Finally, I visited Baltimore’s largest garden, the Cylburn Arboretum , and was treated to a tour by head gardener Jennifer Forrence and board member Nell Stratchan (Nell’s also on the board of the Horticultural Society of Maryland). Curiously, both have law degrees!
About the Cylburn
Interesting history here, how a 207-acre estate started as the private estate of the Tyson family (in the chrome business, not the chicken business), the home having been built in 1863 for Jesse Tyson and his mother. In 1942 the family donated the estate to the city and it served as a “home for neglected children” until 1954, when it became a city park.
There are all sorts of special collections (magnolias, cherries, hollies, boxwoods, viburnums, etc), and a vegetable garden that’s tended by Baltimore Master Gardeners.
The Cylburn is FREE to everyone and open every day of the year. And it has a pretty full calendar of events, including its guided walks and nature story hours, as well as the lecture series put on by the Maryland Horticultural Society. Check it out!
'Fireworks' Goldenrod
Cylburn is fantastic, anytime of year. It has a quiet oasis feel even though the surroundings bustle. We used to make an annual pilgrimage to Cylburn on Mother’s Day afternoon. The photo opportunities there are wonderful.
Cylburn is a beautiful place!
Oh my! I have to tell you I unexpectedly teared up reading this old post. When I was still in college in Baltimore, I went to Cylburn weekly. We went to paint or draw or I would just go to eat my lunch among the scenery. At one point we found a kitten in the bushes at a hardware store and we would take him to Cylburn on a leash to paint/draw/eat lunch with us too! He would run across our paint pallets and onto my skirt and… bright colored paw prints everywhere. Well… now I’m not on the E. Coast and have a bear of a garden I tend and that little kitten is an old, hairball hacker. And your post was just such an unexpected trip down memory lane. Thank you. It’s a gem of a place and I hope it stays free and open for more memories to be made by others.
I grew up several blocks from Cylburn, and still remember going to Pimlico Elementary School with children who lived there in the “Home for Neglected Children” which was run by Nuns. The children lived in the mansion until they were moved into a new facility on Cold Spring Lane in 1954.
Once Cylburn became a park, my entire family were frequent visitors there, walking the nature trails, flying kites, enjoying the trees and gardens, snow sledding there in the winter, and just generally loving the place. We became friends of the park caretaker, Mr. Shirley, who lived in a tiny three room extension to the main mansion.