Connecticut Trails Day Ramble on the Holcomb Tree Trail
On Saturday, June 3, join us at 9:30 a.m. for a family-friendly four-mile ramble through open fields and wooded trails. The route will traverse mowed paths through the Holcomb Tree Trail, which looks particularly spectacular right now, and forest trails along a glacial drumlin through mountain laurel, vernal pools and mature trees. There are several educational and tree ID signs along the path and brief discussions of geological and farm/forest history will be included. Mementos for children will be provided. On-leash dogs are welcome. Rain date is June 4. Register by emailing jacklareau@aol.com
Farm Store @ Holcomb Farm Opening Day
Don’t miss the Opening Day of the Farm Store @ Holcomb Farm, 111 Simsbury Road. As the Friends continue to celebrate our 30th anniversary, we will host a fun kick-off celebration at the CSA Farm Store on Saturday, June 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Circuit Coffee Food Truck will be there, along with Lost Acres Vineyard and other local vendors. At 10 a.m., Metro Bis’ Chef Chris Prosperi will conduct a cooking demonstration using Holcomb Farm produce. We also will hold a bake sale to benefit the Fresh Access food equity program. Come celebrate with us!
Spring has sprung on the Tree Trail…come take a walk!
“Spring has sprung, the grass is rizz, I wonder where the flowers is,” goes the old rhyme. In West Granby, the answer to that question is the Holcomb Tree Trail at Holcomb Farm.
First among our arboretum design principles at the Holcomb Tree Trail is to offer the public spring bloom and fall color. The arboretum, begun in October 2018, does not yet have large trees, but the potential for lots of color already is apparent.
This spring, our volunteers planted 11 new flowering trees: five native sweetbay magnolias, five flowering crabapples, and a native cucumber magnolia. The magnolia may grow to be 80 feet tall! (Perhaps the readers’ grandchildren may see it when it’s that tall. For now, it’s about four feet tall.) The sweetbays will be quite a bit smaller, perhaps 30 to 50 feet. The crabapples will also be somewhat smaller—around 20 to 25 feet tall.
Some may wonder about the difference between an apple tree and a crabapple tree. Leading author Michael Dirr offers the following as a good definition: crabapples have fruit that is less than two inches in diameter. There are a huge number of ornamental crabapples—well over 1,000—and the number grows every year.
We hope you’ll find some time to enjoy the Tree Trail this spring. And the tree trail crew can always use more volunteers for planting and caring for trees, and for invasive control efforts. If you are interested in volunteering time to help grow this amazing arboretum, please send an email to info@holcombfarm.org
Thank you.