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Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

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Memorial Tree, Bench, and Garden Program

Woman admiring tree

There are many ways to support Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens and we welcome your participation at any level. For specific information about these possibilties, please contact the Chadwick Arboretum by emailing us at Chadwick@osu.edu.


Tree, Bench and Garden Donation Program

Benches

Trees and benches that honor the accomplishments or are given in memory of a loved one, colleague, or organization, can be installed within the three garden sites of the Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens, and on the general Columbus campus grounds.

The director of the Chadwick Arboretum consults with internal horticulture andStone Bench design staff to determine the planting location and species of the trees, and the location of benches that are installed within the Chadwick Arboretum grounds.

For commemorative and memorial trees and benches installed on the general Columbus campus grounds, the arboretum director consults with the University Landscape Architect on species of trees and planting location, as well as the location of benches.

View the table below for a summary of commemorative gift options. Please click on item titles for additional details. 

Item

Location

Cost (As of January 1, 2021)

Bench – Recycled Composite

Chadwick Arboretum

$5,000

Bench – Black strap (Metal)

Other University Locations

$5,000

Bench – Limestone

Labyrinth Garden

$5,000

Tree 

All University Locations

$3,000

Forget Me Not Garden Lane Ave Gardens, West of Trellis Any amount

 

For more information about our Commemorative and Memorial Tree and Bench program, please consult the Chadwick Memorial Tree and Bench Policy document

Commemorative and Memorial Trees

Commemorative Tree

The partnership between the arboretum director and the University Landscape Architect enhances the horticultural teaching collections and ensures a diverse and beautiful landscape throughout the Arboretum and the greater Columbus campus.

Commemorative and memorial trees are professionally planted and can endure for more than a lifetime, but are only replaced if damage or death occurs within the first 10 years of planting. The cost of installing, maintaining, and mapping a commemorative or memorial tree is $3,000.  Additionally, there are existing trees or recently installed trees on campus that can also be designated as a memorial or commemorative tree.

The installation schedule for memorial trees is as follows:

Request Date Installation Timeframe
Jan. 1 - Jun. 30 Fall
Jul. 1 - Dec. 31 Spring 

Tree Plaque
All commemorative and memorial trees will be recognized with a 2" x 4" metal plate mounted on a composite post. The plate may include the donor’s name, honoree’s name, and personal sentiment as space permits. A second plaque includes the botanical and common name of the tree.

Records of commemorative and memorial trees with the donor(s) name, honoree’s name, and/or sentiment, as well as the location are mapped through a new interactive mapping tool. Take a virtual tour today of our collections!

 

 

Benches placed within Chadwick Arboretum

Composite bench exampleComposite Benches

Benches are 6′ long and composed of recycled composite with black steel legs. Benches may be placed throughout the garden locations of Chadwick Arboretum. The cost to install and map a commemorative or memorial bench is $5000 and includes a one-year President's Club Membership. 

All composite benches will be recognized with a 2" x 10" etched zinc plaque mounted on the center back of the bench. Plaques can include the donor's name, honoree's name, and personal sentiment as space permits. Bench records, with location, donor's name, honoree's name, and sentiment are maintained in the Chadwick Arboretum database. Benches are replaced only when damage beyond repair occurs within 10 years of installation.

The installation schedule for composite benches is as follows:

Request Date Installation Timeframe
Jan. 1 - Jun. 30 Fall
Jul. 1 - Dec. 31 Spring - Summer

 

Forget-Me-Not Bench

Limestone Benches

Our limestone bench program is currently unavailable. We are completing an architectural design review to ensure purposeful installation in our gardens and appreciate your patience as we review this program. If you would like to be placed on a wait list to be contacted once this program resumes, please email us at ChadwickArboretum@osu.edu

Rustic limestone benches (6′ x 1′5" x 6") can include an inscribed sentiment on the front facing edge, or they can include a 12" x 3" bronze plaque with sentiment on the front facing edge. 

Limestone Bench
This bench is an example of a limestone bench with a bronze plaque.

 

 

 

FORGET-ME-NOT GARDEN

Forget-Me-Not Garden
The Forget-Me-Not Garden is a planting of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost,’ which is the perennial forget-me-not flower. It blooms a dainty blanket of blue in early spring and continues to bloom sporadically throughout the growing season. The planting is located in the Lane Avenue Gardens, just west of the entrance trellis.

 

A donation to the Chadwick Arboretum Forget-Me-Not Garden can be made to commemorate a special event like a birthday or graduation or in the memory of a friend, colleague, or family member. A letter from the arboretum is sent to the designated recipient to let them know that a donation to the Forget-Me-Not Garden has been made in their honor or in memory of their loved one.

 

Benches placed on The Ohio State University general campus

Metal BenchCommemorative and memorial benches are 6′ long constructed of metal with black powder coated finish. Benches can be placed on plazas or a concrete pad within lawn spaces. Location is coordinated through the Chadwick Arboretum and approved by the University Landscape Architect. The cost of a memorial or commemorative bench is $5000 for a black metal bench and includes a one-year President's Club membership. 

All benches will be recognized with a 2" x 10" metal plaque attached to the center back of the bench. The plate can include the donor’s name, honoree’s name, and personal sentiment as space permits. Bench records, with location, donor’s name, honoree’s name, and sentiment, are maintained in the Chadwick Arboretum database. Benches are replaced if damage beyond repair occurs within 10 years of installation.

The installation schedule for blackstrap benches is as follows:

Request Date Installation Timeframe
Jan. 1 - Jun. 30 Fall
Jul. 1 - Dec. 31 Spring - Summer

 


How to Donate 

Please first reach out to a Chadwick Arboretum staff member at Chadwick@osu.edu so we can first work with you on location and type of your memorial/commemorative gift. 

Online Donations

  • Click here to make a donation online
  • When providing your donation information, be sure to complete the section that specifies who the gift is in memory/honor of. 
  • In the Special Instructions section, please specify the type of donation (Tree, Chadwick Arboretum Bench, General Campus Bench, or the Forget-Me-Not Garden).

Mailed Donations:

  • Please make your check to "The Ohio State University Foundation."
  • Include a sheet of information containing your name & contact information, the type of donation, (Tree, Chadwick Arboretum Bench, General Campus Bench, or the Forget-Me-Not Garden) and who the donation is in honor/memory of. 
  • Send to: The Ohio State University Chadwick Arboretum

       Howlett Hall, Room 139,
       2001 Fyffe Court,
       Columbus, OH 43210