Hortus Arboretum

Scott and Allyson never expected their little garden to become a full arboretum. Their garden started out as a small venture, housing a few edible plants. But, over the years, they started collecting more and more species, and it flourished way beyond their expectations. 

“We started keeping tags, putting it on paper, putting it in books and unwittingly started basically collecting plants and having a record of it. And that's how Arboretums basically are structured.”

Neither of them are formally trained in horticulture, but between the two of them they have 40 years of gardening experience to draw on, along with guidance from books and articles that they’ve found over the years.

One of their favorite things to do in the garden is challenge themselves. If there’s a plant that people say is impossible to grow in their climate, they give it their best effort - sometimes with great results. 

“That is the beauty of gardening is that it's a process, that it's continually changing and adding, whether it's Mother Nature's hand or it's our hand, and that's for me, the exciting part.”

Scott and Allyson want to help and influence the next generation of gardeners, showing off all the amazing plants that could potentially be the newest shining star in the horticulture community. 

“It's all about the people who bring plants to the forefront and then someone, a tastemaker, who decides this is the next big plant…So if we could help educate or get the word out to those people or the next generation who's interested in doing that, even better.”

Check out Hortus Arboretum’s website to learn more.

A film by Mia Allen + Chris Eadicicco.