Chanticleer: A PleasureGarden—Spring 2024

By FCGN member Jeff Schuetz

Chanticleer was the second of six gardens my wife Nita Beck and I visited during our trip to Philadelphia in the spring of 2024. (35 acres; paid admission; registration required due to limited parking; chanticleergarden.org)

Chanticleer is perhaps our favorite garden ever! (This was our third time visiting.) It beautifully combines big ideas and small details, wonderful design, fabulous plantsmanship, whimsy and humor, and great variety, all with a sense of cohesion. There are grand vistas, formal elegance, quiet interludes, sun and shade—something for everyone. Very imaginative with incredible attention to detail. For example, the Ruin Garden is a folly, built to look like the ruins of a home, with a granite reflecting pool in the form of a grand dining room table and a library with stone carved books.

In contrast to Stoneleigh, Chanticleer has approximately 20 full-time horticultural staff members with great freedom in the garden design and execution each year, including woodworking, metalwork, and stonework in the off season. The result is a vibrant, creative experience that changes every year. A must-see! Allow plenty of time to savor it all.

Photos © 2024 Jeff Schuetz

A garden with colorful flowers, a stone pathway, and a large house with gray walls and chimneys in the background. Several people are walking along the path on a sunny day.

A garden with colorful flowers, a stone pathway, and a large house with gray walls and chimneys in the background. Several people are walking along the path on a sunny day.

Close-up of young tulip plants with green and purple leaves growing in a round ceramic pot filled with soil and mulch, in sunlight.

Close-up of young tulip plants with green and purple leaves growing in a round ceramic pot filled with soil and mulch, in sunlight.

A large potted plant with long, variegated leaves in an outdoor garden setting, supported by a metal stand on a stone surface.

A large potted plant with long, variegated leaves in an outdoor garden setting, supported by a metal stand on a stone surface.

A garden bed with several tall green plants with long, broad leaves in the center, surrounded by bright yellow-green ground cover, and a background of dense green foliage and purple flowers.

A garden bed with several tall green plants with long, broad leaves in the center, surrounded by bright yellow-green ground cover, and a background of dense green foliage and purple flowers.

A stone pathway in a lush garden with various green plants and trees, with two people walking together and enjoying the scenery.

A stone pathway in a lush garden with various green plants and trees, with two people walking together and enjoying the scenery.

Crape myrtle

Crape myrtle

A potted plant with green leaves on a stone ledge, a large tree with a textured trunk and spreading branches in the background, and a lush, green yard with grass and other plants under a bright, sunny sky.

A potted plant with green leaves on a stone ledge, a large tree with a textured trunk and spreading branches in the background, and a lush, green yard with grass and other plants under a bright, sunny sky.

Potted plants on a stone patio, including purple tulips, green leafy plants, and a small cactus, with a tree overhead and a garden in the background.

Potted plants on a stone patio, including purple tulips, green leafy plants, and a small cactus, with a tree overhead and a garden in the background.

A large tree with a thick trunk and expansive branches cast shadows over a stone patio. Beyond the patio, a lush green park with scattered trees and people walking in the distance on a bright, sunny day.

A large tree with a thick trunk and expansive branches cast shadows over a stone patio. Beyond the patio, a lush green park with scattered trees and people walking in the distance on a bright, sunny day.

A backyard with a rectangular swimming pool, surrounded by lush green grass and landscaping, including bushes, trees, and a small turquoise-roofed gazebo.

A backyard with a rectangular swimming pool, surrounded by lush green grass and landscaping, including bushes, trees, and a small turquoise-roofed gazebo.

A winding outdoor pathway with black railings alongside lush greenery and trees on a sunny day.

A winding outdoor pathway with black railings alongside lush greenery and trees on a sunny day.

A small, triangular green house in a lush garden with various plants and trees, including a large tree with pinkish-red leaves in the foreground.

A small, triangular green house in a lush garden with various plants and trees, including a large tree with pinkish-red leaves in the foreground.

A small teal-colored, A-frame wooden house with an open door leading inside, surrounded by lush green plants and trees, with a brick and stone pathway leading to the entrance.

A small teal-colored, A-frame wooden house with an open door leading inside, surrounded by lush green plants and trees, with a brick and stone pathway leading to the entrance.

A scenic park with a garden path leading to lush green lawn and trees, with people walking and sitting under a blue sky.

A scenic park with a garden path leading to lush green lawn and trees, with people walking and sitting under a blue sky.

Scenic view of a lush green park with tall trees and well-maintained grass, featuring a curved grassy area in the center and a person sitting on a bench in the background.

Scenic view of a lush green park with tall trees and well-maintained grass, featuring a curved grassy area in the center and a person sitting on a bench in the background.

A birdbath mounted on a wooden pedestal with a stone base, surrounded by greenery and rocks.

A birdbath mounted on a wooden pedestal with a stone base, surrounded by greenery and rocks.

Stewartia Monadelpha

Stewartia Monadelpha

A serene forest trail surrounded by tall trees and green foliage. The trail is covered with pine needles and bordered by rocks and small plants. Sunlight filters through the tree canopy, illuminating the path.

A serene forest trail surrounded by tall trees and green foliage. The trail is covered with pine needles and bordered by rocks and small plants. Sunlight filters through the tree canopy, illuminating the path.

A woodland trail with a rocky creek crossing surrounded by green trees and plants.

A woodland trail with a rocky creek crossing surrounded by green trees and plants.

Three people walking across a small wooden bridge in a lush green park or garden with rocks, trees, and flowers.

Three people walking across a small wooden bridge in a lush green park or garden with rocks, trees, and flowers.

A person with a white hat and black clothing stands with hands on hips near a small waterfall in a lush, green forest.

A person with a white hat and black clothing stands with hands on hips near a small waterfall in a lush, green forest.

A sunny garden with a stone path and wooden handrails, surrounded by blooming trees and lush greenery. Two people are standing near a pink blossoming tree, with one pushing a stroller.

A sunny garden with a stone path and wooden handrails, surrounded by blooming trees and lush greenery. Two people are standing near a pink blossoming tree, with one pushing a stroller.

A small, narrow pond or stream bordered by a stone ledge, with a large mossy and ridged rock inside, surrounded by green grass and plants.

A small, narrow pond or stream bordered by a stone ledge, with a large mossy and ridged rock inside, surrounded by green grass and plants.

A small garden stream runs between stone walls, surrounded by lush green grass and colorful flowering plants, with purple flowers on the right and pink flowers near the stream, under sunlight.

A small garden stream runs between stone walls, surrounded by lush green grass and colorful flowering plants, with purple flowers on the right and pink flowers near the stream, under sunlight.

Plant list box

Plant list box

An old, green outdoor water faucet with a cross-shaped handle surrounded by purple and blue flowers and green foliage.

An old, green outdoor water faucet with a cross-shaped handle surrounded by purple and blue flowers and green foliage.

Cold frames

Cold frames

Two large, bent, weathered trees with drooping branches are situated along a paved pathway in a park. The sun shines brightly in a clear blue sky, casting shadows on the ground.

Two large, bent, weathered trees with drooping branches are situated along a paved pathway in a park. The sun shines brightly in a clear blue sky, casting shadows on the ground.

Ruin Garden folly

Ruin Garden folly

A rectangular black pond with a reflective water surface in a lush garden. Surrounding the pond are plants, trees, and stone walls covered with greenery. There are several people sitting and standing nearby.

A rectangular black pond with a reflective water surface in a lush garden. Surrounding the pond are plants, trees, and stone walls covered with greenery. There are several people sitting and standing nearby.

A wooden bench shaped like a lounge chair, placed on a stone patio, surrounded by lush green ferns and other plants.

A wooden bench shaped like a lounge chair, placed on a stone patio, surrounded by lush green ferns and other plants.