This five city lot community garden, nestled in between Independence Boulevard and Pulaski Road, was created in the mid-1990’s by Betty Swan and the 3800 W. Arthington Block Club. It predates the existence of the North Lawndale Greening Committee.

  In 2006, the Arthington Senior Garden was transformed into the Betty Swan Community Arboretum in honor of Betty Swan (the president of the block club) who led the efforts in creating this garden.   The arboretum's partners - Openlands, NeighborSpace, and the North Lawndale Greening Committee - agreed that an arboretum would offer valuable learning opportunities for community residents.  The North Lawndale Greening Committee hopes that the arboretum will attract local schools, who could bring students on field trips to learn about the different species of trees on the site.

There are currently a wide variety of trees, shrubs, and perennials in the arboretum, including apple and pear trees that were sagging with fruit in early August 2008.  Openlands has provided technical support and saplings for the arboretum, as well as a red clay path that meanders throughout the site.  A couple of storage containers and a bench can also be found in the shade at the Swan Arboretum, and the North Lawndale Greening Committee hopes to soon install plaques to identify the varieties of trees in the park.