Public Gardens

Public gardens are living examples of which plant performs well in the area. Many public gardens have a reference library, gift shop, web site, and gardening hotline. Usually, public gardens host seminars, workshops, classes, events, and plant sales. They may publish their own books on plants for the area or distribute free handouts. Some have staff horticulturists who can identify plants or answer questions. For a complete list of public gardens by state, check out http://www.ilovegardens.com. Call for admission fees and times (not all are free). For books about local public gardens, see the “Local Books” tab/page at http://www.pegplant.com.

Because of the pandemic, many of these may be either closed temporarily or the building may be closed and the grounds still open.  Please check their website to see their status before you visit them. 

Maryland

Adkins Arboretum, 12610 Eveland Road, Ridgely, MD 21660; (410) 634-2847

Sherwood Gardens, 4100 Greenway Street at Stratford Road, Baltimore, MD 21212; (410) 323-7982

Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore, 3100 Swann Drive, Baltimore, MD 21217; (410) 396-0008

Hampton National Historic Site, 535 Hampton Lane, Towson, MD 21286; (410) 823-1309

Helen Avalynne Tawes Garden, 580 Taylor Avenue at Rowe Blvd., Annapolis, MD 21401; (410) 260-8189

Lilypons Water Gardens, 6800 Lilypons Road, Buckeystown, MD 21717; (800) 999-5459

National Colonial Farm, Piscataway Park, 3400 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, MD 20607; (301) 283-2113

Schifferstadt Architectural Museum Gardens, 110 Rosemont Avenue, Baker Park, Frederick, MD 20701; (301) 663-3885

Sotterley Plantation, 44300 Sotterley Lane, Hollywood, MD 20636; (301) 373-2280

Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902;
(301) 962-1400

Cylburn Arboretum, 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21209;
(410) 367-2217

Historic London Town & Gardens, 839 Londontown Road, Edgewater, MD 21037; (410) 222-1919

Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD 21111;
(410) 557-9570

McCrillis Gardens, 6910 Greentree Road, Bethesda, MD 20817;
(301) 962-1455

Riversdale Gardens & House Museum, 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park, MD 20737; (301) 864-0420

William Paca House and Garden, 186 Prince George Street, Annapolis, MD 21401; (410) 267-7619

Washington, DC

Dumbarton Oaks, 1703 32nd Street, NW, Washington DC 20007;
(202) 339-6401

Franciscan Monastery, 1400 Quincy Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017;
(202) 526-6800

Hillwood Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008; (202) 686-5807

Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, between Quarles & Douglas Streets on Anacostia Avenue, Washington, DC; (202) 426-6905

Smithsonian Institution Gardens, 900 Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington DC 20560; (202) 633-2220

Tudor Place, 1644 31st Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20007; (202) 965-0400

U.S. Botanic Garden, 245 First Street, SW, Washington DC 20024; (202) 225-8333

U.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002; (202) 245-2726

Washington National Cathedral (Bishops Garden and Olmsted Woods) 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington DC 20016
(202) 537-6200 or (202) 537-2937

Virginia

Morven Park, 17263 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg, VA 20176; (703) 777-2414

The National Botanic Garden, 26175 Ticonderoga Road, Chantilly, VA 20152;  (703) 327-4424

Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 549-2997

Ben Lomond Historic Site, 10321 Sudley Manor Drive, Manassas, VA 20109; 703 367-7872

American Horticultural Society’s River Farm, 7931 East Boulevard Drive, Alexandria, VA 22308; (703) 768-5700

Blandy, state arboretum of Virginia (Orland E. White Arboretum) and University of Virginia’s experimental farm, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce, VA 22620; (540) 837-1758

Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312;
(703) 642-5173

Gunston Hall Plantation, 10709 Gunston Road, Mason Neck, VA 22079; (703) 550-9220

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna, VA 22182; (703) 255-3631

Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, George Washington Parkway, Mount Vernon, VA 22121; (703) 780-2000

Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg, VA 20175; (703) 777-3174

Woodlawn Plantation, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House, Arcadia
9000 Richmond Highway, Mt. Vernon, VA 22309; (703) 780-4000

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Avenue, Richmond, VA 23228; (804) 262-9887

Updated June 2018; copyright Peggy Riccio and pegplant.com