Now that vacation season is in full swing, you might be looking to make a few day trips. The Philadelphia area has beautiful gardens and preserves, right around the corner. And you don’t have to be a landscape architect to enjoy what these gardens and landscapes have to offer.
Here are a few great places to check out this summer!
Located in Northwest Philadelphia, the Morris Arboretum offers 92 acres of lush and colorful gardens. Spend time with family and friends while you discover your favorite garden spaces and learn from 12,000 labeled plants, trees and flowers. Sign up for classes, educational tours and lectures.
Special summer events include Early Bird Saturdays. Every Saturday (May – September), the garden opens at 8:00am (Garden railway opens at 10:00am). Free with garden admission. Come enjoy this prime time for bird watching!
Winterthur’s 1,000 acres encompass rolling hills, streams, meadows and forests. Founded by Henry Francis du Pont who had a lifelong passion for gardening and turned his home into a museum. 60 acres of naturalistic garden rated among the country’s best.
Special summer events include Second Saturday Garden Walks.
- August 13 (7:00 pm) – Sunset from the Train Station (bring your flashlight and prepare for a long walk)
- September 10 – Garden Architecture and Water Features
Located right near our office in Wayne, less than 30 minutes from Center City is Chanticleer, one of the great gardens of the region. Interesting features at Chanticleer include the:
- Asian Woods
- Cut Flower Garden
- Gravel Garden
- Pond Garden
BOWMAN’S HILL WILDFLOWER PRESERVE
Located in with heart of Historic Bucks County and nearby Washington’s Crossing & New Hope, BHWP features a 134 acre preserve featuring nearly 800 Species to Pennsylvania including 80 species that are rare, threatened or endangered. BHWP offers guided Wildflower Walks and Group tours. A family-friendly adventure, plan to spend 2 hours walking through the various features including the:
- Meadow
- Green Labyrinth
- Visitor Center Idea Garden
- Bog Garden
- Penn’s Woods
About an hour drive east of Philadelphia you can find an example of a managed native landscape that was been carefully restored from the impacts of development and the devastating effects of deer and invasive species. The 4,000 acre parkland is ‘rich in natural resources, and boasts a variety of stream corridors, geologic outcrops, and an ecological preserve that provides a core habitat for a diversity of plant and animal species’ native to the region. SMP is owned and operated by the Somerset County Park Commission and is convenient to Princeton and Hopewell, NJ.
For even more local places to visit, check out Greater Philadelphia Gardens.