A Visit to Philadephia Gardens—Spring 2024
By FCGN member Jeff Schuetz
Inspired by Carol and Dave Southby’s trip to Philadelphia gardens in September 2023, my wife Nita Beck and I made our own trip there from April 27th to May 3rd, 2024. (Carol gave a presentation about their trip at FCGN’s seed and household plant swap in February 2025.)
We toured five of the same gardens as Carol and Dave and one addition, Longwood. But our spring timeframe meant a different experience from their late summer one. It was a great time for spring flowers with azaleas and spring flowering trees in full bloom.
Nita and I visited Stoneleigh, Chanticleer, Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens, Morris Arboretum, Longwood Gardens, and Mt. Cuba Center. The first four are northwest from downtown Philadelphia, in a rough arc only 10-20 minutes from one to the next, so can easily be mixed and matched. We made a separate day trip about an hour west to Longwood and then to Mt. Cuba, another 15 minutes just over the border into Delaware, which worked out very well.
The base of our trip was a lovely Airbnb a pleasant half-block walk from the north end of Wissahickon Valley Park and a 5-minute drive to the Chestnut Hill neighborhood and Morris Arboretum. The park offered a rewarding walk the day we arrived, and Chestnut Hill was good for evening meals and a morning breakfast or two.
Besides the six gardens, we hit a few other worthwhile sites: the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park (exterior only most days); the fabulous Barnes Foundation museum downtown, next to the Rodin Museum; and the Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill, a nice smaller museum focused on Philadelphia artists.
As Carol mentioned in her seed swap talk, americasgardencapital.org is a wonderful resource about gardens in the Philadelphia area, with detailed information about 37 sites to help you plan a visit. Always check each garden’s website for more details and any changes in effect for the time of your visit.
I hope you are inspired to visit Philadelphia gardens as we were by Carol and Dave. In any case, check out our stories below for each of the gardens we visited in 2024.