Adkins Arboretum

Opened in 1980, and named after a local family who were avid conservationists, a trip to Adkins Arboretum offers something special during every season of the year. The highlight of any visit is a walk along the four miles of paths that meander through a variety of landscapes, including upland meadows, a hardwood forest and lush woodland.

This 400-acre site is unique because it’s the only arboretum or public garden in the region that focuses solely on plants native to the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Because of its location on the Delmarva Peninsula of Maryland, at the junction of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, both northern and southern plant life flourish here. The result is a wonderfully diverse habitat of more than 600 species of native shrubs, trees, wildflowers, grasses and ferns.

Walking through the grounds, visitors can experience native plants in a natural setting, as well as plants in ecological restoration projects and cultivated gardens. Every Saturday morning, from April to November, there are enjoyable and informative one-hour guided walks through the meadows and woods led by one of the arboretum’s naturalists.

The arboretum was recently designated an Important Bird Area and its varied habitat of woodlands, meadows and wetlands makes it an ideal site for bird watching, an added attraction at this beautiful site that will appeal to families, gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike.

The arboretum grounds and visitor centre are open daily from 10am to 4pm, except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children.

Brookside Gardens

A visit to Brookside Gardens, an award-winning 50-acre display garden in Wheaton Regional Park, is certainly a treat for all the senses. The gardens are divided into several distinct areas, that will take you on a walk from Japan to Europe and through the tropics in the space of one visit, and there are two conservatories that provide year-round enjoyment along with a horticultural reference library in the spacious visitor centre.

The glass-covered conservatories house a large tropical plant collection and also provide seasonal plant colour displays throughout the year and are used for special exhibitions, such as Brookside’s butterfly exhibit and holiday train display.

Among the highlights is the Japanese Garden, complete with an island teahouse surround by bamboo and unusual conifers and a lake filled with koi carp, turtles, ducks and geese. The heady Fragrance Garden displays plants that are known for their scent. Not just confined to flowers, the scent may also be found in leaves, stems or roots so you need to follow your nose. From June to September there is plenty more fragrance to be found in the Rose Garden, which has the distinction of being an ‘All-America Rose Selection’ garden, showcasing the newest, award-winning rose varieties a full year before they are available for retail sale. It is home to around 100 different rose varieties interplanted with ornamental grasses, and perennials to provide a radiant profusion of colour. Reflecting pools, benches and a shaded pergola encourage visitors to stay awhile and soak up the atmosphere. Other areas include the Aquatic Garden, Azalea Garden and Rain Garden.

The gardens are open from sunrise to sunset year-round, the visitor centre is open from 9am to 5pm and the conservatories are open from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.

Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore, often simply known as the Baltimore Conservatory, is a wonderfully historic conservatory and botanical garden that can be found inside Druid Hill Park. Together with the City of Baltimore, the Baltimore Conservatory Association is dedicated to developing and promoting the public’s enjoyment, appreciation and understanding of plants and climates from around the world through the exhibits and a varied calendar of events at the conservatory.

Dating back to 1888, the conservatory was built to a design by George Frederick who was the architect of Baltimore’s City Hall, and there was a major renovation project between 2002 and 2004 that saw the addition of two new pavilions designed to complement the original architecture of the Palm House. The conservatory is now made up of five distinct areas, the Palm House, Orchid Room, Mediterranean House, Tropical House and the conservatory grounds. The display greenhouses feature attractive design features to showcase the plants, including Arizona flagstone, rock boulders from the Utah desert, a tropical pool and Italian tiles and fountains. The City of Baltimore recently approved a major expansion of the conservatory that will enhance the attraction even further.

Outside there are 35 flowerbeds in the 1½-acre garden that provide a kaleidoscope of colour from early spring until late autumn. In addition to the permanent displays there are different events throughout the year including the Spring Flower Show, the Fall Chrysanthemum and the Holiday Poinsettia displays.

The conservatory and gardens are open every Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

Salisbury University Arboretum

Go back to the classroom in a most enjoyable and enthralling way at Salisbury University where the 145-acre campus demonstrates the many wonders of the plant kingdom with a diverse display of woody and herbaceous plants. The university began its collection of plants in 1985 and three years later was declared a national arboretum.

The campus features over 2,000 species and includes impressive collections of magnolia, rhododendron, viburnum, linden, elm, roses, wisteria, bald cypress, dogwoods, myrtles, oaks and Japanese maples. Areas of special interest include the pergola, various courtyards, the Bellavance Honors Center Japanese Garden and the Miller Alumni Garden. These areas are planted with hardy and tender perennials, annuals, tropicals and bulbs and many are accentuated by delightful water features.

Since 1994 Salisbury University has been developing a sculpture collection to complement its arboretum. The collection is notably strong in the area of Beaux Arts sculpture. This includes works by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who was responsible for the development of the Beaux Arts style in the US, Daniel Chester French, who sculpted Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial, Frederick McMonnies, who created the doors to the Library of Congress, and Herman Atkins McNeil, best known for his Western sculptures. Also included in the collection is the head of Pierre de Wissant by August Rodin, one of the original studies for his famous sculpture The Burghers of Calais.

The gardens are open at all times and there is no admission charge. Visitors can download a brochure, which includes a plant list and sculpture list, from the website.

Virginia Gent Decker Arboretum

Another inspirational arboretum set against the backdrop of an historic seat of learning can be discovered at Washington College. Tree lovers certainly won’t want to miss the opportunity to stroll around the 104-acre campus where a huge variety of trees, from Japanese pagoda to American lindens, thrive around the college buildings.

The arboretum, named after a nature lover and college philanthropist, provides the campus with beauty and tranquillity. The arboretum was established in 1996 following a model established at Mount Vernon by Washington College patron, farmer, and horticulturist General George Washington. Using existing trees and shrubs as the fundamental plantings, the establishment of the arboretum represented a major step toward the creation of a long-range plan for the landscape of the college and trees are being added all the time.

The dedication to Virginia Gent Decker two years later honoured Virginia Decker for her leadership in advancing the educational mission of Washington College and recognising her interest in nature. The college has an inventory of over 700 trees the represent more than 90 different species.

Whilst many visitors will simply want to walk around the campus and soak up the atmosphere, for the more serious tree enthusiast all the trees are labelled, making identification easy for students and campus visitors alike. Brochures for a self-guided tour area available at the entrance to the Decker Laboratory and Miller Library.

The arboretum is open at all times and there is no admission charge.