Sister Mary Grace Burns Arboretum

Since the sandy soils of the New Jersey Pine Barrens were not suitable for cultivating exotic plants, 5,000 cartloads of fine loam were brought to Georgian Court from neighboring Monmouth County.

Today's arboretum, established in 1989, is named after Sister Mary Grace Burns, former professor of biology, and comprises the entire campus of 62 ha (155 acres).

In addition to many exotic species, the arboretum features a good collection of native plants of the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

The Formal Garden is an elliptical flower garden ringed with American Holly (Ilex opaca), Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus), Norway Spruce (Picea abies), Sawara Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera), Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo), Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Common Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), and White Ash (Fraxinus americana), as well as rose mullein, white daisies, primroses, black-eyed susans, daylilies, purple veronica, balloon flowers, verbena, asters, chrysanthemums, and an assortment of annuals.

The Italian Garden features a Fountain of Apollo, a wrought iron eagle statue purchased from the Paris Exposition of 1900, life-size statues of Greek gods and goddesses, floral urns mounted on marble pedestals, and two semi-circular pergolas with Tuscan columns, marble benches and statuary.