Hedgleigh Spring Garden Tour
The Cresson Garden at Hedgleigh Spring. Photo courtesy of Carolyn’s Shade Gardens.
After a yearlong hiatus due to the pandemic, garden tours have resumed at Swarthmore’s Hedgleigh Spring. Its beautiful late spring blooms will be on display during the annual self-guided tour on Sunday, June 6, from 4 to 7 p.m.
The two-acre garden, owned by Swarthmore resident Charles Cresson, and cultivated by his family for three generations, is typically open for public tours (hosted by the Swarthmore Horticultural Society) a few times each year, when its blossoms are at their height.
The garden contains more than 2,000 plant species and varieties. The highlight of the June tour is Hedgleigh’s central garden, which features close to a dozen varieties of heirloom climbing roses that date back to the early 20th century. Several of the plants are the original ones planted by Cresson’s grandfather when he created the garden around 1915.
The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be solicited on behalf of the horticultural society. In accordance with current Centers for Disease Control and Pennsylvania guidelines, vaccinated people are free to visit the gardens without a mask. However, it is requested that unvaccinated visitors wear a mask.
Visitors are welcome to bring a bottle of their favorite beverage to sip in their own glasses or cups as they stroll the grounds.
Hedgleigh Spring is located at 32 Amherst Ave., Swarthmore. Visitors should enter through the garden gate, which is on the left side as you face the residence.
