PA Summer Garden Bus Tours

Chanticleer Garden, Wayne
This summer The Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum boarded the garden tour bus to visit Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, PA, for a guided tour. The pleasure began in the parking lot with a huge chartreuse locust tree, resplendent in the sun. The Tea Cup Garden shows off stunning arrangements of colorful tropicals such as golden bromeliads in tall slim planters with flowing Silver Falls, a bed of agave and dried flower balls of Allium 'Ambassador' backed by purple smokebush and variegated corn, beds of dark, handsome cordyline with artemesia, orange geum and coleus, and rosemary willow both shrubby and espaliered. So much luxury!

Down the walk to the sunken Tennis Court Garden, hosta never looked so good, its soft purple blooms frilly under a three-story American holly. Black spikes?), variegated yucca and dark heuchera among silver lamb’s ear. Chanticleer does contrast well.

Down the steps to a sunken garden with formal beds, then up through blooming hydrangea after hydrangea to Chanticleer House. Then, this writer’s favorite spot: Chanticleer House Terrace with formally-arranged beds edged in boxwood with near wildness inside with fennel, dark scabiosa, datura, grasses, tall verbena, green Nicotiana and milk thistle. Nearby, delicate red, white and blue flowers sprout from a meadow of sheep fescue bordered by lawn grass. Many beds and borders, cracks in sidewalks and hanging baskets to inspect. On to the ruin where perhaps Lestat once roamed, then down to flowery fields and ponds – lotus and water lily.

So many gardens to visit at Chanticleer warrant another trip, perhaps an overnight.

The group went on to terrain at Styers for a farm-to-table lunch, ice cream and shopping.