Woodland sanctuary

Lockerly Arboretum is abundant in heritage, leaf covered trails and seasonal festivities

If the library is too full to study or Front Campus too busy to focus on nature, then look no further than Lockerly Arboretum, a place for both peace and quiet as well as recreation.

Lockerly Arboretum boasts 50 acres of sprawling lawns and wooded areas, complete with trails and picturesque ponds as well as streams. Anyone can visit Lockerly Arboretum to bike or walk the wooded trails, or to simply sit under the gazebo and read. Visitors are encouraged to tour the grounds at their own pace, or to merely lounge around and bask in the glory of the old plantation house, Lockerly Hall, or take a tour of the house itself.

Rachel Cauthen | gcsunade.com

The home now named Lockerly was built in 1839 by a merchantman named R.J. Nichols who called it named Rose Hill.

Lockerly Arboretum has been a local favorite outdoor facility for many years, especially for students like junior art major Josey Harper.

“I am from Milledgeville, and when I was in high school we took a field trip to Lockerly,” Harper said. “I have been there a couple of times since and my friend was married there. It is a great place to relax and experience nature.”

The arboretum also offers volunteer experiences for anyone willing to lend a hand as tour guides, garden helpers, education program teachers, teachers’ aids, and trail blazers.

Lockerly Arboretum will be hosting its annual Heritage Day on Saturday, Oct. 30, as well as its Fall plant sale. The grounds will be alive with arts and crafts vendors, Civil War re-enactors, horse-drawn wagon rides, food, and musical entertainment as well as storytelling. The plant sale will consist of superior tree selections, shrubs, perennials, winter annuals, and unusual plants as well as heirloom varieties. Students, such as junior art major Taylor Ehramjian have found the plant sale a great success in the past.

“I went to the fall plant sale last year. A few people and I went off to explore and took pictures. Everyone was really nice, friendly, and helpful,” Ehramjian said.

Author Dorinda Dallmeyer from the University of Georgia will be present at the Heritage Day festivities in order to give a lecture on William Bartram in Lockerly Hall at 11 a.m. A costumed William Bartram will act as a tour guide for visitors as they journey through the grounds, exploring the local flora.

Visitors hoping to take advantage of enjoying one of the shortest seasons should visit Lockerly Arboretum, a place resplendent during autumn. Perennial Salvias, Bottle Brush, Sassanqua, and Korean Barberry are in bloom, and should be enjoyed at every chance, because after all, autumn will not last forever.

Posted by Hilary Thompson on Oct 22 2010. Filed under Close Up, Special Sections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.