Recognition
Garden Club of America Award
In 2022, the Holcomb Tree Trail received a Garden Club of America Civic Improvement Commendation, “given in recognition of the Friends of Holcomb Farm’s innovative ‘Tree Trail’ project that in the spirit of [Frederick Law] Olmsted creates engaging recreational and public education amenities.” We are grateful for the efforts of Put and Nannie Brown and the Garden Club of Hartford for nominating our arboretum for this commendation.
ArbNet Level 1 Accreditation Arboretum
In 2024 the Holcomb Tree Trail was awarded the Level 1 Accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. ArbNet is an interactive, collaborative, international community of arboreta, overseen by The Morton Arboretum. This program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards.
Our Five Design Principles
- Plant both native and non-native trees, emphasizing spring bloom and fall color
- Preserve the long views of surrounding hills
- Encourage agricultural use
- Encourage bird habitat by planting trees that attract birds.
- Manage invasives by mowing and mechanical removal
How the Holcomb Tree Trail Began
Siblings Laura and Tudor Holcomb gave their farm to the University of Connecticut in 1976 with suggestions for several possible uses, one of which was the creation of an arboretum. In 1991, the University of Connecticut conveyed it to the Town of Granby. In 1993, the nonprofit Friends of Holcomb Farm was formed to revive farming activities and restore the neglected farm buildings.
Years later, several town residents, including some Friends of Holcomb Farm board members, proposed establishing an arboretum, in keeping with the Holcombs’ wishes for the land. The Holcomb Tree Trail was formally established in 2018, endorsed by the Friends of Holcomb Farm and approved by the Granby Board of Selectmen. In 2022, the majority of the farm acreage was permanently preserved through a conservation easement held by the Granby Land Trust, the final step in keeping the farm safe from future development.
Read more about the origins of the Holcomb Tree Trail in this article by Holcomb Tree Trail founder Eric Lukingbeal, which appeared in the Spring 2023 issue of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s Connecticut Woodlands magazine.
Missouri Gravel Bed Method
The Holcomb Tree Trail often plants trees that are grown at a nursery using the Missouri Gravel Bed Method. With this method, trees are planted in 18 inches of pea stone and irrigated with water and nutrients, which results in a very thick mass of roots. When the tree is removed from the bed and the gravel is shaken off, an 8- or 10-foot tree and 1.5-inch caliper can be picked up easily by an average person with one hand. Planting bare root trees grown this way allows for planting to be done without machinery.
In late spring, volunteers locate appropriate tree sites. Existing vegetation is cleared and a hole—generally 42 inches in diameter and eight to 10 inches deep—is excavated. Rocks and roots are removed, then the soil is placed back in the hole and the hole is covered with pine bark mulch, about four to six inches deep.
In the fall, when the bare root trees arrive on site, the mulch and soil are removed and put in separate piles to the side. The root mass is placed in the shallow hole and, as the soil is gradually returned, it is watered to avoid air pockets. Usually, 10 to 15 gallons of water per hole are required. The root flare is left exposed above ground and the mulch is re-spread at a three-inch depth, with a few inches of bare ground left around the trunk. The trees are staked (the site is sometimes windy) and half-inch hardware cloth is wrapped loosely around the trunk to protect against buck rub by deer and chewing on bark by small mammals, as damage from either can kill or weaken a tree.
