Here are the three latest postings to our Photo Gallery.
See all the weekly photos taken by Margery Ennist and other contributors in our Photo Gallery. Sign up here for our email blast to have them sent directly to your mailbox.
Hershey Gardens Hershey Pennsylvania
Last week on a gloriously perfect fall day, I had the pleasure of visiting Hershey Gardens, a 23-acre botanical garden and arboretum. The gardens were built by Milton S. Hershey, the chocolate magnate, as a gift to his community and to honor his wife, Catherine.
The gardens opened in June 1937 with a display consisting solely of 7,000 roses arranged in formal beds. Over the years, Hershey Gardens has grown to contain five themed gardens and a rose specific area with nearly 14,000 roses and some 800 varieties.
As a Member of the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, I took advantage of the American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP) that Hershey Gardens participates in and my entrance fee was waived. Just one of the many benefits of being a Member of the Friends!
The photos show the Rose Garden with the Conservatory in the background, the Japanese Garden and Swan Lake with the Rose Garden behind it.
Over 400 gardens participate in the RAP program. Click here to see a list of participating gardens: https://ahsgardening.org/ahs-garden-network/
If you are not currently a member of the Friends, you can join us here: https://www.arboretumfriends.org/benefitshowto/
Margery Ennist
Cooking Demo – October 3, 2026
Paul Gatzke presented a cooking demonstration entitled Hassle Free Holidays on Saturday, October 3rd. By all accounts, Chef Paul outdid himself this time around! Along with his able assistant, Russell Gatzke, a beautiful Charcuterie Board, Baked Brie and other yummies were prepared and sampled by the lucky attendees.
Thanks to attendee, Kathleen Levey, for the photograph of Paul and Russell. And to Betsy Oliveira and Susan Ricciardi for photos of the dishes, they certainly captured them in a very appetizing way!
The lovely Dahlia bouquet was created with flowers grown by Russell in his Community Garden plot. Thank you Russell!
Bus Trip to Chanticleer Garden 9/25/26
Our bus trip to Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, Pennsylvania last Friday could not have provided a better experience, even the weather cooperated: we enjoyed a perfect mid-70s, partly sunny day with no rain!
As we exited the bus, we were met by a Visitor Services representative who handed out maps and provided information on where to go to find picnic tables for lunch. We were also asked to return to the entrance for our 1:30 PM guided tour. Our tour guides were terrific, full of information about the property, the house and the horticultural staff.
The gardens were in their early fall glory with many plants blooming and just a hint of fall in the air: Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ (Japanese Anemone or Windflower), Tricyrtis hirta (Japanese Toadlily), a fantastic looking pitcher plant, and a lovely floating flower arrangement
were just a very few of the blooming plants we saw. Also the Chanticleer Hillside looking down toward the Serpentine and perennial gardens and a lovely garden bench created by one of the very talented Chanticleer gardeners.
Following the 1-1/2 hour tour, we had plenty of time to explore the property on our own. A tired but happy group boarded the bus and departed for the Arboretum at 5:00 PM.
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
