Morris Arboretum--Philadelphia, PA

I recently ventured out to the Morris Arboretum, located outside of Philadelphia, PA.  I had heard about the garden for years but never had a chance to visit.  Like many of the gardens that I have been to, the Morris Arboretum has a rich cultural, horticultural, and architectural history.  Originally owned and developed by John and Lydia Morris as a summer home in the late 1800's, the property became part of the University of Pennsylvania in 1932.  The gardens offer an amazing research opportunity in the history of landscape architecture and design, and the arboretum website has wonderful archives with photos and paperwork on the history of the property.

Gardens are a form of a living history, with the ability to transport us back in time.  They are constantly changing and adapting, however they show that the vision and work of human beings can leave an imprint on the landscape.

The gardens here are very well cared for, and provide the perfect balance between historical and contemporary elements. 

The rose garden offered a colorful and painterly array of perenials paired with an English country style stone wall.  The plants that were growing out of the stone wall, softened the architectural details.  

Though much of the surrounding landscape had grown in, I was surprised to learn that this wall appeared almost the same way in the early 1900's archives.  

The garden in this are felt different than other gardens that I have visited.  There was a wild element to it, yet everything was deliberately placed, and well manicured.  This was the perfect time of year to visit with everything in full bloom, providing a variety of colors and textures at every vantage point.

As I continued on, I began noticing some of the more formal stone elements.  These established a striking contrast between the more natural growth within the flower beds, and the surrounding trees and shrubs.

There were also some interesting little botanical discoveries to be found.

And something that I have never seen in a garden before...A garden railway!  Model trains, on an elaborate system of tracks, traveled about in their own little worlds, up mountains, through covered bridges, around the Eiffel Tower, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  The movement of these little trains was mesmerizing as they traveled throughout landscape lined with Japanese Maple trees, Bleeding Hearts, and waterfalls, the sounds of railroad cars echoing from other areas of the garden.

Moving on from the little trains, I took a turn through a vine covered arch, and discovered a fountain which led me to the Pennock Flower Walk.
  

Walking up the hillside past the marble fountain and sundial, I was intrigued by what looked like an old terracotta wall nestled in a shady secluded spot.  This was once the spot of the summerhouse in the early 1900's and the area was described as the Italian Villa Garden.  There was a trickling stone fountain,  Italian style Urns, and a quiet spot to sit and gaze out at the striking view of the grounds.  This was where the landscape design truly became apparent.

 From that spot, I made my way to the swan pond, and English Park.  Surprise architectural elements could be discovered all around the expansive grounds each with its own unique character.

 Seven Arches, located at the edge of the garden, once pumped an elaborate system of water throughout the landscape.  Now, from on top of the arches, there is a striking view of the landscape, gardens, and very grown-in location where the original house once stood.

From here, as I walked back though the park, I encountered one of the many groundhogs that seem to have developed a commune on the property.  I think that this guy was suspicious of me.

I then made my way though a wooded area to the Key Fountain, and the Mercury Loggia and Grotto, both displaying a shadowy, quiet contrast to the light and open expanse of the English Park.

Finally, I made my way to the Victorian Fernery.  Built in 1899 this is the only freestanding fernery remaining in North America.  This was fascinating to learn about, as I have recently taken an interest in greenhouses and terrariums, and have been exploring the idea of caring for plants in constructed and controlled environments.  As a bonus, the building was beautifully constructed.

In addition to the historical details of the garden, there are also some fun and hidden gems to discover.

Like Giant Toads!

And a human sized Robin's nest high above in the tree canopy!

Longwood Gardens All to Myself: Backwards

After 30-ish years or so of visiting Longwood Gardens, this May marked the first year that my family and I had the grounds to ourselves.  Well not exactly, but it sure seemed like it.  There were a number of factors that contributed to my new-found, imaginary acquisition of the historic DuPont property.  First, it was close to 95 degrees that day, though with beautiful crystal clear blue skies, and second, it was not a holiday, or a weekend. 

In years past, we have practically always visited the gardens on Memorial Day weekend, which often brings floods of garden and fountain enthusiasts.  However, even though it is crowded at Longwood, you usually don't notice it.  That is the wonder of the garden landscape, allowing visitors to escape from the world into their own private spaces.  

But on this day, Longwood Gardens would become all mine.

Longwood Gardens is located in  Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.  The property, originally inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Indians, has had a rich history dating back to the 1700's.  As it stands today the grounds were designed in the early 1900's, mainly at the hands of Pierre S. du Pont.  The gardens are known for their festival of fountains, Italianate gardens, and magnificent Conservatory. 

In 30 years of visiting the gardens, one comes to expect certain things, which to a new observer might be a magical discovery.  To these seasoned visitors, the garden experience becomes something entirely different.  One must look to discover new spots, subtleties, and details, that overwhelmed new visitors would most likely overlook.   The garden has "rooms", palaces in fact, each with its own individual character and personality.  The topiary and rose gardens feel like entering Alice's Wonderland, while the great fountain lawn feels like stepping straight into the palace of Versailles.  The Italian water garden seems surreal in it's perfection, as if the ghosts of time are present here, content on never leaving paradise. 

There is a section ( my favorite ) where the fountains are not running, and the blue tile is deteriorating with weeds poking their way through.  In this spot, there are so many details, so much possibility for my mind to imagine what this place must have looked like in the early 1900's. 

This year, we decided to explore the garden backwards; backwards for us, that is.  It is amazing how taking a different route, and seeing things in an unexpected way can change the entire experience. 

This year, I paid particular attention to the teaching garden, where you can view a wide variety of perennials, and get great ideas to apply to your own garden.   The poppies and peonies were unbelievable.

 

And a great veggie garden....

 Herb Garden....I loved the curls of the garlic scapes....

We then ventured out of the teaching area and started to make our way towards the conservatory.

Can you spot the monkey puzzle trees??

The Longwood conservatory is full of Tropical, Desert, and Mediterranean climates, along with rose, and hibiscus specimens, a beautiful indoor plant display, and outdoor water lily garden.  

 

And my all time favorite highlight, is the orchid collection.  Over the many years of visiting collection, I always secretly wished that I could have the orchid room all to myself, to pretend that it was all mine.  This is by far the best, most extensive collection that I have seen in my garden travels.  

Finally, we left the conservatory looking out regally at the landscape below, and made our way past the formal flower beds, down winding, natural wooded paths, to the Italian Water Garden.

I was interested to learn that this garden is a lesson in linear and spatial perspective.  It was designed with the back pools fourteen feet longer so that when viewed from above the pools would all appear to be the same size.  

Can you spot the waterfall steps??

Finally, the day ended where most years it begins.  This display felt to me like a black and white movie, completely desaturated, but full of exciting texture and value.  We exited the bright wonderland, full of vibrant color, returning through the bluish gray, monochromatic gates to the real world.  

A seemingly appropriate end to a wonderful, backwards visit.