Scott Arboretum & Gardens

Scott Arboretum & Gardens "garden of ideas" to sustain the body, enchant the eye, & soothe the spirit

Garden Design Basics Workshop Friday, June 13 | 9am–12pm | $45 members / $55 non-membersStaring at your yard and wonderi...
06/05/2026

Garden Design Basics Workshop
Friday, June 13 | 9am–12pm | $45 members / $55 non-members

Staring at your yard and wondering where to start? This hands-on workshop gives you the tools to turn that blank slate (or tired garden) into something that actually works for how you live. You’ll learn core design principles, how to work with your site’s realities, and what questions to ask if you’re hiring help.

After a short presentation, you’ll spend most of the morning walking the gardens with David Mattern, Horticulturist at Chanticleer, translating what you see here into ideas you can use at home. Come with questions. Leave with a plan (and a journal to keep sketching in).

Register at scottarboretum.org/calendar/garden-design-basics-workshop

Behind the Scenes Tour: Geoexchange PlantTuesday, June 10 | 2–3pm | FreeEver wonder what’s happening beneath your feet o...
06/05/2026

Behind the Scenes Tour: Geoexchange Plant
Tuesday, June 10 | 2–3pm | Free

Ever wonder what’s happening beneath your feet on campus? Take a rare look inside Swarthmore College’s geoexchange plant, where geothermal energy heats and cools buildings across campus. This isn’t your typical garden tour, you’ll see the machinery driving the college’s push toward carbon neutrality by 2035.

The tour departs from Kemp Family Commons and is recommended for ages 12 and older. Space is limited.

Register at scottarboretum.org/calendar/behind-the-scenes-tour-geoexchange-plant

Clusterhead Pink (Dianthus carthusianorum) is blooming on our Accessible Green Roof and throughout campus right now. Nam...
06/02/2026

Clusterhead Pink (Dianthus carthusianorum) is blooming on our Accessible Green Roof and throughout campus right now. Named in honor of the Carthusian monks of the French Alps, this hardy alpine plant has been a fixture of our green roof plantings for years, prized for its ability to thrive in the lean, exposed conditions of a rooftop and for the brilliant pops of magenta it brings to the landscape each summer.

Come see it in person. The arboretum is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. 🌸

Cercis canadensis ‘NC2016-2’ Flame Thrower® lives up to its name right now, with burgundy-red new foliage fading to yell...
05/31/2026

Cercis canadensis ‘NC2016-2’ Flame Thrower® lives up to its name right now, with burgundy-red new foliage fading to yellow and green as it matures.

Individual branches display four or five different shades at once throughout the growing season. In spring, bright pink flowers covered the bare stems before the foliage emerged.

This cultivar was developed by the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can find Scott Arboretum’s Flame Thrower redbuds in the back of the Terry Shane Teaching Garden opposite the Cut Flower Garden.

Free and open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year ~ scottarboretum.org

Stroll past the Cunningham House this week to delight your senses. Lean in close to Iris germanica ‘Dusky Challenger’ an...
05/29/2026

Stroll past the Cunningham House this week to delight your senses. Lean in close to Iris germanica ‘Dusky Challenger’ and you’ll be rewarded with something unexpected: a strong scent of chocolate.

The deep, velvety blooms of this Bearded Iris offer a striking contrast to sun-loving companion perennials like Nepeta racemosa. ‘Dusky Challenger’ is easy to grow, deer and rabbit resistant and quite drought tolerant once established. The best time to plant is July through September, though container-grown plants can go in the ground in spring. Plan to divide every 2 to 3 years in the fall to keep plants vigorous and flowering their best.

One of the great pleasures of the Scott Arboretum is seeing plants like this growing in a real garden setting before you commit to adding them to your own. ‘Dusky Challenger’ is growing right outside Cunningham House, easy to find and easy to admire on your next visit. We’re open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, free of charge. Come experience the scent-of-chocolate moment for yourself.

Orlaya grandiflora brings lace to the garden right now, with its white umbels floating above the foliage like delicate p...
05/28/2026

Orlaya grandiflora brings lace to the garden right now, with its white umbels floating above the foliage like delicate parasols. This annual member of the Apiaceae family is native to the Mediterranean and central Europe, where it grows in meadows and field margins. The compound umbels can reach 3 to 4 inches across, composed of unequal ray florets that create the characteristic lacy effect. Purple Allium spheres punctuate the planting, adding vertical rhythm to the softness of the orlaya.

For home gardeners, Orlaya grandiflora is surprisingly easy to grow from seed sown directly in spring or fall. It prefers full sun and well-drained soil, and will often self-sow reliably once established. The plant reaches 2 to 3 feet tall and pairs beautifully with alliums, roses, and other cottage garden perennials. Use it as a filler plant to soften hard edges and add texture between more structural plantings.

Free and open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year ~ scottarboretum.org

Chionanthus retusus brings gentle umbrella shade to the Isabelle Cosby Courtyard, its wide canopy stretching 32 feet acr...
05/27/2026

Chionanthus retusus brings gentle umbrella shade to the Isabelle Cosby Courtyard, its wide canopy stretching 32 feet across the garden airspace.

Members may recognize this tree from the spring Hybrid as our featured Heritage Tree this quarter. Public Horticulture Intern Katrien de Waard writes that this white fringetree “achieved its Heritage Tree status almost on size alone, and from where it encompasses the courtyard, it’s easy to see why.”

At an exceptional 40ft tall, it envelops the space without overwhelming the surrounding stonework. In spring, pendulous white flower panicles hang in long, fragrant clusters, feathery and fine-textured, the quality that gives the tree its common name. The deeply furrowed bark creates its own architectural rhythm throughout the dormant season.

Accessioned in 1996, this specimen is now at least 30 years old. White fringetrees typically reach 12 to 20 feet tall with a similar spread, making ours an unusually impressive presence in the Courtyard.

Free and open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year ~ scottarboretum.org

Lunch break plans? 🌿 Join us this Thursday from 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm for a virtual walk through the garden. Delight in th...
05/26/2026

Lunch break plans? 🌿 Join us this Thursday from 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm for a virtual walk through the garden. Delight in the herbaceous peonies throughout the collection. Tune in on youtube.com/.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Scott Arboretum & Gardens 2026 Rose Celebration! Your support helps us delig...
05/23/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Scott Arboretum & Gardens 2026 Rose Celebration!

Your support helps us delight, inspire, and educate the public, and we had a fabulous time connecting with everyone who was able to join us before the rain 🌹

Our next event will be a Virtual Lunchtime Tour showcasing late spring blooms on May 29th from 12-12:30pm. Tune in on YouTube: www.youtube.com/

05/21/2026

‘Nicole O’ is a hybrid cultivar introduced by Earl Sommerville, selected from Rhododendron flammeum, a native species found only in Georgia and South Carolina. The species is uncommon even within its native range, making cultivated selections like ‘Nicole O’ an important way to preserve and showcase this regional native. Mary Masters, our Curator and Plant Recorder, walks the collection at peak bloom.

Free and open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year ~ scottarboretum.org

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500 College Avenue
Ridley, PA
19081

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