Chanticleer Gardens

Chanticleer Gardens near Philadelphia, PA is a 35 acre pleasure garden.  Built in the early 20th century it was a summer home of the Rosengarten family.  There are rolling hills, woodlands, a cutting garden, terraces and ponds, it is a truly beautiful garden space.  There is an entire book written to describe and illustrate its story.  Chanticleer’s spring palate was anchored with shades of purple mixed with whites and pink.  The alliums in purple and white and in all stages of bloom were a star of the show. These perennial bulbs are easy to grow, come in a variety of colors and require little space.  Interspersed among other plants they are great for adding height to a border as the pop up inserting their ball shape bloom.  The buds emerge a small smooth ball with no hint of what will emerge.  Then it begins to crack open and the beads of color appear.  The individual flowers are a star shape and when fully open the bloom is a baseball size burst of color.  I love them in the flower beds, in bouquets and in all stages of opening.