UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Arboretum at Penn State is looking for hundreds of volunteers to help plant more than 100,000 flowering perennial plants and grasses around the new Palmer Museum of Art at the Arboretum in preparation for its public opening on June 1.
“We're trying to get as many folks out here as possible during the month of May to plant as many of these plants as we can before that grand opening,” said Aubrey Tallon, the Arboretum’s volunteer program manager.
The “Palmer Plant-Out" began this week and will continue through June. Volunteers can sign up at this link.
Volunteers don’t need gardening experience, Tallon said. “We're going green side up, brown side down, stick it in the soil.”
The landscape was designed by nationally recognized landscape architecture firm Reed Hilderbrand with plants selected in partnership with the Arboretum’s horticulturists.
“Most of the plants we chose are native to North America and include sedges, ornamental grasses and other perennials that bring together art, nature and beauty,” said Arboretum Director Casey Sclar. “This is a great chance to be a part of something big as we build a living tapestry that will greet our visitors for many years to come one small plant at a time.”
On Tuesday morning, volunteers were busy planting grasses in front of the museum after Office of Physical Plant workers bored holes in the soil with an auger.
“It’s fun to be part of the museum, putting together arts and nature,” said Melissa Stephens of State College. “I just feel like it’s a perfect fit.”
Five student horticulture interns were also on site, including Hanna Shames, who will graduate from Penn State this fall with a degree in agricultural science and hopes to work in a public garden or national park.
“After I graduate I'm going to come back here and see the gardens and know that I was a part of establishing it,” she said. “It’s really cool.”
The arboretum is looking to fill volunteer shifts between now and May 24 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., along with one shift on Friday morning, May 24. Planting shifts will resume June 5 after the museum’s grand opening weekend.
Volunteers can sign up alone or with friends, family members or colleagues. Group sign-ups are welcome through the link on the site to the “Group and Service Organization” application.
“We'd love to have you come out and join us so that we can join hands as a community and build a truly beautiful space here and welcome the Palmer Museum of Art,” Tallon said.