This time of year, wandering through some of our gorgeous gardens and arboretums is a great way to spend time outside, whether alone, with a friend or with your whole family. If you want to start at the beginning of American gardens, Bartram Gardens will be your first stop. John Bartram, sharing ideas as well as seeds with the likes of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, was a self-taught botanist who made it his life’s work to travel all over the country collecting specimens in order to study them and prevent their extinction. On the banks of the Schuylkill, it’s a great place to spend a June day. Longwood is always a treat and between the greenhouses, outdoor gardens, fountains, and special seasonal events, it never disappoints. Similarly, the duPont family’s estate at Winterthur is beautifully laid out, interspersing terraced stone hardscaping with natural fauna. It also offers the eclectic collections housed in the mansion and this particular garden can be visited from a tram, for those who would prefer to experience it without all the walking. Grounds for Sculpture (NJ) is less of a celebration of plants than art, but is a wonderful “garden” to visit, all the same. If roses are your passion, don’t miss Wyck in Germantown. If you’re more of a “plenty of space to explore” type, Tyler’s 650 acres in Media might be more your style. There are several more; for a list, click here.
Leave a Reply