Everyone has a memory to share, a story to tell.

At Temple Ambler In Bloom, we want to share our story, and hear yours! The Ambler Arboretum's 13th Annual Garden Party will be held on Saturday, September 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Perennial Gardens. Party attire and turf-tolerant shoes are suggested. Register online at ambler.temple.edu/bloom!

"The Ambler Arboretum is a place of learning, growing and sharing experiences. We are collecting and recording those experiences for the new Ambler Arboretum Podcast," said Kathy Salisbury, Director of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. "During Temple Ambler in Bloom, participants will have the opportunity through audio and video to share their own Ambler Arboretum and Temple Ambler stories. We hope to create a rich archive of these memories — it's the experiences of visitors, alumni, faculty and staff that truly tell the story of this campus and its gardens!"

Temple Ambler in Bloom 2018 will honor a special alumnus who has been part of Temple Ambler's history for more than half a century.  

Mary Anne Fry ('58) is nearly unique among Temple graduates. She is one of a handful to graduate from Temple University with a degree in Agriculture.

Having come to campus when it was the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women and transitioning to be among the first Temple Ambler Owls, Fry has a 60-year perspective on campus history and a tireless devotion to the Ambler Arboretum.

While she has many of her own stories to share, as a member of the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association and co-author of the book A Century of Cultivation 1911 to 2011 — 100 Years from the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women to Temple University Ambler she has uncovered countless more about the amazing women that provided the foundation on which Temple Ambler thrives today. As a multiple-award winning Philadelphia Flower Show participant and a guest horticulturist on Captain Noah, she can certainly county herself among them! 

The wonderful thing about the programs at Temple Ambler, said Fry, was that "everything was hands-on — you had to go out and actually do it."

"You were never just in the classroom. One of the greatest benefits was being out in the gardens, out in the fields, out in the barn actually doing what you were learning about," she said. "That's something that I think continues to this day. Learning by doing remains at the core of what Temple Ambler is all about."

Temple Ambler in Bloom will also include live music, refreshments and interactive exhibits. Learn more about Temple Ambler's history with the Philadelphia Flower Show and how those hands-on learning experiences have helped to teach students and develop new Arboretum garden spaces. Hear the story of the Arboretum as a diverse habitat and view some of the insects and animals that call the Arboretum home. And, of course, visitors are encouraged to explore the gardens and see for themselves what makes the Ambler Arboretum so special!

Also returning for 2018 are the popular silent and live auctions featuring unique plants, artwork and experiences. The 2017 live auction included several highly sought-after Temple treasures, including dinner for 10 with Temple University President Richard Englert in Ambler Borough and lunch for six with Provost JoAnne Epps (pictured above).

"One of the things that I love about Temple Ambler is how much the campus and the gardens influence, impact and inspire what is taking place within the classroom! In our classrooms and in our gardens today, students are learning by doing, designing and building landscape architecture projects, and learning plant science with the latest technology," said Provost Epps. "That technology and talent is leading the way toward a future where anyone can create sustainable food systems and researchers have a better understanding of how the natural and built environment can succeed and thrive."

Proceeds from Temple Ambler in Bloom 2018 will go to help tell the story of the Ambler Arboretum's past, present and future through educational and directional signage and technology.

"I hope our visitors have the opportunity to truly enjoy the beauty of this place, meet new people with similar interests and learn something new about the campus and its gardens," said Salisbury. "I hope they leave knowing that we will be good stewards of their support."

Temple University Ambler has a long history of horticulture, landscape design and environmental stewardship. Established as the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women in 1910 and opened to students in 1911, the campus represents a unique mix of natural and designed landscapes. The gardens serve as excellent outdoor learning spaces for numerous classes and as a source of inspiration for the campus and local communities.

The Ambler Arboretum has a diverse range of learning gardens including the formal perennial garden, an herb garden, a groundcover garden, a native plant garden, a rock wall, a woodland garden, a sustainable wetland garden, an annual trial garden, a green roof garden, a winter garden, a healing garden, and a conifer garden.

The mission of the Ambler Arboretum is to serve as a living, learning laboratory that promotes love and knowledge of horticulture, understanding of the relationship between people and the environment, and an awareness of both the need for and means to achieve greater environmental responsibility. For more information about the Ambler Arboretum, visit ambler.temple.edu/arboretum.

Register Online for Temple Ambler in Bloom by September 7! Consider becoming an event sponsor for Temple Ambler in Bloom and help support the future of the Ambler Arboretum! Learn more by visiting ambler.temple.edu/bloom.

For more information on how to support the Arboretum and Ambler Campus, contact Angela Davis at angela.davis@temple.edu or 267-530-2933.