The Nannine Clay Wallis Arboretum 4 acres (1.6 hectares) is a non-profit arboretum located at 616 Pleasant Street, Paris, Kentucky. The Arboretum is open to the public, sunrise to sunset, free of charge.
The Wallis Arboretum is considered one of the finest old-tree collections in central Kentucky. Its first trees were planted in the mid-1850s, around the 1851 house that is now the headquarters of The Garden Club of Kentucky. Most of the planting was under the direction of Nannine Clay Wallis, in the first half of the 20th century. Mrs. Wallis was a founder and later president of both GCKY and The National Council of State Garden Clubs.
The Arboretum now contains about 70 varieties of trees including many varieties of flowering dogwoods, as well as a rose garden, an herb garden, a reflecting pool, a daylily garden, and a pavilion. The largest trees at the arboretum include a Small-leaved linden (Tilia Cordata), Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba), Northern red oak (Quercus rubra), Tulip Poplar, (Lireodendren Tulipfera), Sugar Maple (Acer Sacrum) and a Cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata).
Famous quotes containing the words clay and/or wallis:
“I am sure my bones would not rest in an English grave, or my clay mix with the earth of that country. I believe the thought would drive me mad on my death-bed could I suppose that any of my friends would be base enough to convey my carcass back to her soil. I would not even feed her worms if I could help it.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“Strong be thy wallis that about the standis;
Wise be the people that within the dwellis;
Fresh is thy ryver with his lusty strandis;
Blith be thy chirches, wele sownyng be thy bellis;
Riche be thy merchauntis in substance that excellis
Fair be thy wives, right lovesom, white and small;
Clere be thy virgyns, lusty under kellis:
London, thou art the flour of Cities all.”
—William Dunbar (c. 1465–c. 1530)