Gardner Arboretum, located between Patterson Hall and Burlington Labs, was created in 1972 and named after M. E. Gardner. Gardner, who contributed to the state's horticulture industry for almost 50 years,... Gardner Arboretum, located between Patterson Hall and Burlington Labs, was created in 1972 and named after M. E. Gardner. Gardner, who contributed to the state's horticulture industry for almost 50 years, served as head of the horticulture department from 1931 to 1956 and as professor of horticulture from 1956 to 1965. He is immortalized in a sculpture called the "Strolling Professor" which was created by J. Seward Johnson in 1973 and is located in the southwest corner of the Arboretum.