A Visit to Helen’s Stunning Spring Garden
in Bryn Mawr, PA

Welcome to Helen’s late spring garden! Prepare to be immersed in sweeps of daffodils, alliums, irises, sweet woodruff, and spring ephemerals on this 3/4-acre northern sloped garden.

The driveway entrance to the garden features old yews which have been limbed up to show the sculptural interest of the trunks. Under their canopy is a spring bulb collection of trout lilies and muscari that morph into a hosta patch with peripheral small plantings including showstopper Fritillaria pallidiflora. As this is a favorite salad bar for the deer that are endemic to the area, low fences may be in place. On the east side of the drive are daffodils, irises, white ‘Mount Everest’ alliums, and a few old-fashioned peonies, including ‘Festiva Maxima.’ Japanese painted ferns, persicaria, and Canada burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis) will follow as the season progresses.

Further up the drive to the left is the semi-shade garden with pine, ash, hollies, and native dogwood trees. The summer snowflakes (Leucojum aestivum) should be at their height. The lightly shaded area will be in its white phase with Trillium grandiflorum and Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) gifted from garden friends, then hellebores, white snowflakes, bleeding hearts, and sweet woodruff, to be followed by ‘Frances Williams’ hostas later in the season. Further on, ferns, blue flowered Brunnera macrophylla, and a variety of hellebores mingle with a school of Fish in the Garden in honor of each Horstmann offspring. The delicate shooting stars (Dodecatheon meadia) may still be in bloom. The blue hostas are: ‘Elegans,’ ‘Krossa Regal,’ or ‘Halcyon.’

In the fenced part of the back yard, a pool sits framed by ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ magnolias, hydrangeas, variegated hostas, as well as bluish hosta ‘Elegans,’ double daylilies, Japanese anemones, ironweed, lilies, blue camassia and sedum ‘Autumn Joy.’ For your delight, there will be a fresh batch of tulips, ‘Salmon Parrot’ and ‘Spring Green,’ strategically placed out of harm’s way. There are sweeps of daffodils throughout the garden due Helen’s unrequited addiction to them as well as their faithful return each spring without deer friends.

On the western side of the house, you will pass an emerging early summer garden with roses, forget-me-nots, sundrops, nepeta, poppies, a hedge of hydrangeas, and a Magnolia sieboldii. And there are yellow or orange specimen rhododendrons.

The front garden fills with peonies, yarrow, and “Husker’s Red’ penstemon in the sunny area and acanthus and hostas in the shade. Tradescantia, irises, and aquilegia add pops of blue violet color. If the fringe tree is in bloom, don’t miss it.

Needless to say, there are abundant visual treats throughout the garden. Helen looks forward to sharing them with you and hopes you enjoy your time in our garden!

This is a member’s only event, but registration is required. $5 per attendee. Maximum number of guests is 50.

Note: Date Change to the Rain date May 5th, new time 12:00pm(Noon) - 3:00pm. Click here to register. Registration closes May 2.  Click here if you would like to become a member of HPS/MAG before registering for this event.

Address and parking directions will be sent to all registrants in their confirmation email.

Contact: Dawn Freeman at [email protected]