Arboretum a Source for Continued Plant Propagation Darren Heimbecker, owner of Whistling Gardens near Wilsonville, Ontario and member of the American Conifer Society visited the arboretum and collect scion wood from the Heartland Collection of Garden Conifers. As an arboretum we feel it is important to share scion wood or cuttings from plants we have with other gardens, plant collectors and nurseryman. Many of the plants we have growing in the arboretum are from people like Darren who have collected scion wood from us and in return shared some of their plants with us. David Horst, Bickelhaupt horticulturist reports: "If we have to remove a plant from the collection due to crowding or weather related damage we are assured someone has it propagated. The plant is then preserved, as some plants are very difficult to locate and then to acquire." The scion wood or cutting is a small piece of plant material removed from the parent plant. This does no harm to the plant if properly taken as the pieces removed are small and selectively chosen. We have a staff member accompany the person collecting scions to assure no harm is done to the plants at the arboretum and assist in the taking of the scion or cutting. These are then taken and either grafted or rooted which is the start of a new plant.

Darren Heimbecker (L) and arboretum's horticulturist David Horst taking scions at the Bickelhaupt Arboretum.