Take a walk on the wild side

RINGWOOD — The New Jersey State Botanical Garden in Ringwood State Park will host a Spring Wildflower Walk on Saturday, May 19, at 10 a.m. The program is free, but donations are welcome. The Wildflower Garden is a haven for native plants, many of which are at their best in the spring. Join wildflower expert Nancy Bristow in checking out the spring bloomers in the Wildflower Garden, including a spectacular display of Japanese primroses along the Wildflower Garden’s brooks. The walk will explore several different terrains and the plants which inhabit them. Wear comfortable shoes; meet at the Carriage House Visitor Center. Steady rain will cancel the walk. The New Jersey State Botanical Garden at Skylands, which appears on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the year. Admission to the garden is free; a $5 per car State Park parking charge is in effect on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In 1966, the State of New Jersey purchased the 1,117 acres of Skylands, a former country estate and the state’s first acquisition under the “Green Acres” preservation program. Governor Thomas Kean designated the central 96 acres surrounding the manor house as the State’s official botanical garden in 1984.