Philadelphia -- Summit Garden

This 1.2 acre garden, established in the late 1860s, is situated around a stately Victorian house built in 1857. A beige painted wooden fence lined with hostas borders the front entrance to the property. Inside the gate is a mix of native and non-native species such as Japanese maple, a red bud tree, a pseudocydonia sinensis, and an Ohio Buckeye tree. A winding bluestone path leads from the entrance to the house. A mixture of Lenten roses, heuchera, and an English boxwood border the left side of the walkway while 'Summer Snowflake" and a variety of hostas line the right. Wissahickon schist stepping stones jut out of the walkway and lead to the side terrace and rear garden. A nearby Leland cypress is underplanted by hostas. The landscape of this bed provides some privacy from the street to the side terrace.

A bluestone flagstone side terrace was recently enlarged to accommodate a wider walkway and sitting area. The terrace is bordered by a row of flowering autumn joy and lamb's ears. A fountain feature is accompanied by a garden of yellow flowering Ebury azaleas and irises. To the side of the patio are a variety of vegetables and lettuces growing in hydroponic towers. A colorful perennial bed extends from the edge of the terrace along with a pond full of yellow flag iris, water lilies, and goldfish. At the end of the house is a bed of spring bulbs, Saccoccia, itea, and herbs. A curved bed winds along the walk to the driveway and the back of the property. A series of terra cotta plants line the fence along the driveway. A bed of native azaleas, forsythia, and a fig tree abuts the garage, while the bed extending along the fence to the rear of the property contains a variety of trees including prickly ash and lace. The rear of the house is an open grassy area with a stewartia in the center. A bed of evergreen trees such as lacebark pine, weeping bald Cyprus, and a dawn redwood surround the lawn. Two compost bins are also located near the evergreen bed.

Persons associated with the garden include: Daniel Brady (former owner and architect, 1857-1867); Mary H. Jones, (former owner, 1867-1915); Anita LeRoy Shaw Pemberton and Clifford Pemberton Jr. (former owner, 1915-1941); Howard Detweiler (former owner and garden designer, 1941-1988); Anita Leroy Shaw Pemberton (garden designer, 1915-1941); Mathilde Detweiler (former owner and garden designer, 1941-1988); Alice Farley (landscape architect, 2012-2014); Leslie Purple (landscape architect, 2012-2014); Nina Schneider (garden designer, 2016-present); Bustard Landscaping (landscaper, 1988-present).