Greater Philadelphia Gardens

Art and Sculpture

Arboretum at the Barnes Foundation

An exceptional collection of rare and unusual mature trees and woody plants, perennial gardens, rose garden, lilacs, woodland, and ornamental ferns create an unparalleled environment for horticulture education.

Brandywine River Museum

Wildflower and native plant gardens. Museum features American art, including works by three generations of Wyeths.

Camden Children's Garden

4.5-acre interactive garden features themed educational exhibits for children of all ages to explore the natural world. Offers amusement rides and a year-round Butterfly House. Garden hosts festivals and special events. The garden is open FRIDAY through SUNDAYS (Thurdays with reservation), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Garden is open April - November, but Office is open all-year round).

Centennial Arboretum Horticultural Center

The Centennial Arboretum grounds are open 7 days a week—8am to 5pm Nov. 1 to March 31; 8am to 6pm April 1 to October 31. The Display House is open daily 9am to 3pm except holidays. Visit the Friends of the Horticultural Center in the the Centennial Arboretum located at 100 N. Horticultural Drive Philadelphia, PA 19131 or call them at(215) 477-1482 for details. Home to The Friends of the Horticultural Center and to neighboring Shofuso, Japanese House and Garden, The Centennial Arboretum contains 27 majestic acres of landscape in the heart of West Philadelphia’s Fairmont Park. The Arboretum boasts one of the most diverse and unique tree collections in the region with trees and shrubs from Asia, Europe, and North America including a Magnolia Grove and a Japanese Maple collection. The landscape is dotted with art and sculpture (old and new) from artists such as Alexander Stirling Calder, Robert David Lasus, Martin Puryear, and Beatrice Fenton. Inside the display house are graceful mature tropical gardens which gently cradle statuary, some of which dates from the late 19th Century. Enjoy the newly restored Hummingbird Garden, The Hands-On Garden, a raised garden lovingly maintained by the Associated Services for the Blind, The Butterfly Garden (near the Gazebo) and The Demonstration Vegetable Garden. Or visit the circular Sundial garden to view the two hundred Cherry Blossoms that line the fairway through Belmont Avenue each spring! The property has equally rich history, too. The Friends new website is currently under development.Check back soon for these and other updates

Chanticleer

35-acre pleasure garden that displays the beauty of the art of horticulture. Highlights include water and ruin gardens.

Hortulus Farm Garden & Nursery

A 100 acre 18th Century farmstead and nursery operation with 30 acres of formal gardens including lavish perennial and summer borders, pool and lake gardens, woodland walks, pine and birch allees, and splendid herb and kitchen gardens.

Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens

Naturalistic landscape offers a tranquil escape from an otherwise bustling, densely populated area on the Main Line. Over a mile of paved walkways lead through native wildflowers and woodland gardens, including a diverse collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, to a pond, a stream, and stunning vistas overlooking Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania

92-acre horticulture display garden features a spectacular collection of mature trees in a Victorian landscape. The Arboretum features numerous picturesque spots such as a formal rose garden, Japanese gardens, a swan pond, English gardens, and an elegant Fernery. The Morris Arboretum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Nemours Mansion & Gardens

French gardens on 300-acre estate recalls the splendors of Versailles in its fountains and sculptures with acres of forest.

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) offers a wide variety of exciting events for its members and the public throughout the year. From the world-renowned Philadelphia International Flower Show, to the joyous Kids Grow Expo, to the new Fall Gardening Festival, PHS offers something for the gardener in everyone. Meadowbrook Farm, a 25-acre grand estate featuring a retail nursery of exceptional plants, public gardens and more, is part of the PHS family. Meadowbrook forces plants for the Flower Show, in addition to running the nursery and gift shop. Meadow Farm is conveniently located just north of Philadelphia at 1633 Washington Lane, Meadowbrook (Abington Township), PA 19046. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all year (open Sundays in spring and summer), with free parking. Self-guided tours of the house and gardens available by prior arrangement for groups of 15 or more from April to November. For more information, visit the PHS website, www.phsonline.org.

Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College

110 acres on college campus featuring 4,000 kinds of plants, including seasonal crocus, roses, and hollies.

Shofuso Japanese House & Garden

Shofuso Japanese House and Garden is a traditional-style Japanese house and nationally-ranked garden in West Fairmount Park that reflects the history of Japanese culture in Philadelphia, from the 1876 Centennial Exposition to the installation of its contemporary paintings in 2007. Shofuso was built in Japan in 1953 using traditional techniques and materials and exhibited in the courtyard at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was moved to Philadelphia in 1958, to the site of several previous Japanese structures dating to the 1876 Centennial Exposition. In 2007, internationally renowned artist Hiroshi Senju, inspired by our waterfall, donated 20 murals to Shofuso. A viewing garden with koi pond and island, a tea garden, and a courtyard garden comprise the 17th century-style Japanese walled and fenced garden of this historic site and museum.

The Highlands Mansion & Gardens

44 acres encompass Mansion, 2-acre formal garden and nine outbuildings, including bank barn, springhouse, and cottage.

Tyler Formal Gardens at Bucks County Community College

The former George F. and Stella Elkins Tyler estate, now site of the Bucks County Community College's Newtown campus, includes a restored 1930s four-tier formal garden featuring pear tree espalier, Stella Tyler's bronze sculptures, marble fountains, varied plantings, and parterres. The historic mansion, now known as Tyler Hall, is also open to public.

Winterthur

A du Pont family country place with garden inspired by the Brandywine Valley landscape. Admission includes garden tram ride, garden access, museum tour, self-guided tour of garden and galleries.

 

We encourage you to discover what each garden, arboretum or historic house has to offer and to learn about lesser-known gems that you might like to visit as well.

 

Bloom Calendar

Be sure to check out our Bloom Calendar.