The rolling hills of the Brandywine Valley inspired Andrew Wyeth just as the gardens at Giverny stirred Claude Monet. It’s fitting, then, for the museums that showcase these artists’ paintings to be surrounded by artistic landscapes with a seasonally changing palette of colors, textures and shapes.
Arboretum at The Barnes Foundation
One of the world’s greatest collections of Impressionist art resides behind the iron gates of a secluded suburban estate, surrounded by an arboretum filled with specimen trees, like the cedar of Lebanon and the Raisin tree, and formal rose and perennial gardens. A walk across the sweeping lawn and the Woodlands takes you past collections of magnolias, hollies and more than 200 varieties of lilacs. Collections of peonies and ornamental ferns are highlights of the garden.
Brandywine River Museum
Billowing native grasses and trees line the road leading to the former Civil War-era gristmill that’s now a showcase for American art. The Brandywine Conservancy planted the surrounding gardens. Visit the terrace overlooking Brandywine Creek and then follow the tree-lined path that parallels the water. On the neighboring property, smaller gardens demonstrate the use of native plants in a typical home landscape.