Group Tours
Private tours are available between April and October for groups of fifteen or more. Additional discounts for tours scheduled in July or August. May and June are the busiest months, so please make your reservations early. Please call 410-557-9570, ext. 215 for reservations, information and a tour luncheon menu.

House
Tour the Ladew house filled with English antiques, paintings, photographs, sketches and fox hunting memorabilia. The Oval Library is included in the book "100 Most Beautiful Rooms in America". The house and gardens are on the National Register of Historic Places and are operated by a private non-profit foundation.

The historic Manor House was constructed over three centuries. Originally built in the late 1700s by the Scarff family, Mr. Ladew purchased the house and 250-acre property in 1929. Of the rooms he added to the house, the most unusual is the Oval Library (complete with a secret door).

Gardens
Ladew Topiary Gardens were designed and developed by Harvey S. Ladew to provide an array of color, texture and form for each season. Mr. Ladew planned 15 flower gardens, each on a different theme, ranging from a formal Rose Garden and perennial borders, to a Cottage Garden, Water Garden and Berry Garden. The crowning glory of the 22 acres is the topiary — trees and shrubs trained and trimmed into ornamental shapes. The Garden Club of America Called Harvey Ladew's garden "the most outstanding garden in America."

Studio
This room is part of the original barn and was used as an art studio by Mr. Ladew for painting and sculpting. It contains a permanent exhibit of historic images detailing the extraordinary life of Harvey Ladew. Today, lectures, workshops and other events fill the room with visitors throughout the year.

Nature Walk
The Nature Walk at Ladew is a self-guided 1.5 mile trail through the woods and fields of the Ladew property. In addition to 13 educational stations along the trail, there is a short boardwalk through wetland forest and marsh as well as a quarry pond. It is a birder's delight with many benches along the way for resting and contemplating nature.

What's Blooming?
Although the weather can make two or more weeks difference in the time of bloom for many flowers, this lists times when we normally expect to see blooms at Ladew.

April 15 to May 1
Andromeda, azaleas (earliest), candytuft, crab apples, forget-me-nots, hyacinth, mertensia, narcissus, pansies, pears, tulips (early) and spring bulbs.

May 1 to May 15
Apples, azaleas, bridal wreath, cherries, deutzia, dogwood, iris (dwarf and intermediate bearded), lilacs, rhododendron (early), tulips and viburnum.

May 15 to June 1
Campanula, columbine, coral bells, foxgloves, iris (tall bearded), laburnum, peony, rhododendron (late), tradescantia, spirea (early) and weigela (early).

June/July
Ageratum (until frost), astilbe, buddleia, cimicifuga, clematis, dahlias, daylilies, hosta (until frost), hydrangea, impatiens (until frost), iris (Siberian and Japanese), liriope, rhododendron (late), roses, rudbeckia, clethra, spirea (late), weigela (late) and most perennials and annuals.

August/September
Naked Ladies, hardy hibiscus, fall clematis, petunias, phlox, roses, rudbeckia, Japanese anemone, zinnias and others which came into bloom earlier.

Mid-September through October
Mexican Sage, Japanese anemone, colchicum, re-blooming iris, berries in the berry garden and beautiful fall foliage. Dahlias, asters, roses, many perennials and annuals will continue to bloom until frost.