On September 20, garden enthusiasts gathered for the grand opening of the Collins Nursery at the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, reports Linda Finarelli for The Mercury.
The nursery, which focuses on native plants, has been a long-anticipated project, according to Kathleen Salisbury, director of the arboretum. Seeds of the idea for the nursery were planted even before the pandemic.
The nursery is named after John Collins, a landscape architect who founded Temple’s landscape architecture and horticulture programs. Collins had a passion for plants from a young age, starting his own nursery at 15. Temple Ambler acquired his nursery around 2022, and it now provides academic support for the university’s landscape and horticulture students.
“We anticipate the nursery will support nursery management and horticulture business courses,” she said, “and will also serve as a setting for workshops for the public.”
Students immersed themselves at the nursery, from propagating seeds to designing irrigation systems.
In addition to offering native plants, the Collins Nursery will support the university’s horticulture courses. It will also serve as a workshop space for the public. Sam Makler, the nursery manager, emphasized the nursery’s focus on local ecology and biodiversity.
“We’re moving in the direction to grow everything ourselves,” Makler said, with many plants grown from seed or sourced from local nurseries.
The nursery will have limited hours, with future sales planned for select Saturdays from May to September. As the project grows, it promises to become a vital resource for the community and the university.
Read more about the Collins Nursery at The Mercury.
