A Visit to Ladew Gardens

July was a busy month for me, filled with learning events close by and out of state. We have a remarkable horticultural community! 

Ava is getting up close and personal with the Cottage Garden 

On July 1, Ava Marie, WBAL’s meteorologist, and photographer Bridgette joined me at Ladew Gardens to shoot 4 episodes of The Sunday Gardener. Director Emily Emerick joined us in presenting the butterfly house, the new cottage garden planting by David Culp, a look at creating and maintaining Ladew’s famous topiaries, and an interview with the resident artist.

It was a warm, humid day, so we kept looking for shade. Everyone at Ladew was friendly and knowledgeable as they were interviewed about various subjects.

First up was Sheryl Pedrick, Director of Education. She explained the lifecycle stages of a butterfly and showed us which plants were needed by specific caterpillars for nesting and feeding.

Sheryl took us inside the Butterfly House and showed us the incredible meadow at Ladew.

Next up was a look at the recently renovated Cottage Garden, designed by David Culp of Brandywine Cottage, collaborating with Cavano's, a local wholesale perennial nursery. 

We look ready to spend our time in the garden.
Me, Emily Emerick, and Ava Marie

Photographer Bridgette with Ava 

We took a golf cart to find Abby Evans, Senior Horticulturist, to learn about the pruning and care of  Ladew's world-famous topiaries. 

Not seen in the photo are the power tools and pruners that keep Abby busy shaping the incredible hedges and topiaries at Ladew. 

For our last segment, we were lucky to connect with the sculptor and one of the Artists In Residence at Ladew, Walter T. Matia, whose beautiful bronzes were set among the plants in the gardens.

 

We recommend a visit to Ladew Gardens, just about a 20-minute drive from Valley View Farms. The journey and the destination are beautiful! 

A huge thank you and shout-out to Chrissie Perry, who took most of the photos in today's post. 

Here is a link to The Sunday Gardener from July 5. 

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/sunday-gardener-ladew-topiary-gardens-support-butterfly-life-own-garden/65317107T

Look for upcoming blogs about other July events that I was lucky to attend.