Three botanical artists — Joe Sweeney, Robby Schlesinger and Sharon Gross — will create live works inspired by the gardens, each illustrating a different aspect of the Arboretum’s trees. From three separate spaces in the formal gardens, their works-in-progress will create dynamic and visually rich storytelling that guests can watch take root in real time.

Watch the meticulous artistry of bonsai with Michael Persiano, a master in the art of bonsai tree design and cultivation. Michael will complete the styling of Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Kosteri’ — a true dwarf Hinoki with attractive bark and lush green foliage. The piece will be detailed, wired, and refined live during the event before becoming the first offering in the live auction!

A haikuist with a vintage typewriter will compose your personalized poem. Guests will be asked “What’s a personal tree memory, lesson or favorite?” Think loosely — a childhood memory, a tree you always return to, something you’ve learned from observing nature, or even a metaphorical connection. Take yours home as a keepsake and listen for a small selection of them to be read by the poet during brunch.

Join Arboretum Gardens Manager Stephanie Bross in the Beech Grove to plant bulbs that will form a flower path in the meadow. This growing tradition, begun at Amber in Bloom in 2024, expands year by year — a gift to the Arboretum’s future gardens.

Mariana Bonfim, Managing Director of the Temple Ambler Field Station, will “read” tree rings like palm lines, sharing the history of the Ambler Arboretum’s trees through their patterns of growth and resilience.

An acoustic guitar duo featuring Boyer College of Music and Dance Jazz Performance alumnus Chris Dolhancryk and current Boyer Music Education student Patrick Crowling will keep live music flowing throughout the gardens! Every 25 minutes, the music will pause for poetry readings, offering moments of reflection on trees and nature themes beneath the canopy.  

Featured readers will include Kathy Salisbury, Director of the Ambler Arboretum; Paul Buchanan, poet, 2025 Temple creative writing alumnus and current adjunct professor; and Gerald (Jerry) Burnsteel, beloved teacher in Temple’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Known for creating premium spirits with big, bold flavors, Philadelphia Distilling utilize hand-hammered copper pot stills and wooden fermentation vessels to ensure high-quality products. Ambler in Bloom will feature several botanical-forward signature cocktails crafted from their unique spirits.