1 of 5
2 of 5
3 of 5
4 of 5
5 of 5
Students enrolled in Brookside Garden’s Botanical Art & Illustration program enter its paths with a specific aim: to see with the eye of a scientist and paint with the hand of an artist. Jane Goodall came here to film a movie. Staff and volunteers, trowels in hand, coax spring into its fullness, planting tens of thousands of new bulbs each year. But what about the rest of us? Can we just enjoy this garden’s glory with no goal in mind, for free? Absolutely. And that’s what most people do…about 400,000 of them every year.
Of course nearly everyone carries a cell phone or an actual camera, as if seeing the gardens once isn’t enough. (And it’s not really.) They want to revisit their first glorious sight of a sea of multi-hued tulips, recapture their sense of peace at the Rose Garden, and, of course, share their visit with friends on Facebook.
But the real joy is in being here. Whether you come in spring, summer, fall, or even winter, there’s lots to see. Standouts like the feathery Filipendula and buttery Julia Child Rose get the most attention, while less showy plants might be overlooked. A living museum, Brookside Gardens resides within Wheaton Regional Park in suburban Washington, DC.
The garden’s director, Stephanie Oberle, says people recognize it as “a beautiful, tranquil place where they can recharge.” She jokes that visitors “might not come to see the 27 different cultivars of witch hazel, and might not care if we just obtained the newest tulip bulb, but they appreciate the beauty and the feeling of welcome that gardens have.” And she says it’s not just these gardens that make it friendly. “There’s a sense of community that staff, visitors, and volunteers have created, a place where people smile and say hello. We all need that kind of place, where we can be in beauty, feel safe, and be relaxed, whether it’s by ourselves or when we’re bringing the family to enjoy the gardens together.”
Wonder as You Wander
Perhaps the best part about Brookside is that you don’t have to know where the 50-acre garden ends and the 536-acre park begins. Just meander and discover what’s here. Follow trails that wind beside 2,000 azalea bushes, through a forest, to ponds edged with blooming irises and home to ducks and koi, turtles, and frogs.
As the seasons progress, flowering cherry trees give way to black-eyed Susans (Maryland’s state flower) and other perennials, and the aquatic and Japanese gardens come into their own. The South Conservatory exhibits a Wings of Fancy live butterfly and caterpillar show, chrysanthemums in the fall, an elaborate winter train display, and a short stint of fragrant spring florals. There’s also a children’s garden, a rain garden, formal gardens, and more, like the tropical conservatory, which surrounds you with color and fragrance. Its palm trees and exotic blooms capture your senses and send you off in a great mood, especially welcome when it’s dreary outside.
Next door, Brookside Nature Center showcases the wildlife, shrubs, and trees native to these acres and offers educational opportunities for nature lovers in process. A photo-worthy log cabin lies behind it, a remnant of the 1870s Harper Homestead, now the site of special events where visitors learn how to raise chickens and live off the land.
Make a Few Memories
For some, the best part is the butterfly exhibit, with specimens from all over the globe, where natural light and eye-level perches make colorful portraits a cinch. Others make an annual pilgrimage to the themed Garden of Lights during the winter holidays. Plenty of us admire the whimsical benches and other décor by local artists, a nod to butterflies, vines, ginkgos, and more. And then there are the brides.
About 250 couples choose Brookside Gardens for their wedding and engagement photos. Its 130,000 plants plus striking seasonal plantings make it a stunning backdrop. (If you’re here during the tulip bloom, try to find these well-named varieties for a great selfie: Bud Lite, Black Hero, Swan Wings, Daydream, or Queen of the Night.)
Two friends, oil painter Nancy Yorman and watercolor artist Joanne Colt, come here often. They love the aquatic gardens, the blooming trees, and the changing seasons. What will you remember? Purple poppies or crimson Nicotiana? The sweep of the lawn flowing downhill to the footbridge and gazebo? Whatever strikes you as memorable about these gardens, it’s likely you’ll be back. Because the spring bulb display, inspiring as it is, will only whet your appetite for this cultivated landscape, which offers the restorative wonders only nature can bring.
Brookside Gardens
1800 Glenalian Ave., Wheaton, MD / 301-962-1400 / montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens
