Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens In Devon Offers Shade & Beauty

TREDYFFRIN TWP. - In the heat of the summer, Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens offers a calming, shaded walk through a kaleidoscope of flowers to lift your spirits after living through the pandemic for more than two years.

The garden showcases colorful asters, ironweed, clematis, hibiscus, azaleas and more along
a 1.2-mile paved trail along a hill off Berwyn Baptist Road.

At the bottom of the hill,walkers can relax on benches and watch the water glistening in a lily pond.

It was 97 degrees Sunday afternoon and visitors were strolling along the path commenting on the beauty of the arboretum. There were locals and out-of-towners admiring the views.

Mary Ostien, a visitor service associate, said the arboretum offers activities for children to burn off steam and an art gallery.

“We are open 365 days a year,” Ostien said. “We have summer story times and garden walks.”

“People come here because it provides a piece of calm,” Cecilia Doherty, a volunteer, added. “People take their time. This is for everyone in the community. You will see a kaleidoscope of colors.”

A complete list of summer activities is available here.

All of the flowers, shrubs and trees are labeled, providing an education to first-time visitors and horticulture aficionados alike.

History lesson

The history of the arboretum dates back to the love of horticulture between H. Lawrence Jenkins and his wife, Elisabeth, in the late 1920s..

They lived in a house on 20 acres, on what is now Berwyn Baptist Road. When Elisabeth died in 1963, Lawrence preserved the property in memory of his wife.

Five years later, Lawrence died and gave the property to the community for educational and scientific research.

An education center opened in 2009. The park provides different flowers and trees for every season.

In 1973, Louise P. Browning, owner of a neighboring property, donated her land, expanding the park to 46 acres.

The arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Aug. 31

The Garden Shop is open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The main entrance is at 631 Berwyn Baptist Road, about a mile from Routes 30, 202, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. More information is available here.