Ladew Topiary Gardens- Monkton, MD

Ladew Topiary Gardens are absolutely enchanting- a real life Alice in Wonderland experience. Consisting of a series of seemingly endless gardens, it feels almost dreamlike to wander the grounds here. 

Dating to the 1930s, the gardens were developed by Harvey Ladew, a wealthy New York socialite, who bought the 200 acre country estate in 1929. Initially attracted to the area for the fox hunting, he spent several years renovating the property’s old farmhouse before turning his eye to the gardens. 

Eschewing any professional help, Ladew planned and executed the gardens himself, based on those he had visited in England and Italy. Laid out along two cross axes, 15 garden rooms were established, each devoted to a different theme, color or plant variety. The axes meet at a large oval swimming pool, in the middle of a lush lawn. 

Although known best for the intricate topiaries (there are over 100 on the property), the whole estate is spectacular- with the tableaus transporting you through time and place. Some rooms seem nostalgically mid-century, while others are timeless. 

With 22 acres of formal gardens, there is definitely something for everyone who even remotely enjoys the outdoors. For those oddballs who don’t, the gift shop here is wonderful as well.