Erskine’s new arboretum dedicated at Third Annual Flower & Garden Show

Plying an outsize pair of scissors, Professor Emerita of Biology Dr. Janice Haldeman cut through a green ribbon to mark the official opening of the Janice Hamilton Haldeman Arboretum at Erskine during the Third Annual Flower & Garden Show May 17.

Dr. Martin Hamilton, executive director of the South Carolina Botanical Garden at Clemson University, spoke at the dedication. “It’s more than just a collection of trees—it’s a living library,” he said, calling the arboretum “a crucial space for learning and for inspiring the next generation.”

Haldeman, who said she is “very, very honored” to have the arboretum named for her, recalled driving into Due West with her husband and children more than 60 years ago and being “immediately welcomed into the Erskine family.” She began her service on the Erskine faculty in 1967. Her husband, Richard Haldeman, had joined the Erskine staff in 1961 as public relations director and served until his retirement in 1995.

“Our family has received blessing after blessing from God,” she said, pointing upward, “through the Erskine family.”

This year’s Flower & Garden Show featured Hamilton and his wife Dr. Michele Dani Sanchez—a Brazilian biologist, botanist, and horticulturalist—as keynote speakers. Sanchez spoke on “What it Takes to be a Champion Tree,” while Hamilton took as his topic “Gardening for Biodiversity.”

Workshops, talks, and other events were offered throughout the day. Presenters included alumni, faculty and staff members, and friends of Erskine as well as experts in various gardening-related fields. See more photos from the day here.

“Children’s Corner” activities were provided by the Abbeville County Library, the Magnolia Garden Club, Lakelands Master Gardeners, and Surface Bella.

“I think the thing that makes the Erskine Flower & Garden Show so popular is that there is so much variety to the day—children’s activities, live music, workshops covering a broad range of interests, and high quality vendors,” says Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations Paul Bell.

“There’s a happy spirit at these events. The complaint I’ve heard every year and that I want to hear every year is, ‘There was so much available that I couldn’t do it all!'”

About next year’s show, Bell says, “Look for some new features in 2026 as well as some favorites from our previous shows.”