Our trip to Charles Cresson's home garden was a perfect way to end the Pennsylvanian leg of our trip.
Charles lives in the home that his grandfather built and has been working in this garden for most of his adult life, maintaining and developing the garden as a representative of early twentieth century garden style.
Charles was a student at RHS Wisley in the late 1970s and we heard stories of the plants and people he knew there at the time. He was much influenced by his time in England as demonstrated by his courageous attempts to grow Camellias and Rhododendrons not normally grown in this climate - "stretching the zones" he called it.
His garden was ablaze with colour from Azaleas mainly, but an interesting understory of herbaceous included some magnificent clumps of Cypripedium, as well as native woodland ephemerals Tiarella cordifolia, Mertensia virginica and Trilliums (T. luteum, T. grandiflora, T. erectum amongst them).
Charles was incredibly generous with his knowledge and his enthusiasm was infectious. He also made for us the best iced tea so far!
Thank you Charles!
Robert Bradshaw, Swarthmore, Philadelphia, 09/05/2015