A Day at Hortulus Farm

Described as "one of Pennsylvania's secret treasures," Hortulus Farm Garden & Nursery is tucked into the bucolic landscape of Bucks County, an hour outside of Philadelphia. Lushly beautiful, the 100-acre farm is home to 24 distinct, formal gardens. A grand birch allée welcomes visitors to the property, leading through fern glades and deep woods to a peaceful pond complete with gliding black swans and a fairytale pavilion. Near the original farmhouse, kitchen gardens, herbs, and fruit trees flourish alongside the 19th-century barns. Beyond the house, a striking, circular swimming pool is surrounded by a Mediterranean garden, crabapple orchard, and arboretum filled with specimen trees. At every turn, another beautiful vista awaits visitors, making for a full and wonderful day of exploration.

An original William Penn land grant of 1690, the property is anchored by an 18th-century stone house and a number of historic farm buildings, many still home to a menagerie of animals. In the wake of the Great Depression, much of the farm was sold and the property dwindled to just 15 acres. Today, Hortulus is owned by garden and event designer Renny Reynolds and garden writer Jack Staub. Since buying the property in 1980, Renny and Jack have worked tirelessly to restore the farm, acquiring 100 of its original 300 acres and building gardens across the landscape. Hortulus is also home to a specialty nursery, offering rare and unusual plants plus a wide variety of native perennials. We recently spent a spring day exploring the greenhouse and gardens; take a peek at some of our favorite moments, above.

Hortulus is open to visitors from May through October for garden tours, with nursery hours year-round.