The Landis Arboretum Summer Garden Party:

ESPERANCE, NY (05/29/2008)(readMedia)-- Plans are nearing completion for the Landis Arboretum’s Summer Garden Party on Saturday, June 14. Spirited music by John Scarpulla and Tom Wadsworth! A twilight dinner by Sweet Tooth Caterers of Esperance! A Silent Auction sponsored by businesses throughout the Capital Region! Convivial laughter and the scent of flowers will fill the night air as Arboretum Trustees and volunteers work in tandem to raise funds for and awareness of the legacy Van Loveland gardens at the Landis.

It all takes place on Saturday, June 14, from 5 – 9 pm. A limited number of tickets is available ($45/person). To reserve, or for more information, contact the Arboretum at 518.875./6935 or info@landisarboretum.org. Plan for your personal table of eight.

“We hope that the Garden Party will be the gala event of the season – no matter where one lives or works,” says Arboretum Trustee Donna Vincent, who is spearheading the event. She says that many of the corporate sponsors are using the event as a memorable way to thank outstanding employees, acknowledge the loyalty of clients, solicit prospects, and simply to spend a wonderful evening with special friends and associates under the star-studded, dark vast dark sky of the Arboretum, a favorite of area astronomers.

Conviviality in a garden setting has long attracted hosts and party-goers alike for centuries. In the early years of the 20th Century, Pierre S. du Pont made the garden party an American art form when he assumed an active role in Wilmington, Delaware, society. As early as 1906, he held the first garden-party picnic at what is now Longwood Gardens, an estate his family purchased as much to have a place to entertain guests as to preserve and extend its natural splendors.

Multifaceted Jewel The Landis Arboretum is a multifaceted natural jewel. Long a destination of choice among Capital District gardeners, environmentalists, nature lovers, hikers, and birders, the Landis Arboretum may be one of the best-kept secrets among Capital Region residents.

The Landis Arboretum includes a nationally recognized collection of oaks and is registered with the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC). The Arboretum also is included in the New York State Route 20 Bluebird Trail, bringing even more birdwatchers to the site. The Arboretum’s vast dark sky and wide horizons attract area astronomers to its meeting house and parking field for sky-watching events

The Arboretum is central to the New York State Wine and Spa Trails and in close proximity to historic Sharon Springs. And, it is a natural stop for those traveling to the high-volume tourist attractions between the Albany, Cooperstown, and Finger Lakes Regions.

For more information about the Landis Arboretum and Adventures in Schoharie County: The Landis Arboretum may well be the northern Catskill Region’s best-kept secret. With centuries of history and the riveting beauty inherent in the Arboretum’s world-class, global collections, generations of extraordinary plantings continue to impart their secrets to its visitors. http://www.catskillregionguide.com/articles/article.php?id=995

• The George Landis Arboretum

The Landis Arboretum is located 1.5 miles off Scenic designated Route 20 in Esperance, NY, a beautiful and easy drive from within the Capital Region. For more information, call 518-875-6935; www.LandisArboretum.org. Where Mother Nature hits her high notes all year round!

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