Ringwood 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. Since 1976, the New Jersey Botanical Garden/Skylands Association, an incorporated, member-supported non-profit organization of volunteers, has worked with the State to preserve and protect Skylands and its historic structures. The Association sponsors programs, concerts and events year-round at the Botanical Garden, including guided tours. Throughout the year, docents from the Association offer guided weekday group tours of the Garden, the Manor House or both, by reservation for groups of 15 and up. The first wildflowers of spring will be here before we know it. From then on, every day, new flowers will emerge. Each week, the Garden’s 96 landscaped acres will come alive with new growth as warm breezes and birdsongs replace the winter chill. By June, all of the gardens will be in bloom and continue to surround us with brilliance throughout the summer months. Weekday group tours are arranged to suit the season and the visiting group, and are partially handicapped-accessible. Fees are $5 for Garden Tours, $5 for Manor Tours or $8 for a combined tour, per person Proceeds benefit work in the Botanical Garden. 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 always free. Call Group Tour Coordinator Anne Thornton at 973-962-9534 for more information or to schedule a weekday tour of the manor and/or the gardens. The New Jersey Botanical Gardens/Skylands is located off Morris Road in Ringwood.