Arborist Chris Schmidt (center, blue shirt) with some of her past and present co-workers who joined her at her retirement party in March at Peetwood Pavilion.
After nine years at Blandy, the last five as Blandy's Arborist in charge of the care of the arboretum's over 6,000 living trees and shrubs, Chris Schmidt is retiring. Schmidt started working at Blandy in 2013 as an arboretum specialist and became only the second Arborist in Blandy's history in 2017. She was preceded by Bob Arnold, who retired after 42 years. The Arborist oversees the woody plant collection, propagation, planning and continuing the detailed record-keeping Dr. Orland White began in the 1920s.
"I love this place. I love this job. I love the people I work with," Schmidt said at a gathering in her honor. "But my body just needs a break." She says she looks forward to spending more time with her grandchildren.
Schmidt worked tirelessly to care for the woody plant collection, managing a team of four staff and regularly working among them, pruning and mulching, planting, and drawing on her plant pathology training to diagnose diseases. She led training workshops for master gardeners, gave talks and tours, and frequently dived into Blandy's historical documents to better understand the origins and trajectory of the arboretum over its 95-year history. She has been the face of the plant collection here for many visitors curious about particular shrubs and trees they found or were curious to see.
While she cared for all of the woody plants, she, like most staff and visitors, developed favorites. One in particular is the Dove Tree, Davidia involucrata, whose flowers are enveloped by large white bracts, making it resemble a tree of white doves in full flower. She has done everything she could to keep it alive since planting it in 2014 --there is only one living specimen in the arboretum-- and she is still waiting for it to flower.
From now on, this tree will offer a thank you to Chris for her dedication and hard work. A sign in front of it reads:
In gratitude to Christine Schmidt, Blandy Arborist
Who gave whatever was needed
however hard, however long,
to keep the plants growing
So who will take on the responsibility for keeping the Dove Tree alive, encouraging it to flower, and not forgetting the myriad of other trees here? Blandy's own Jared Manzo, arboretum specialist since May 2018, has been named the new Arborist. He has Schmidt's full support. "I'm so thrilled for Jared," Schmidt said. "I couldn't be leaving things in better hands."