There’s nothing like watching nature come alive after a long, gray winter. Now is the time to head outdoors and embrace florals inside and out as your garden bursts with color.
But you needn’t limit yourself to your own garden. All around the state, magnificently manicured spaces are waiting for you to visit. Here are 11 for you to stop by:
Branch Brook Park, Newark. April is cherry blossom season, which means this Essex County park—home to 5,300 cherry trees in 18 varieties, the largest and most varied collection in the United States—is a fairyland of pink.
B&M Aquatic Gardens & Koi, Hamburg. There are seven ponds across this aquatic garden center, many of them teeming with colorful koi (they also have a special koi greenhouse). Their greenhouse also offers a wealth of tropical plants.
Deep Cut Gardens, Middletown. More than 52 varieties of roses bloom in this 54-acre garden, which is open year-round. And there are greenhouses, a koi pond and a horticultural center on site. Be sure to stop by for the Native Plant Workship on Saturday, May 17, at 9:15 a.m.
Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morris Township. Set among 124 acres, the arboretum has nearly 2,000 different plants, gardens, woodlands, meadows and trails that are open year-round for self-guided tours. Stop by on May 2 and 3, when the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum host their annual plant sale with over 200 curated plants you can add to your garden.
Gardens of Cape May, Cape May. There are few New Jersey destinations as colorful and curated as Cape May and its gardens. On Saturday, May 10, at 1 p.m., take a self-guided tour of beautiful public and private gardens, including the Emlen Physick Estate, where you will also find vendors and a complimentary wine tasting.
Laurelwood Arboretum, Wayne. This 30-acre site includes woodland trails and gardens, which are home to hundreds of varieties of plants and trees. Public walking and cart tours are held most Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. If you’re seeking in-person access to horticulture experts, stop by a special Earth Day event on April 26, when the arboretum holds in-depth guided tours of the gardens starting at noon.
New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood. Nearly 100 acres of gardens will be in full bloom this spring and can be seen during free guided tours every Sunday at 2 p.m. from May through October. Of course, visitors are free to explore any time on self-guided tours. The Italianate Gardens are a treat, will bright-blooming flowers and breathtaking fountains.
Outdoor Living & Watergardens, Old Bridge. This garden center is teeming with plants to purchase and gardens to wander, but their water garden is something to write home about. The multi-tiered waterfall trickles musically into the waiting pond, which is teeming with brightly colored koi you can watch or feed.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit. This 13.5-acre park has several historic and contemporary gardens as well as wooded trails and water features. Stop by on April 13 for a real treat, as the gardens host the annual Daffodil Day Festival with over 50,000 bulbs in bloom, plus a vendors’ market, art gallery, music and more.
Thielke Arboretum, Glen Rock. Located within a wetland forest, this garden has perennials, shade trees, azalea and grass gardens and a spring-fed pond. The park is open from dawn to dusk all year long. On April 10, the gardens host Lynne Proskow of the Master Gardeners of Bergen County for a talk on small container gardening.
Van Vleck House & Gardens, Montclair. Once a private estate, the public is free to explore this 12-acre garden dawn until dusk every day of the year. The Wisteria Courtyard, butterfly garden and formal garden in particular are worth lingering in. Stop by May 2-4 for an extensive and beautiful Spring Plant Sale.
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