It’s all about the garden in Chestnut Hill. This town was named Philadelphia’s Garden District in 1996, it was designated one of the top seven urban enclaves in the USA by Forbes.com; it was chosen as one of the 2010 Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation(1); and in 2010, the PA Horticultural Society named Chestnut Hill a winner of The Community Greening Award.
The award is a joint project of PHS and “Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful,” that promotes and protects Pennsylvania’s natural and community environments. It recognizes those who have made a difference by planting and maintaining quality green spaces that are open to the public; and Chestnut Hill has definitely done just that.
The pièce de résistance of this Garden District is the, Morris Arboretum, located on Chestnut Hill’s west end, and it includes winding paths, streams, flowers and special gardens. You can find the famous Sculpture Garden, Rock Wall Garden, Meadow Garden, Azalea Meadow, Japanese Hill, Rose Garden, Step Fountain, and the Go Out on a Limb with Tree Adventure for kids at Morris. The 92-acre Arboretum is recognized as the official arboretum of Pennsylvania and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.(2)
Chestnut Hill also holds1,800 acres of Wissahickon Valley Park, and it's part of the 9,200 acre Fairmount Park, one of the largest parks in the world. The park is a wooded valley with the Wissahickon Creek running through its entire seven-mile length, and includes trails for walking, jogging, biking, and horseback riding, as well as, picnic areas and in season fishing(3).
Even in the heart of this busy urban town, if you take a ride down Germantown Avenue, you’ll see large street trees planted along the sidewalks, hanging baskets decorating each street lamps, colorful window boxes along the store fronts planted with every color combination imaginable. Whether it’s a restaurant, boutique, local tavern, or antique shop, there’s always trees and flowers to welcome any visitor.
We’ll take a closer look at Morris Arboretum in the near future. But for now, if you turn either left or right into any side street off of Stenton Avenue or Germantown Avenue into the Chestnut Hill neighborhoods, you’re bound to find blooms. Check out the slideshow of the gardens in the official garden district of Chestnut Hill.
Feel free to subscribe to the Philadelphia Gardening Examiner column today; it’s free! From growing annuals to zucchini, you can find it here; just click the subscribe button at the top of the article.
You can also find me on the Web at:
- Read my 2nd Column: National Nature and Spirituality Examiner
- Click here for my Website
- Click here for my Gardening with a Purpose Blog
- Click here for My Bio
- Friend me on Facebook
- Follow me on Twitter
- Check out my photos on Flicker
- Link with me on LinkedIn
- StumbleUpon my articles
- Check me out on the environmental social site Care2
- Click here to book Down to Earth/Higher Ground Seminars
References:
(1) http://chestnuthilllocal.com/blog/welcome-chestnut-hill/
(2) http://chestnuthilllocal.com/blog/welcome-chestnut-hill/
Comments