Garden News & Events

Fall Garden Event Highlights

Fall brings a whole new season of adventure to America’s Garden Capital. As the Greater Philadelphia region transforms with brilliant autumn color, our gardens come alive with seasonal festivals, family activities, workshops, tours, outdoor concerts, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the crisp fall weather. Whether you’re looking for a festive weekend outing, a peaceful walk among changing leaves, or something completely unexpected, there’s always a new reason to explore.

Some events require pre-registration or additional paid admission, please check each garden’s website for complete events details.

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Exhibition: Jenkins Florilegium

Free

Experience Jenkins’ gardens like never before! Botanical artists Carol Ashton-Hergenhan, Deborah Dion, and Susan L. Mintun present a visual archive of 35 of Jenkins’ most iconic plant species, rendered with scientific accuracy and artistic grace. Over seven years in the making, the Jenkins Florilegium is a loving tribute to the gardens’ botanical richness. Closing Reception: Wednesday, September 16 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM

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Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly

Included with garden admission.

Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ beloved Garden Railway rolls back into action with Garden Railway: Revolutionary Philly. Set within lush garden plantings, the immersive miniature landscape celebrates Philadelphia’s pivotal role in the nation’s founding. Take a miniature tour of eighteenth-century Philadelphia along more than a third of a mile of track. Bustling model trains pass handcrafted replicas of iconic landmarks such as Independence Hall, built entirely from natural materials including twigs, bark, acorns, and pinecones. Nine bridges, tunnels, cable cars, and scenes inspired by events like the Battle of Germantown bring the Revolution vividly to life.

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Plants in the Colonial Era

Included with garden admission.

Plants in the Colonial Era explores the living landscape of eighteenth-century Philadelphia. This self-guided exhibition highlights plants that would have been familiar to area residents during the colonial era. These plants supported daily life in countless ways, providing food, medicine, building materials, and sources of beauty and comfort. From plants found in home gardens to those in Penn’s woods, many of which were long stewarded by local Indigenous communities, the exhibition reveals how nature shaped civic life, independence, and resilience in early Philadelphia.

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Children’s Music Circle with PlayIn Time Productions

Registration and payment required.

Weekly on Friday mornings, September 11 – November 13, 10:15am – 11:00am | Join PlayIn Time Productions at Stoneleigh for a weekly, interactive musical program geared toward children up to age five and their parents or caregivers.

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Harvest How-To for Natural Holiday Decor

Registration and payment required.

It’s never too early to start thinking about harvesting from the garden for a beautiful holiday display. Join Kristen Ryan, senior horticulturist and creative lead for Stoneleigh’s Home for the Holidays event series, for a workshop all about bringing the beauty of the garden indoors as home décor.

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Friday Organ Concert

Registration and payment required.

The Organ Historical Society (OHS) and Natural Lands present Friday Organ Concerts in the Main House at Stoneleigh: a natural garden. These noontime concerts feature Stoneleigh’s mighty Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ. Local organists will perform a selection of sweeping musical pieces surrounded by the elegant beauty of the Tudor-revival style home. Come for the music and stay for the beauty of the garden sure to dazzle with autumnal color.

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Small Trees for Small(er) Spaces Tour

Included with garden admission.

Investigate the smaller specimen trees at Morris that make a big impact. Ranging in height from 15 to 30 feet, these trees have many special features, such as spectacular bark, interesting forms, and great flower and leaf color.  Some small trees are cultivated to be “dwarf” versions of larger, taller trees, and others are by their DNA considered small. Find one that will pop in your garden!

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Home & Garden Tour

Registration and payment required.

Enjoy dazzling displays of native plants, stately trees, and historical landscapes by the Olmsted Brothers that have been thoughtfully reimagined into a beautiful and biodiverse haven for people and wildlife.

The spectacular Tudor Revival Main House—which is usually only open for special events—is also included in the tour, so don’t miss this opportunity for a peek inside the former home of three prominent Main Line families.

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What’s New in the Arboretum

Registration and payment required.

Join the GFS Horticulture staff to learn what’s new in the arboretum! Explore the most recent changes in the garden and learn about the newest additions to the GFS Living Collection.

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Mindfulness Meditation Walk

Registration and payment required.

Deepen your appreciation for nature through meditation. Walk mindfully through the gardens, notice changes within the seasons, and connect with the natural world. Each class offers a framework based in mindfulness meditation to reduce stress and anxiety, increase focus and attention, and expand your practice. All levels welcome.

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Yoga in the Garden

Registration and payment required.

Weekly on Sundays: September 13th – October 25th, 10:15am – 11:15am | Relax the mind and strengthen the body with an all-levels yoga class and meditation session guided by Christina Fittipoldi in the tranquil setting of Stoneleigh. The gentle pace will allow us time to linger in poses and build a deeper connection to the body using our breath. Please bring a mat, water bottle, and any props you may like to use.

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StoryTime Yoga for Families

Registration and payment required.

Thursdays: September 17th – October 8th, 10:30 am – 11:15 am | Join our partners at Heartwell Yoga for a holistic approach to both story time and yoga that honors the understanding that play is vital to a child’s development. Each class is based on a children’s book with the themes of the book being woven into playful yoga: inspired movement, stories, music, breathwork, and relaxation techniques.

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Third Thursday Virtual Lecture: Native Plants Spotlight

Registration and payment required.

Give your landscape new purpose with native plants! Discover a selection of native all-star perennials (and vines!) to add to your garden, including ground covers, pollinator must-haves, and seed-producing standouts.

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Accessible Golf Cart Tour

Registration and payment required.

Designed for guests with limited mobility who otherwise might not be able to join a longer tour, these monthly Home & Garden tours on a golf cart will be an intimate 45-minute excursion led by a knowledgeable member of Stoneleigh’s staff.

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Yoga in the Gardens

Registration and payment required.

Don’t miss this one-hour outdoor yoga session at Andalusia, led by Trina Shumsonk of Atlas Yoga & Movement. Exercise amidst nature on a cozy mulch wood path. The class begins at 11am – please bring your own mat and a blanket for extra comfort on the ground!

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Family Fun Day

Included with garden admission.

Join Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum for a day filled with fun for the whole family! Our third annual Family Fun Day will take place on Saturday, September 19 from 10:00am to 5:00pm with family-friendly programming throughout the day, including historic reenactments, storytimes, an art workshop, and more! Admission is free for kids 12 & under.

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Champagne Garden Tour

Registration and payment required.

Join Andalusia on the grand porch of the Big House, overlooking the Delaware River, for a glass of champagne and light snacks. Horticulturist Kristin Biddle will give a guided tour of our formal gardens, returning you to the Big House for a chance to relax or stroll the River Walk.

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Photo Walk

Registration and payment required.

Capture the season while learning about photography. An award-winning photographer will be your men tor and guide for a small group session. Stroll the gardens and photograph what inspires you while learning about light, background, and composition on the spot.

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Gentle Flow Yoga 6-Week Series

Registration and payment required.

Six Saturdays, 9:15 – 10:15 am, Sept. 19 – Oct. 24 | Step onto the mat, breathe deeply, and flow through gentle outdoor yoga with instructor Christina Teofilak. Move mindfully through simple sequences, focus on alignment, and adapt each pose to your body. Feel the fresh air, listen to the sounds of nature, and release tension as you soak in the peaceful rhythm of this mindful, outdoor practice.

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Vinyasa Flow Yoga 6-Week Series

Registration and payment required.

Six Sundays, 9:15-10:15 am, Sept. 20 to Oct. 25 | Step onto your mat and energize your body and mind with instructor Lisa Fell. Move dynamically through creative sequences rooted in traditional postures, building strength, flexibility, and focus. Flow with intention, breathe deeply, and explore mobility in each pose. Adapt each posture to your body as needed, and feel your energy rise with each mindful movement in this intermediate-to-advanced outdoor practice.

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Nature in a Victorian Cemetery Tour

Registration and payment required.

Naturalism played a pivotal role in Victorian culture- in the living world and in that of the dead. Today our cemeteries continue this legacy. View Laurel Hill West with a naturalist’s eye on this walking tour that stops at some of our arboretum’s stately trees, deciphers the floral symbolism in stones and makes a visit to our award-winning green burial ground, Nature’s Sanctuary.

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Fall Equinox and Meditation Walk

Registration and payment required.

As the trees around us begin to change colors, pull energy in, and release leaves for the winter, it can also be a time to prepare to turn inward and take stock of what we have and need. Join Arboretum Manager Aaron Greenberg with Energy Guide and Therapist Asia IrgangLaden for an arboretum walk that looks at seasonal change amongst the trees as we are guided in short meditations that engage with transformation and how to hold energy, warmth and light.

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Fall Family Concert with Miss Virginia & Friends

Registration and payment required.

As the summer draws to a close, join us in the Circle Garden for a family-friendly concert celebrating the beginning of autumn with Miss Virginia and her supergroup of area children’s musicians, Miss Laura and Mr. Anthony. Spread a blanket or bring your own chairs and enjoy an afternoon of outdoor family jams with a full band. This program is intended for families with children age 0 to 10.

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T’ai Chi & Qigong 6-Week Series

Registration and payment required.

6 Tuesdays, 9:15-10:15, Sept. 22 – Oct. 27 | Cultivate a calm mind, steady heart, and balanced body through mindful movement and breath. Explore the internal arts of T’ai Chi and Qigong while practicing movements rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, Taoist Qigong, and T’ai Chi forms. Move through gentle sequences that sometimes travel across the room and other times are performed in a small standing space. Whether you’re brand new to T’ai Chi, building your skills, or have previous experience, you’ll find a welcoming practice that meets you where you are.

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Swirl: An Evening of Art & Wine

Registration and payment required.

Swirl: An Evening of Art & Wine is GFS’ annual fundraiser, where guests embark on a docent led tour of the gardens to discover 5 unique sculptures. Each is accompanied by a curated food & wine pairing, designed by the chef and sommelier at Rat’s Restaurant. This year’s tour includes a horticulture stop, where the Katsura tree will be highlighted.

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Exhibition: The Art of Identification: Photography by Chris Swisher

Free

Coming soon.

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Breaking the Rules: Ecology-Based Landscape Design

Registration and payment required.

Join Larry Weaner, FAPLD, Founder of Larry Weaner Landscape Architects, to learn how using native plants requires more than simply expanding the conventional design palette. New design, implementation, and management techniques emerge from observing how native plants develop in nature. Examine how alternative approaches – from selecting, arranging, and spacing plants to the simple act of weeding – can yield more easily maintained landscapes that express the beauty and ecological richness of our native landscapes.

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Hidden Gems Tour

Included with garden admission.

A combination of structures, sculptures, walkways, trees and vistas are included in our Hidden Gems. Many are off the beaten path or hidden in plain view. This tour shows something unique about these more familiar gems—a different angle in viewing them or a special story.

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Home & Garden Tour

Registration and payment required.

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Fall Planters Workshop

Registration and payment required.

Revitalize your outdoor space this autumn through container gardening! GFS Horticulturalist Jen Mothes will lead a hands-on workshop designed around the care, design, and maintenance of seasonal fall planters. All materials provided – please dress to work with soil and plants!

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Eco-Printing with Wildflowers

Registration and payment required.

Join natural dyer and textile artist Laura Hricko for a hands-on workshop in the garden, where the surrounding landscape will serve as both inspiration and resource. Using locally grown and native dye flowers and foliage, this workshop will guide you through the natural dye technique known as “eco-printing” to design an organic cotton bandana and a silk scarf. This workshop is appropriate for all levels of experience, ages 12+.

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Mindful Birding

Registration and payment required.

Mindful birding combines bird watching with mindfulness techniques to develop heightened awareness and a deeper experience. During this session, we’ll use birds as our guide to help us slow and more deeply notice the world around us.

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Fat Groundhog Week

Free

In honor of #FatBearWeek at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, The Woodlands celebrates our own version, #FatGroundhogWeek! Direct message or email us your best fat groundhog pictures and videos captured at the cemetery. We’ll host a tournament in our stories during Fat “Grass Bear” Week, which will take place from Friday, October 2, to Thursday, October 8, right when Katmai’s competition ends. Be sure to submit and vote on your favorite whistle pig!

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Watercolor in the Garden

Registration and payment required.

Join us in the garden and learn the basics of watercolor in this 3-hour seminar. Together, we will experiment with layering colors, creating texture, and building value as you find inspiration around Haverford College Arboretum.

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Friday Organ Concert

Registration and payment required.

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Mushroom Walk

Registration and payment required.

Fancy a foray for fungi? Join our partners at the Philadelphia Mycology Club for a walk-and-talk through the garden in search of marvelous mushrooms. Together, we’ll explore why fungi are essential contributors to healthy ecosystems and how to look for them responsibly. Whether you’re enchanted by mushroom ecology or interested in improving your field observation skills, this is a relaxed and supportive program with space for all levels of experience.

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Fall Bird Walk

Registration and payment required.

The diverse and growing gardens of Stoneleigh sustain a variety of migratory songbirds during fall migration. Flycatchers, orioles, thrushes, and warblers wing their way across the garden, stopping to fuel up during their journeys.

Bring a pair of binoculars and get ready for an exclusive, early morning experience looking and listening for birds in the tranquility of the garden before it is open to the visiting public.

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Fall Open House at Appleford

Free, registration required

Celebrate fall in the beautiful house and gardens. Hosted by the Appleford Committee, the event will feature house and garden tours and light refreshments. Reply to rsvpapplefordcommittee@gmail.com. For more information about the gardens, or to become a Friend of Appleford, supporting Appleford’s preservation, please go to www.applefordestate.com.

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Tree Drawing for Beginners Workshop Series

Registration and payment required.

Four Wednesdays, beginning Wednesday, October 7th, 2:00 – 5:00 PM | Join artist Henry Martin for this four-session class at Stoneleigh designed for anyone who enjoys the natural world and wants to explore it more deeply through drawing. This is a basic drawing class highlighting (but not limited to) trees.

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The Abundant Life of Dead and Dying Trees

Registration and payment required.

Most people are familiar with the innumerable benefits of living trees. But, even after their death, trees provide vital habitat, shelter, and food for wildlife. Join us as we learn how dead and dying trees still teem with life, from tiny termites to fantastic flying squirrels and everything in between. This program will begin inside with a lecture and discussion, and then move outside to explore how Stoneleigh incorporates snags and logs into the garden.

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Wine and Wander

Registration and payment required.

Join us for an exclusive, after-hours tour featuring two of our favorite things: plants and wine. Led by Stoneleigh director Ethan Kauffman and sommelier Michele Edington, take an evening stroll through the garden and enjoy a specially curated sampling of four different natural wines. Learn about the flavor profiles and unique characteristics of each wine while exploring the spectacular beauty of Stoneleigh along the way. Register early for this sought-after event, back by popular demand.

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After Hours: New Moon

Registration and payment required.

This special members’ evening invites visitors to experience the cemetery after dark! Bring a picnic blanket, dinner, and dine under the stars. There will be fire pits and more. Free for members, $10 ticketed option for non-members.

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Yoga in the Gardens

Registration and payment required.

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Home & Garden Tour

Registration and payment required.

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Botanical Collage Workshop with Jody Graff

Registration and payment required.

Join Radical Americana artist Jody Graff to create your own quilt collage artwork using provided natural materials like leaves and petals. A brief overview introduces other artists who use botanicals and the process of collecting and pressing botanicals. Then, the hands-on process includes sketching at small scale, cut-paper compositions at full scale, selecting leaves and petals, cutting botanicals for a selected composition, and finally gluing everything down into a finished artwork.

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Succulent Pumpkins Workshop

Registration and payment required.

Embrace the beauty of autumn with a unique, handcrafted succulent pumpkin! Learn about succulent care with GFS Manager of Horticulture Cat Swiderski and design your own seasonal centerpiece in this hands-on workshop. All materials provided.

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Morning Meditations

Registration and payment required.

Bring your journal and yoga mat or meditation cushion and relax into guided meditation, gentle movement, and breathwork led by Energy Guide and Therapist Asia IrgangLaden. This is a one-hour meditation and mindfulness practice held outdoors, offering a spacious, slow, supportive practice for you to tune into yourself.

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Composting for Kids (Ages 3-17)

Registration and payment required.

Get your hands dirty digging into this composting workshop to learn about the science of decomposition. Use magnifying glasses to explore the center of a compost pile, build your own kits to take home, and learn all about the food that plants need to grow healthy and strong. FOR CHILDREN AGES 3-17 WITH ONE FREE ACCOMPANYING ADULT | PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

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Fantastic Fall Foliage

Registration and payment required.

Discover the beauty of autumnal changes starting to occur in the gardens with the GFS Horticulture staff! See the transition from summer to fall and learn the science behind these spectacular fall colors.

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Bulb Sale

Free

Spring-blooming bulbs available for sale, including alliums, tulips, crocuses, daffodils, fritillaria, imperials, hyacinth, and latifolium! Cash, Credit, Debit, Check, Apple Pay and Google Pay accepted.

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A ‘Grotesque’ Tour at Dusk: Edgar Allan Poe at Andalusia

Registration and payment required.

Famed author of macabre stories Edgar Allan Poe visited Andalusia in 1840, the year he published Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, later giving an inscribed first edition to Nicholas Biddle. This special tour begins at dusk, as guests will explore the mansion and grounds while hearing dramatically read selections from Poe’s book with commentary connecting each short story to the location where it is read.

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A ‘Grotesque’ Tour at Dusk: Edgar Allan Poe at Andalusia

Registration and payment required.

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Accessible Golf Cart Tour

Registration and payment required.

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STEVE TOBIN: IN THE LIGHT Exhibition Opening Weekend

Included with garden admission.

Experience STEVE TOBIN: IN THE LIGHT, an outdoor exhibition featuring more than 50 monumental, nature-inspired sculptures throughout Tyler Arboretum’s gardens and landscapes. Opening October 16, 2026, the exhibition invites visitors to discover towering steel roots, reflective clouds, and other extraordinary works transformed by autumn color, winter stillness, spring blooms, and summer canopy. Opening weekend features guided exhibition tours, festivities, and food and drink. On view through October 2027.

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Fantastic Fall Foliage

Registration and payment required.

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A ‘Grotesque’ Tour at Dusk: Edgar Allan Poe at Andalusia

Registration and payment required.

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Mushroom Walk

Registration and payment required.

Join us for a casual stroll around campus hunting for mushrooms! Bethany Teigen, founder of the Philadelphia Mycology Club, will lead the way, teaching participants how to properly forage for mushrooms. This class is intended for beginners and will include a general introduction to the fungal kingdom and identification information on each specimen found.

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Autumn Amble: Exploring the Garden’s Fall Color

Registration and payment required.

From the purples of fall-blooming perennials to the reds of turning tupelos, the garden glows with color in the waning days of October. Join Garden Manager Patrick McGinty for a leisurely guided walk to explore and learn about the beauty and biodiversity of the autumnal garden.

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A ‘Grotesque’ Tour at Dusk: Edgar Allan Poe at Andalusia

Registration and payment required.

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Fall Flower Arranging Class

Registration and payment required.

Join Andalusia’s Senior Horticulturist Stephanie Harold for a hands-on workshop where you’ll create an autumn-inspired floral arrangement using a pumpkin as your vessel. This “make it and take it” experience allows you to design your very own fall centerpiece to take home and
display.

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Artist Q&A with Jody Graff

Included with garden admission.

Join contemporary artist Jody Graff on our tennis court where her installation, A History of Andalusia, Philadelphia and America as Told Through Plants & Narrative Quilts, is on display. Visitors will be able to chat with Graff to learn more about her process and the locations throughout Andalusia where she found inspiration and collected plant specimens for her work. Jody’s work is presented as part of Radical Americana, organized in partnership with The Clay Studio.

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Home & Garden Tour

Registration and payment required.

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Herbs: From the Ground Up for Adults & Teens

Registration and payment required.

From propagation to preserving, you’ll learn the ins and outs of growing, harvesting, drying, and methods for storing these delightful and useful plants until you need them.

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Fall Foliage of Laurel Hill East Tour

Registration and payment required.

Join our Arboretum Manager, Aaron Greenberg, on a brisk autumn walk through the peak fall colors of some of the great trees of Laurel Hill East. Fall is a beautiful time to explore our tree collection! We’ll enjoy the beauty and grandeur of the fall color display, and discuss how trees change throughout the seasons and prepare for winter. Bring your walking shoes!

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Owl Prowl

Registration and payment required.

Whoooo is excited to learn about the owls of Pennsylvania? Our sylvan state is home to eight species of these majestic birds, but only three species (Great Horned, Barred, and Eastern Screech) are year-round residents. Join us on a leisurely stroll as we look and listen for owls in the garden, while also learning about their calls, nesting habits, and the unique adaptations that make them such skilled, nocturnal hunters.

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Halloween Party (for Woodland Members)

Included with garden admission.

The spookiest party this side of the Schuylkill is back and better than ever! Active Members (21+) are invited to celebrate Halloween at The Woodlands on Thursday, August 29. Fun and seasonal snacks and drinks will be provided. Costumes are welcome but not required, and there will be stick-on mustaches for anyone who needs a last-minute disguise. The event is for Woodland Members only. Learn how to become a member.

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A Not-So-Silent Movie Night

Registration and payment required.

Just in time for Halloween, Natural Lands and the Organ Historical Society (OHS) present a thrilling evening of classic cinema with organ accompaniment at Stoneleigh’s Main House. To complete the movie theatre experience, guests will enjoy freshly popped popcorn, a candy bar, and beer and wine at the bar. This event is intended for adults 18 and over.