Pennsylvania
These are gardens I’ve been to in Pennsylvania and believe are worth a visit. I’d highly advise double-checking on hours before visiting since not all are open every day or year round.
Bartram’s Gardens’ most famous plant: the Franklinia tree.
BARTRAM’S GARDEN
Location: 54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia.
Overview: This is the Schuylkill River home of America’s first great botanist, the legendary John Bartram, a Quaker farmer and contemporary of Ben Franklin. The 1728 home is open to tours, and Colonial gardens and woodlands span 45 acres.
Highlights: Colonial-era plants are displayed in the flower gardens, plus there’s a wildflower meadow, wetlands, native woodland plants, Bartram’s original cider press, specimens of the extinct-in-the-wild Franklinia tree that Bartram discovered and named after his friend, Ben Franklin, and many old, large trees, including America’s oldest ginkgo tree.
George’s Take: Not quite on a par with Mount Vernon or Monticello, but interesting and very historical. Those grand old trees are the highlights here. Get there in May to see one of the largest American fringe trees in bloom.
Contact info: www.bartramsgarden.org. 215-729-5289.
Patch of Virginia bluebells blooming in May at Bowman’s Hill.
BOWMAN’S HILL WILDFLOWER PRESERVE
Location: 1635 River Road, New Hope, Bucks County.
Overview: Located near where Washington crossed the Delaware near the New Jersey state line, this mostly wooded land spans 134 acres with Pidcock Creek flowing through it. It’s hilly and shaded in parts, meadowed and sunny in others, giving a wide range of habitats.
Highlights: Native plants in their natural habitats are what Bowman’s Hill is about. You’ll see common species such as skunk cabbage and mayapple but also beauties that aren’t nearly as plentiful today as they once were, such as trillium, native orchids, twinleaf, Virginia bluebells and trout lilies. 700 species in all.
George’s Take: This is a mostly shady, peaceful place that feels a bit like a living museum in which the artifacts are the plants. The idea is to show the diversity of plants native to Pennsylvania. Peak time is spring.
Contact info: www.bhwp.org. 215-862-2942.
Chanticleer’s Teacup Garden.
CHANTICLEER
Location: 786 Church Road, Wayne, Delaware County.
Overview: 30-acre “pleasure garden” that’s the former estate of the Rosengarten family, which made its fortune in the pharmaceutical business. Focus is on interesting plants and plant combinations, cutting-edge containers and novel design. More a plant-lover’s paradise than a botanic garden.
Highlights: Great plant varieties, a unique “ruins garden” showing plants overtaking an abandoned stone structure, showy tropical containers, courtyard gardens of tropicals and formal water features, a woodland Asian garden, cut-flower and vegetable garden, mixed gardens in a former tennis court, native plants, tens of thousands of spring bulbs and many majestic mature trees.
George’s Take: On my top 10 list. Plants are the stars here, and they’re used in fun and different ways. The gardeners are exceptionally creative here. Go to enjoy, not to study. Get a feel from a Photo Gallery of 31 pictures of Chanticleer that I’ve posted.
Contact info: www.chanticleergarden.org. 610-687-4163.
Swan Lake and the surrounding rose gardens at Hershey Gardens.
HERSHEY GARDENS
Location: 170 Hotel Road, Hershey, off Route 743 on the hill overlooking Hersheypark.
Overview: 23-acre collection of theme gardens, originally opened in 1937 by chocolate magnate Milton Hershey as a rose garden. Still has one of America’s biggest and best rose collections, but it’s an underrated and peaceful place for much more.
Highlights: Nearly 5,000 roses, an action-packed 1-acre Children’s Garden, Milton and Catherine Hershey Conservatory with year-round butterfly atrium, impressive spring-bulb and summer-annuals displays, many specimen mature trees, large central pond with fountain, perennial and herb gardens, Japanese garden with pond and large rock and conifer garden.
George’s Take: I like the annuals display even better than the flagship roses. The conservatory is an excellent addition — a jewel on the hill, laid out like it was there all along. And the Children’s Garden is not just for kids. Why don’t locals go here more often?
Contact info: www.hersheygardens.org. 717-534-3492.
H.O. SMITH BOTANIC GARDENS AT PENN STATE ARBORETUM
Location: Corner of Bigler Road and Park Avenue on the University Park (main) campus of Penn State University.
The Children’s Garden at Penn State’s Arboretum.
Overview: This complex was begun in 2009 and eventually will span 370 acres. The first phase is open – 5 acres of demo gardens collectively known as the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens. An interactive Children’s Garden opened in 2014. See pictures of that in a Photo Gallery I put together soon after the opening. is being built in 2013. Future plans include a large pollinator garden, an education center, a conservatory, a four seasons garden, a Medieval garden, a meadow garden, an orchard, a perennial garden and a shade and woodland garden.
Highlights: The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens includes a bird and butterfly garden, a rose/fragrance garden, a terrace garden, an annuals demo garden and a large central event lawn. The Childhood’s Gate children’s garden is all about getting kids to explore rather than just play, featuring a cave, an edible-plant garden and a bell-shaped glass experiment area. It’s all free.
George’s Take: This place is only at the very beginning of what looks to be an interesting destination just 90 minutes from Harrisburg. What’s there so far is nicely done with a good display of plants for Pa. home gardens and a children’s garden with a distinctively Pennsylvania flair. I hope I’m still around to see where this goes…
Contact info: http://arboretum.psu.edu. 814-865-9118.
LONGWOOD GARDENS
Location: 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, off Route 1 in Chester County.
Longwood’s flower walk.
Overview: 1,050 immaculate acres with 20 indoor and 20 outdoor theme gardens. Estate of industrialist Pierre E. du Pont and only became public in 1950s. Justifiably deserves du Pont’s goal of being “horticulture theater.”
Highlights: World-class, state-of-the-art conservatory, monstrous lighted fountain shows with $90 million 2017-renovated main fountain garden, moving water galore, amazing flower displays, woodland gardens, topiary garden, innovative Idea Garden, indoor children’s garden with lots of water, numerous plant collections, shows, excellent restaurant and gift shop and way more.
George’s Take: Wow. Arguably the world’s most impressive public garden. It is in my book. If you only visit one public garden ever, this should be it. See a Photo Gallery of pictures I took at the Bruce Munro light show that Longwood presented in 2012.
Contact info: www.longwoodgardens.org. 610-388-1000.
MORRIS ARBORETUM
Location: 100 Northwestern Ave., Philadelphia.
Morris Arboretum’s garden railway.
Overview: This is the state’s official arboretum, spanning 92 acres and featuring 13,000 labeled plants of 2,500 species from 27 different countries.
Highlights: Woody plants of all kinds star in and among nearly two dozen theme gardens, including a rose garden, cottage garden, Japanese garden, sculpture garden, a rare Victorian fernery, perennial beds and a 1-acre outdoor garden railway that winds through miniaturized, plant-specimen recreations of Philadelphia landmarks.
George’s Take: Nirvana for plant geeks. It’s got specimens of just about any woody plant you’d think about growing, and they’re all labeled. Spectacular century-old katsura tree, the outdoor garden railroad is very cool, and the view overlooking the Pennock Flower Walk from the belvedere is one of my favorites anywhere.
Contact info: www.morrisarboretum.org. 215-247-5777.
PHIPPS CONSERVATORY
Location: 700 Frank Curto Drive, Pittsburgh
The front entry to Phipps Conservatory.
Overview: The large, beautiful, Victorian-era glasshouse at the edge of Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park is the main attraction. It’s filled with tropicals and other tender specimens and has several rooms that change regularly. A few outdoor gardens surround the conservatory.
Highlights: A palm house is the central feature with rooms devoted to desert plants, tropical fruits, ferns, orchids and changing exhibits fanning out from it. There’s also a butterfly “forest” and a nice cafe and gift shop. Outside gardens include a pair of water gardens and an acre or so of paths winding through perennials, medicinal plants, herbs, dwarf conifers and a children’s garden.
George’s Take: Especially nice as a winter get-away. I like the changing exhibits best. Also the Christmas light displays. There’s always something different going on. It’s one of the “greenest” public gardens around and offers a nice view over Pittsburgh’s Oakland section below. I’ve included a few more photos of Phipps in a Photo Gallery I did on our Gardens of Ohio trip in 2013 (we stopped at Phipps on the way back.)
Contact info: www.phipps.conservatory.org. 412-622-6914.
PHS MEADOWBROOK FARM
One of the focal-point fountains at Meadowbrook.
Location: 1633 Washington Lane, Philadelphia (in Abington Twp., just north of the city)
Overview: This is the 25-acre estate and home of the late J. Liddon Pennock Jr., who was a leading Philadelphia florist and very active in the Philadelphia Flower Show. Pennock willed the beautifully designed and planted grounds and home to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society after he died in 2003.
Highlights: It’s not open every day, so check first before you go. The 7 acres surrounding the English Cotswold-style house are planted with 15 different gardens, ranging from a woodland path to a perennial garden to a landscaped swimming pool area. There’s also a retail garden center and gift shop on site.
George’s Take: The use of focal points stands out most to me here. The design is carved into rooms, and each time you turn a corner or enter a new room, there’s a statue, fountain, specimen plant or some other attraction to pull you in. Some very nice conifers, too.
Contact info: http://meadowbrookfarm.org. 215-887-5900.
SCOTT ARBORETUM
Location: 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, on the campus of Swarthmore College.
Swarthmore’s famed outdoor ampitheater.
Overview: Even though Swarthmore doesn’t have a horticulture program, its 110-acre campus has one of the best and most educational landscapes of any school. Gardens, trees, flower pots and plant specimens dot the campus… and most are labeled.
Highlights: 4,000 different species are on display throughout, many in themed gardens that fill courtyards and open spaces among the college buildings. There’s a large rose garden, a fragrance garden, a garden of Gold Medal-winning woody plants, a green roof, mixed woodies, grasses and perennials in the Cosby and Nason gardens and collections of magnolias, hollies, oaks and conifers.
George’s Take: I love this place. Those Swarthmore kids are lucky. The look changes daily with all of the diversity. The signature is the outdoor amphitheater in the woods with stone and grass terraced seating. Brilliant design. No charge to visit.
Contact info: www.scottarboretum.org. 610-328-8025.
STONELEIGH: A NATURAL GARDEN
Stoneleigh’s mansion in spring.
Location: 1829 County Line Road, Villanova
Overview: John and Chara Haas (Rohm and Haas chemical company) donated their 42-acre grounds and mansion after their death in 2011/2012 to become a public garden. Stoneleigh is a naturalistic site filled with towering shade trees and mostly native under-story trees, shrubs, and perennials.
Highlights: The mature and specimen trees are the stars (some are among the biggest of their species in the state), but there’s also a growing collection of native plants, a long stone pergola, bog gardens, a rockery, a circular lawn, and peaceful vistas everywhere. Winding paths run through it all.
George’s Take: A la Chanticleer, this is a place you go to stroll, to enjoy the trees and lush plantings, and to listen to the birds chirping as opposed to studying plants. This place is only going to get better as the new plantings grow and Natural Lands (the conservation group that operates it) continues to plant. It’s free, too!
Contact info: https://stoneleighgarden.org/garden/home/. 610-353-5587.
TYLER ARBORETUM
One of the many shaded, nature trails through Tyler Arboretum.
Location: 515 Painter Road, Media, Delaware County.
Overview: Built on land once owned by William Penn, these 650 acres are home to several state champion trees (and some unusual treehouses), 20 miles of nature trails and several theme gardens.
Highlights: Tyler has a walk-through native-plant meadow maze, a butterfly house, native plantings and collections of rhododendrons, magnolias, crabapples and cherries. But the real stars are the 18th-century trees planted by the Painter Brothers, nurserymen who once had more than 1,000 specimens on display here. Twenty are left.
George’s Take: Beautiful place for a hike in spring when the trees, wildflowers and rhodies are blooming. A must for tree-lovers, especially the state-champion giant sequoia with the rare double-leader trunk that occurred when a Christmas tree thief lopped off the top 100 years ago.
Contact info: www.tylerarboretum.org. 610-566-9134.