesselein, and nine grandchildren. He was buried in the Flemer family plot in the Kingston Cemetery, and will be missed by the many people whose life he has touched. We mourn the passing of this fine man.

Princeton Nurseries Allentown projects closing of operations in 2010: At its June 2007 Board of Directors Meeting, the owners of Princeton Nurseries in Allentown, NJ voted to conduct a carefully structured phase out of all Nursery operations over the next three years. Princeton Nurseries has 1,820 acres in Upper Freehold, and an additional 700 acres in Hamilton, Chesterfield and North Hanover. About 270 acres of it is in the Farmland Preservation Program; the company's remaining acreage in the township is zoned for either agricultural or residential use. This has left local residents nervous about future developments, as Princeton Nurseries is the largest landholder in the area. Princeton Nurseries has expressed an interest in maximizing the amount of land that will be kept as farmland and open space, but are keeping their options open at this time. According to a recent article in the Asbury Park Press, Princeton Nurseries has had preliminary contacts with a variety of interested parties, from nursery, development, and preservation groups, and is concentrating on gradually shutting down the business. Millions of trees, shrubs and flowers remain on the property.

Eagle Scout project at Flemer Arboretum: Kingston resident Greg Varga devoted much of this spring to an Eagle Scout project at Mapleton Preserve. Under the supervision of Stephanie Fox (Naturalist for the D&R Canal State Park), Greg, with the assistance of 25 volunteers, worked to clear and restore a corner of the Princeton Nursery Lands known as the Flemer Arboretum. After surveying the site last winter and dividing the area to be cleared into sections, Greg began pruning, removing brush, and pulling out stumps. The goal was to expose the plantings that were left behind when Princeton Nurseries left the site in the 1990's. Witch hazel, Forest Pansy Redbuds, crab apples and other flowering trees were liberated from a shroud of poison ivy, bittersweet, grape and Virginia creeper. Many thanks to Greg and all of his volunteers for their hard work - between them a total of 518 hours were spent on the project. Greg is now off to college, but hopes that another Scout will take up where he left off. (We do, too!)

William Flemer, IV (a member of the Flemer family who founded the legendary Princeton Nurseries) led a recollection session with past Princeton Nurseries employees. It was a lively and moving event, especially poignant given the recent passing of William Flemer, III the week before. The 46 people who attended were treated to stories from 29 alumni from the Princeton Nurseries Kingston site (many of them shown in the photo to the right). John Kneip presented historic slides of the Nurseries' operation. At the end of the day, a Flemer-introduced tree was planted in the Flemer arboretum - a 'Princeton Snow Cloud' Cherry donated by Princeton Nurseries in Allentown, NJ. This continues their tradition of donating specimens for the Flemer Arboretum. Many thanks to all who shared their memories and to Gene Lennon, Bill Flemer and Doug Miller for the sound system and videotaping of the proceedings. Photo of Princeton Nurseries "Alumni" at the FPNL Arbor Day Recollection Session -Tari Pantaleo

Annual Meeting: For FPNL's annual meeting in June, Henry (Hank) Schannen, of the RareFind Nursery presented a lecture/ slide show entitled "Rhododendrons and Azaleas in New Jersey: It's Easier Than You Think". The event was a real treat! Hank Schannen is a plants-man extraordinaire and is a walking rhododendron encyclopedia - his expertise in this area is reflected by the fact that his business, RareFind Nursery in Jackson, NJ (http://www.rarefindnursery.com), offers over 200 varieties of rhododendrons and 130 varieties of deciduous and evergreen azaleas. The slides he showed were visually stunning, his stories were fascinating and he provided handouts and information on planting and growing these beautiful plants. Photo "Four Kings Azalea" by David Royster

Butterfly walk: The butterflies of the Princeton Nurseries Kingston Site were showcased in July at a butterfly walk led by Frank Bader. We found 12 species of butterflies, including Tiger and Black Swallowtails, Orange Sulphurs, Grey Hairstreaks, Eastern Tailed-Blues, Little Wood Satyrs, Sooty Wings, a Common Wood Nymph, Monarchs (and their color-mimics, the Viceroy) and of course, the ubiquitous Cabbage White. The leader for this walk "knows" his butterflies - he has organized and compiled the results of the Mercer Butterfly Count since 2003. Many thanks to our second (impromptu) leader Dave Demarco, and kudos to Tasha O'Neill for providing press photos that drew 50 people to this event on a beautiful summer's day. Monarch butterfly - Photo by Tasha O'Neill

Would you prefer to receive the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands Newsletter via email?

If so, please send us an email telling us so to: karen.linder@bru.bracco.com. You'll be helping us to save paper, ink and postage; funds that would then be freed to achieve our preservation goals.

Oct 6^th: Mushroom Meander. Join Glenn Freeman and the Friends of Princeton Nursery Lands for a "mushroom meander" at Kingston's Mapleton Preserve, on Saturday, Oct. 6^th from10 am-noon. The event will be held rain or shine. Dr. Freeman is the New Jersey State Mycologist and a fungus fanatic. He really knows mushrooms and delights in sharing his knowledge with others. Participants will explore various Preserve habitats in search of mushrooms and puffballs. As with all FPNL excursions, the group will tune in to birds, wildflowers and other natural phenomena en route. Meet at the D & R Canal State Park's Kingston office (145 Mapleton Road) at 10 am. Call 609-683-0483 for further information and directions. Registration is NOT required and admission is FREE!

Nov 3^rd (Saturday): Birding at the Preserve: Arlene Oley, volunteer naturalist with the NJ Audubon Society, and Stephanie Fox, the D&R Canal State Park naturalist, will be exploring the Mapleton Preserve and the adjacent protected lands. Beginner birders and budding naturalists are encouraged to come and ask questions as the two search out our avian friends and enjoy the outdoors in the autumn season. Interested participants are asked to meet at the Kingston D&R Canal State Park Headquarters at 10:00 am (145 Mapleton Road) and be prepared for a 1½ hour walk. The program is appropriate for all ages. It is free but Pre-registration is required (609-924-5707). Weather permitting.

Nov 17^th(Saturday): Know the Bear Facts: Special guest speaker Michelle Rugierro of NJ Fish and Wildlife will be at the Kingston Office of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park to provide an enlightening program on Black Bears in New Jersey. Her presentation will cover the natural history of bears in our state, the results of past and current bear research, and practical information on the best ways to coexist with these native inhabitants. The program, which starts at 1:00 pm and will be held in park education building located at 145 Mapleton Road in Kingston, runs about 1-1½ hours and includes an audio/visual presentation, a question and answer period and a few show & tell items. Registration is NOT required and admission is FREE! Call 609-924-5707 for more information.