Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens—Spring 2024

By FCGN member Jeff Schuetz

Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens was the third of six gardens my wife Nita Beck and I visited during our trip to Philadelphia in the spring of 2024. This was my second time visiting, the prior visit being May 20, 2017. (48 acres; free admission; the Education Center and Garden Shop have more limited hours than the garden as a whole; jenkinsarboretum.org)

Originally the modest home of plant-lovers Elizabeth and Lawrence Jenkins, the property began to be developed into a public park, arboretum, and wildlife sanctuary in Elizabeth’s honor in 1968 upon Lawrence’s death. After several years of development, and after neighbor Louisa P. Browning donated her adjoining 26 acres in 1973, Jenkins opened to the public in 1976. The John H. Willaman Education Center was added in 2009.

Jenkins is primarily a woodland garden that tumbles down the hillside, with well-paved paths through a naturalistic setting and a stunning collection of Rhododendrons, Azaleas, shrubs, wildflowers, ferns, and more under a high canopy of mature trees. Natives have become a focus. The bottom of the hill is more open with a pond and a bog garden. It’s a beautiful, peaceful space.

Our timing was perfect for enjoying the spring blooms. Being able to negotiate the slopes is necessary for immersing oneself in the garden, but the back of the education center has lovely patio seating overlooking the hillside. Native plants are for sale during the education center hours. Definitely worth a visit!

Exterior view of a modern building with brick and glass walls, surrounded by green trees, with steps leading up to the entrance and landscape plants in the foreground.

Outdoor patio area with benches, potted plants, and a building with large glass windows and a modern metal overhang.

A winding gravel path through a green forest with flowering bushes on both sides, some with pink and purple flowers.

Cluster of red azalea flowers blooming amidst green foliage on a forest floor with dried leaves.

A narrow paved path through a lush, green forest with colorful blooming flowers on both sides.

Cluster of white flowers with pink markings on green leaves.

Close-up of light purple and white flowers blooming on a shrub with green leaves in the background.

A garden pathway surrounded by colorful blooming flowers and trees.

Red flowers growing in a garden beside a tree trunk, with green foliage and a small sign at the bottom left corner.

A serene pond surrounded by green trees and plants, with a wooden fence along the edge, sunlight filtering through the branches.

A leafless tree with multiple branches, situated in a lush green forest, with a black informational sign hanging on it that reads "Franklin Tree" and provides scientific and family classification.

A cluster of green bamboo stalks growing near a pond with water lilies on the surface, surrounded by a mix of grass and dirt.

A lush green park with a curving paved path, surrounded by trees and flowering bushes, with two white chairs on the right side of the image.

A scenic view of a park with a winding path leading to a pond surrounded by green trees and grass.

Pink and yellow azalea flowers blooming among green leaves, some flowers wilting.

Forest floor with green plants, rocks, and a small black sign labeled 'Fairywand, Chamaedaphne luteum, Liliaceae, Lily Family.'

Pink and red bell-shaped flowers hanging from green leafy plants in a wooded area.

Close-up of a cluster of light pink and cream rhododendron flowers with green leaves and blurred background.

A garden path curves through green shrubbery and trees, with a flowering rhododendron bush bearing pink and purple flowers on the left and a bench visible in the background on the right.

A cluster of Yellow Lady's Slipper orchid flowers with light yellow, pouch-shaped petals and long green leaves in a garden bed. A sign indicates its common name, scientific name Cypripedium parviflorum, and family Orchidaceae.