The gardens were first established in 1927, and are horticultural collections arranged in garden settings. Current collections include:
American Hollies - according to Rutgers, the largest collection of American Hollies in the world, including selections from Dr. Elwin Orton's Ilex opaca breeding programs.
Bamboo Forest - a large grove of evergreen bamboo (Phyllostachys nuda), originally planted in the 1950s, with a winding path and bridge across a small stream.
Donald B. Lacey Display Garden - unusual and colorful annuals, tropicals, herbs, and vegetables.
Ornamental Tree Collection - unusual small trees, including India Quassiawood (Picrasma ailanthoides), the state's largest Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum), a very large Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica), and a fine Cornus kousa var. chinensis.
Rhododendron and Azalea Garden - small trees and groundcovers, with a variety of shrubs focusing on rhododendrons. The collection started in the 1930s and now includes Cornus kousa, Davidia involucrata, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and Rhododendron mucronulatum.
Roy H. De Boer Evergreen Garden (1958) - fine specimens of Pinus strobus 'Pendula', Tsuga canadensis 'Sargentii', and many other cedars, pines, spruces, and firs.
Shrub Collection - hybrid and species lilacs (dating from 1927) and other shrubs, including Buddleia alternifolia, Corylopsis spicata, Diervilla lonicera, and Hamamelis vernalis. The garden also includes two notable trees: Magnolia kobus and Magnolia virginiana.
Log Cabin - The Log Cabin was built in 1936 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Today it is actively used for receptions and other events in the gardens.
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