Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens

Pardon me, I'm very busy! This bumblebee has a full schedule visiting the many rhododendrons in bloom at Jenkins right now, including Rhododendron x 'Jay Murray', pictured here. #jenkinsarboretum #jenkinsarboretumandgardens #americasgardencapital #spring #springtime #springblooms

Best seats in the house! There are plenty of great spots throughout Jenkins to stop and chat with a friend or enjoy a good book, but nothing beats this sunshiny spot by the pond on a warm April day! #jenkinsarboretum #jenkinsarboretumandgardens #americasgardencapital #spring #springtime

Twenty four karat magic in the air... True fact: not all rhododendron flowers are a shade of purple or pink! Meet Rhododendron '24 Karat’. This small-leaved hybrid rhododendron has pale yellow flowers that really stand out amongst the crowd. It’s in bloom now at Jenkins near the end of Woodland Walk, above the pond. #jenkinsarboretum #jenkinsarboretumandgardens #americasgardencapital #rhododendron #spring #flowers

Have you noticed a pinkish tinge in the understory trees around town? Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) is showing off its red buds, although they have more of a pink to purple hue. What's really cool about the flower buds of this native tree is where they are located. Eastern redbud exhibits cauliflory, where the flowers develop directly from the trunks or branches of a woody plant instead of from new growth and shoots. Come see cauliflory up-close on your next spring stroll at Jenkins! We are open from 9 am - 7 pm daily, always free of an admission fee. #jenkinsarboretum #jenkinsarboretumandgardens #americasgardencapital #spring #springblooms #trees #easternredbud #nativeplants

We love the unique floral shape of Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), one of our native spring ephemerals. It is blooming now at Jenkins and the flowers resemble little pantaloons hanging upside down! #jenkinsarboretum #jenkinsarboretumandgardens #americasgardencapital #spring #springephemerals #dutchmansbreeches #nativeplants

Did you know there are living fossils growing in the garden? Non-flowering and flowering plants have evolved for over 300 million years, and while many of these species are either extinct or highly evolved today, some have remained relatively unchanged. These "living fossils" offer a peek back in time and can show us how our landscapes evolved to what we see today. Join us next Thursday 2/18 at 7 pm as Hamilton Educational Fellow, Heather Titanich, talks about the evoluti...on, biology, and cultural significance of these living fossils. This free program will be held virtually. Follow link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hamilton-fellow-lecture-series #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens #livingfossil

A pop of color in a landscape of wintry hues! Witch Hazels are beginning to bloom at Jenkins, including this vibrant hybrid (Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena'). We will be closed again today (2/11) as we work to clear snow and ice from last night. #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens #witchhazel #hamamelis

Winter is the perfect time to prep your tools for the season ahead. Join our new Head Horticulturist, Karen Flick, as she demonstrates how to care for a gardener's best friend - pruners!

This week's snow reminds us of some snowy scenes from the archives. This picture was taken at the bottom of the hill (near Devon State Road) where the small stream and waterfall flow today. The area was used as a duck pond for the Jenkins family but has since been allowed to revert back into a flowing tributary of Trout Creek. #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens #fromthearchives #mainlinehistory

Yesterday was a magical snow globe sort of day at the Arboretum! ... but that snow globe dumped several inches of snow on us, so we will be closed today (2/8) as we continue to clear trails after the storm. #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens

Anyone else ready to take a day off from Zoom? Step away from the screen and join us this Saturday 10/24 for a socially distant workshop to make your own seasonal dried wreath. Class size is limited, our workspace will be outdoors, we’ll all be wearing masks, and each person will have their own workstation. Plus, you get to add some fall flair to your front door! Follow the link to register.

Hot off the press! Our 2020 digital Newsletter has arrived and is packed with garden updates and a full lineup of fall programs. Take a look at the full Newsletter by following the link:. https://issuu.com/jagard//fall_newsletter_2020_final_pages Cover photo by Chris Swisher... #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens

Time for a pit stop! With so many native plant species providing nourishing food for our avian visitors, Jenkins is the ideal pit stop for many migratory bird species traveling at this time of year, including this Black-throated Green Warbler. Be sure to look UP when you come for a visit! Photo by Liz Pettit #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens #birdsofinstagram #birdphotography

Who else is ready to dive in on this weekend?! We are open every day this weekend from 9 am to 7 pm, free of an admission fee. And don’t forget- this is the last weekend to buy plants in the Plant Shop! #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens

Have you visited Jenkins and all 36 gardens featured in the America's Garden Capital - Greater Philadelphia Gardens Passport? Do you have the 36 stamps, stickers, code words, staff signatures, or at-home print outs in the back of your Passport to prove it? America’s Garden Capital wants to hear from you and is offering prizes to the fans that have completed this ultimate garden challenge. Learn more and submit your Passport here: http://americasgardencapital.org/contest Don’t have a Passport yet? Stop by our garden and pick up your free copy to get exploring our region’s public gardens today! #americasgardencapital Photos by: Afrik Armando

Who doesn’t love making new fronds?Join us for this week’s Wednesday Walkabout as we get to know some of the native ferns growing at Jenkins with Nancy Cosmos, Curatorial Assistant and Project Manager. #jenkinsarboretum #publicgardens #americasgardencapital #ferns

The Plant Shop is open for one more week! Stop by to purchase some great native plants to add to your home garden before the season winds down. May we suggest picking up the fall-fruiting Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus) pictured here? Visit the Plant Shop from 9 am - 3:30 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. And don’t forget - the last day to shop is October 11! Follow this link for more info: https://www.jenkinsarboretum.org/gardens/plant-shop/ #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens #nativeplants #euonymusamericanus

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at botanical illustration but didn’t know where to start? Join us next Thursday 10/8 at 5 pm for a beginner-friendly class, Autumn Observations: Beginning a Mushroom Sketchbook. In this virtual class, we will get to know the fungi of PA while learning how to sketch, draw, and paint. No experience necessary! Click the below for more information or to register. Artwork and image by Margaret Saylor, our talented instructor for this class. #jenkinsarboretum #botanicalart #botanicalillustration

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill--several thrills? We’re especially glad we live in a world where there is *Jenkins* in October! Celebrate the first day of a new month by visiting the gardens - we're open from 9 am to 7 pm daily and are always free of an admission fee. From "Anne of Green Gables", by L.M. Montgo...mery. #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens #lmmontgomery

Don’t forget to join us for our virtual lecture, Gardening in Deer Country, this coming Sunday 10/4 at 3 pm. Damage from deer is one of the biggest challenges gardeners face in our region but you don’t have to keep forfeiting your plants to the deer! Steve Wright, Director of Horticulture/Curator, will share tips and tricks for avoiding deer damage as well as some of his favorite deer-resistant plants. This virtual lecture is free to attend - follow the link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gardening-in-deer-country-tick #jenkinsarboretum #publicgardens #americasgardencapital #nativeplants

Gardening in southeastern Pennsylvania is often reduced to a battle with local deer populations. At the Arboretum, we are lucky to have a deer exclusion fence to protect most of the gardens but what about the area outside the fence? Through years of trial and error, we have come up with a list of plants that are tough enough to thrive in the space between the fence and the road, and are left alone by the deer in our area. Join Steve Wright, Director of Horticulture/Curator, ...for this week’s virtual Wednesday Walkabout as he shares some of our favorite deer-resistant plants. Don’t forget - our Plant Shop is open through October 11 and many of the plants he mentioned are available! If you want to learn more, Steve will be giving a virtual talk, Gardening in Deer Country, on October 4 at 3 pm. Follow this link for details and registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gardening-in-deer-country-tick #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens

I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. Could we have asked for a more perfect, sunshine-filled, first day of fall? Get ready for one of the most beautiful times of year at Jenkins. The air is beginning to cool and the leaves have just barely started to change colors and we couldn’t be more excited about it! Stop by regularly throughout the season to see autumn settle on the Arboretum. Quote from The American Notebooks by... Nathaniel Hawthorne. #jenkinsarboretum #americasgardencapital #publicgardens