If you want to spend the day outdoors in Philadelphia, check out the glamorous gardens in the area. Strolling through the gardens and taking in the array of beautiful flowers, grounds, and indoor gardens is a pleasant way to spend time with your family and friends.
Here are a few botanical gardens worth visiting in Philadelphia:
The du Pont family isn’t known for just running the world’s largest chemical companies but also is synonymous with beautiful gardens. Pierre S. du Pont is responsible for the over 1,000 acres of a floral paradise.
Combinations of landscaped gardens with both domestic and exotic beds of flowers which change with the seasons are part of this acreage. Plus, there’s an Italian water garden, topiaries, and indoor children’s garden, orangery, waterfalls, fountains, waterlily pond, a sprawling greenhouse, and a museum.
There are also performances and special events hosted at the garden. The whole package makes this botanical garden the premier one to see in the nation.
This thriving botanical garden is one of the earliest in the nation. The garden is named after a Quaker named John Bartram. He purchased the land in 1728 and it’s now a 46-acre garden along the Schuylkill River.
The botanical garden has an expansive collection of plants, native flowers, a river trail, a meadow, ancient trees, and a water garden. The nation’s oldest living ginkgo tree is here, as well as, the Franklinia alatamaha (the Franklin tree) which is a flowering shrub named after Benjamin Franklin.
Bartram’s Garden is located walking distance from University City, a popular neighborhood known for its proximity to Penn, Drexel, and the University of the Sciences
The Chestnut Hill Summer Estate, which belonged to the Morris family, was purchased in 1932 by the University of Pennsylvania to become the Morris Arboretum. The Morris Arboretum is the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Victorian landscape of 92 acres contains streams, gardens with over 12,000 labeled plants and flowers, and sculptures.
Another interesting site is the Out On a Limb 50-foot high canopy walk. Here you can get a bird’s eye view of the gorgeous and lush trees below.
4. Shofuso Japanese House and Garden
In 1876, the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden came to Philadelphia for the Centennial Exposition. There have been changes to the property throughout the years, but it has always reflected the Japanese traditional values of truth, beauty, and goodness.
It also ranks as one of the top three Japanese gardens in North America. The Shofuso Japanese House and Garden sit on a 1.2-acre site of tranquil beauty which steps back in time of the 17th century.
The garden contains symbolic cherry blossoms, rock walls, goldfish ponds, and lush grass and greenery.
The Japanese House stands on ground that has featured Japanese landscaping and structures almost always since 1876.
The present Shofuso was built in Nagoya, Japan, in 1953 and exhibited in the MoMA exhibition as part of the series “The House in the Museum Garden.” It was then moved to the temple gate site after the exhibition closed.
Turn Your Yard into a Manicured Garden
As you can see, spending time at any of these beautiful gardens and landscaping in Philadelphia is worth it for the relaxation an enjoyment it brings. Feeling inspired to refresh your landscaping? Visit our Philadelphia lawn care page for more information
Feature image source: Flower Garden Walk, Longwood Gardens
