Last week on a gloriously perfect fall day, I had the pleasure of visiting Hershey Gardens, a 23-acre botanical garden and arboretum. The gardens were built by Milton S. Hershey, the chocolate magnate, as a gift to his community and to honor his wife, Catherine.
The gardens opened in June 1937 with a display consisting solely of 7,000 roses arranged in formal beds. Over the years, Hershey Gardens has grown to contain five themed gardens and a rose specific area with nearly 14,000 roses and some 800 varieties.
As a Member of the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, I took advantage of the American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP) that Hershey Gardens participates in and my entrance fee was waived. Just one of the many benefits of being a Member of the Friends!
The photos show the Rose Garden with the Conservatory in the background, the Japanese Garden and Swan Lake with the Rose Garden behind it.
Over 400 gardens participate in the RAP program. Click here to see a list of participating gardens: https://ahsgardening.org/ahs-garden-network/
If you are not currently a member of the Friends, you can join us here: https://www.arboretumfriends.org/benefitshowto/
Margery Ennist
