We pulled into Ladew Gardens hoping the rain would stay away for just a couple of hours - long enough to check out the gardens and the farmhouse.
Checking in at the Visitor's Center/Gift Shop, the young girl suggested we head to the Butterfly House first. And indeed we did. When a toddler hears there are butterflies, you go.
On our walk down to the Butterfly House we were enamored with the landscape and the breadth of the place. I want this trellis to grow alongside my house!
We walked no further than a few hundred yards before we saw them. Butterflies. Fluttering and flitting around the gardens, we crept up to watch them, amazed and in awe of their beauty. They floated around, retrieving nectar from the beautiful flowers, as my girls squealed with delight.
Can you spot him?? (Look in the foreground)
Prodding the girls on, we finally made it to the gravel path that led to the Butterfly House. Did you say gravel? Apparently rocks are very interesting if you are a toddler. By the time we made it down the path my husband's pockets were full of them. You know, to add to our rock collection. (Sidenote: We house our collector's rocks in an old Costco oregano container. Classy, I know. But it's plastic (read, unbreakable) and easily opened.)
The wonderful young lady who informed us of the butterflies gave each girl a paper with a bunch of pictures on it and some stickers. The girls were to place stickers on the objects they saw while we walked around the garden. A great way to keep older kids busy, but my toddlers lost interest pretty quickly. Yet another addition to my husband's pockets.
The butterflies are housed in a screened enclosure so as to limit any obstruction of their habitat. We had seen so many butterflies on our way to the House and throughout the rest of the day. Looking back my husband and I agreed we didn't necessarily have to go to the Butterfly House (admission to the House is extra). There are Ladew workers around to teach and discuss the many caterpillars and butterflies inside. They are clearly experienced with children, as they have magnifying glasses and take the initiative to show children the coolest stuff in the garden that the average person would not know.
Isn't this little guy just charming?
After exploring the Butterfly House for much longer than we anticipated, we headed back up the hill, stopping to admire a beautiful garden nearby.
Each section of the garden was grouped by color. Harvey Ladew did this often in his gardens.
Originally from Westbury, New York, he moved to Maryland in 1929 when the fox hunting in Long Island began to wane and the landscape become more developed. He conveniently bought his farmhouse next to The Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club. He set to refurbish the old farmhouse, adding wings and rooms, while clearing old crop lands to make way for what is known today as one of the top 5 gardens in North America.
Because it is a topiary garden, bushes and shrubs are shaped and trimmed into different shapes and pictures. The one we loved most was this one.
A fox being chased by hounds and what I can only assume is a representation of Harvey Ladew on his horse.
On our way to the first garden a little butterfly scampered past the girls. Giggling all the way, they attempted to catch the beauty as he discovered a bushel of vibrantly colored orange marigolds.
The Victorian garden greeted us with the trickling of water from its three-tiered iron fountain. The quiet air that surrounded us offered a sense of peace and stillness not found in our everyday life back at home. My two energetic toddlers even took a minute to soak in the silence.
I could tell we were perhaps at the point where two energetic toddlers become two whiny, tired toddlers so I sent my husband for reinforcements. Lunch. We had packed a lunch but left it in the cooler inside the car, not sure of the garden's layout or our timing.
While we waited for him to return, the girls and I checked out the Berry Garden. Luckily, neither girl tried to eat any. You never know what a ravenous child may do, but that fountain saved us. Kids really love fountains, at least mine do!
He quickly returned, food stashed in his backpack. (And rock collection left safely in the car)
We ate at a table in the Croquet Garden, overlooking the Bowl Garden, a giant bowl shaped lawn with a giant pool (and single, center fountain shooting up toward the sky). We finished lunch as the girls "played croquet." In a defensive move to escape her croquet opponent, the littlest one tackled the larger, drawing some blood and abruptly ending the croquet match. That's also why I have no pictures of said garden. There are however, benches and small tables throughout the garden so pack a picnic if you go.
Bellies full, we proceeded on to the Pink Garden, one of my favorites. Passing under a shrub archway, flowers and trees in shades of pink welcomed us. Tucked in a back corner, between the Bowl and the Rose Garden, this intimate space felt like it could be our own yard (I wish).
I was excited to see the Rose Garden, however the roses were past bloom. I can't imagine how gorgeous and fragrant this garden is in the spring and early summer. A reason to come back for a visit!
We bid the roses adieu and headed to the Garden of Eden...
... shortly followed by the Keyhole Garden.
We rushed past the statue of Adam and Eve because my girls noticed a secret garden (the Keyhole Garden). Playing ring around the rosy 'round the tree, the girls danced and sang their little hearts out.
So much for that quiet thing I mentioned earlier. But no matter, it was like we had all of Ladew practically all to ourselves, only passing older couples every now and then.
Absolutely enamored with the Water Lily Garden, we snapped pic after pic desperately trying to capture its serenity and luster.
We heavily sniffed the air, thinking if we breathed deeply enough the aroma of the hydrangeas would linger in our noses forever.
Possibly topping the "secret" garden was the shrub tunnel leading out of the Water Lily Garden and into the Bowl Garden.
Realizing we had missed some of the other gardens, we retreated back and through the water lilies to the Yellow Garden.
Small waterfalls in a tiered narrow pond led down to a small goldfish pond. Lush with yellow-green leafed plants and yellow flowers it was not as happy as I had expected a garden labeled yellow would be.
We had reached almost the end of the manicured gardens (but the Ladew's whole property is on 22 acres), we decided to forgo trekking to the Temple of Venus, pretty assured it was just a tall gazebo-type structure with some pretty plants. We weren't entirely convinced the girls were going to be able to walk all the way back to the car. And shortly after, our suppositions were confirmed.
Trudging through 86 and humid with a kid on your shoulders is no picnic. But the views made it well worth the workout. Glistening with sweat we found ourselves in need of some shade. But not before we checked out Ladew's Tea House. A small white house sits among lush gardens. It is really the ticket booth from Tivoli Music Hall in London. Harvey Ladew had it shipped over and placed in his garden, cementing the influence English gardens and architecture had in his life.
Harvey Ladew installed a window above the mantle that appears as if it's a picture, but it looks outside to a beautiful white, flowering tree.
And he also hid his bar behind this mirror. Nice one, Harv.
Finding the shade we so desperately needed in the White Garden, we lingered a while. A long narrow path with a flagstone walkway leads back toward the Bowl, the center of all of the gardens.
We skipped the sculpture and Iris gardens due to time and our unwillingness to risk the toddler rebellion that would be inevitable after several hours exploring the gardens.
Muling the girls on our shoulders to the last and final garden, the Terrace Garden, we gave our oldest daughter control of the camera. She didn't do so bad!
We arrived back at the farmhouse eager for a cold drink and some air conditioning. I really wanted to tour the farmhouse but the next tour wasn't scheduled for 30 minutes and the tour is 45 minutes long. My husband gently reminded me that our girls would never make it that long. And although my heart wanted to ignore his advice, my head reminded me that he was totally right.
We soaked in the last bit of Ladew Topiary Gardens out back behind the farm house, snapped a few more pics and reflected on a day well spent.
We ducked into the Visitor's Center on the way out to grab those well-deserved ice cold drinks. Boy were they good.
As we emerged with our icy drinks, we realized the rain had not only held off, but the sky was clear and blue!
We said see you later to Ladew and the butterflies, hoping to return sooner rather than later. Ladew's info can be found here. The girls really did enjoy checking out all that Ladew had to offer and it was just enough walking for them to sleep on the way home.
Don't you just wish you could live across the street? In this farm house?
