Megan Mahoney

November 15, 2004

 

A Few Lines About Leaning Pine

            In San Francisco, it is described as an urban oasis of extraordinary beauty. In Nebraska, its mission is to enrich lives through the splendor of plants. And in Maryland, it contains more than four miles of paths along streams, through meadows and native plant gardens, all under the shade of a rich bottomland forest. All are examples of some of the nation’s most attractive arboretums. Until a few days ago I was not aware that a garden equally as beautiful lies within a short walking distance of my new residence. Cal Poly’s Leaning Pine Arboretum is a stunning home to a variety of plants and animals, all of which I was excited to see during my first visit.

            Upon entering the arboretum, I turned to see an intricate maze surrounding a spurting fountain to my left. I began to explore, but was soon pulled away for my interview with Mr. Chris Wassenberg. I learned that he first became involved with the arboretum in autumn of 1996, when his major of environmental horticulture required him to complete ten hours of volunteer work. He put in weekly labor for two quarters, enjoyed it thoroughly, and was hired in the springtime. Chris is now a manager at Leaning Pine. He performs many tasks daily, such as tree trimming, weeding, and watering. In addition, he oversees six student workers, and meets with them once a week to plan and complete projects. Chris says the most difficult part about his job is working with the students’ schedules. But the best part is when he spends time at the arboretum just fifteen minutes before sunset, because the animals are scurrying and the emptiness brings a serene silence. After I learned a bit about Chris, he filled my head with information about the actual arboretum.

            The arboretum was once located near the Yosemite and Sierra Madre residence halls. But in 1992, two professors named Dave Frost and Tom Eltzroth passionately worked to move it to where it is positioned today. By 1993, vegetation was being planted in the new spot, making Tom’s vision of a Mediterranean plant theme a reality. Included were five climates of the world: California, Australia, the Mediterranean basin, South Africa’s southern tip, and Chile, as well as a New Zealand garden, the palm collection, and the prehistoric garden. Frost chose many San Luis Obispo native plants, as well as foliage native to other spots in California. Chris says that the garden is never complete; plants grow old and die and the arboretum must always be cared for. Employees of Leaning Pine would love to see more space added for new plants, although Chris believes that will not happen for a few years.

            The plants that currently cover the grounds of the different sections at Leaning Pine are distinctive. The California section, which makes up approximately half of the arboretum, consists of California buckeye, foothill sedge, manzanita, island oak, ceanothus, and deer grass. I loved the manzanita, which is a plant with mahogany bark, bunches of pink flowers, and small fruits. The flowers in the manzanita can be compared to a firework bursting into a majestic fountain of fire. In the Australia garden, bottlebrush, fern-leafed banksia, bottle trees, and flat-leafed wattle, are scattered about. Italian stone pine, aeonium zwartkop, rockroses, cork oak, and olive trees, decorate the Mediterranean basin. The aeonium zwartkop is an eye-catching plant. Its large purple leaves get gradually bigger from the middle, which is a yellowish shade. It seems melancholy with its droopy leaves extending downward. The South Africa garden contains large exotic flowers called protea. Although their petal edges look sharp, they are soft to the touch. This garden is also full of aloes, silver tree, and thatching reed. The palm garden has palm trees in every range: big, tall, short, small, and all different shades of rich green. I especially like the petite, deep green palms. Their lush, large leaves provide plenty of shade for ground-dwelling animals. In the primitive garden, a plant entitled the maidenhair tree produces ginkgo biloba. It is deemed a living fossil.

            Many animals have adopted Leaning Pines as their home, because it contains an abundance of foliage and food. Several species of birds have adapted to the arboretum environment. They include quails, hawks, hummingbirds, and finches. I enjoyed watching a tiny hummingbird flutter around a pink flowered manzanita while our group conversed with Chris. Quails ran around the arboretum in large groups. Other birds chirped from every direction, some loud, some soft, some high pitched, and some low. Rabbits are the most prominent creature, but also the most troublesome, as they are constantly munching on plants. I viewed a gray one scurrying between two bushes, and was amazed at how tiny it was. Rodents, snakes, and tarantulas also roam the grounds of the arboretum, though, I was not able to view them.

            I only knew to visit the arboretum due to the enthusiasm of my nature-obsessed teacher. However, most other people would never have a clue about this secret garden. But my first visit was not sufficient, for it wasn’t until Chris educated my group about the many wonders of the arboretum that I became thoroughly interested. Each of the garden collections is unique. It is a small sphere of life within the university, a microcosm of the varying environments of the world.