our garden

Visitors experience more than two centuries of gardens on five acres, beginning with the catalpa trees that line the front of the property, recalling the thirteen once planted there by Richard Stockton before the American Revolution. Benches and tables tucked throughout the landscape invite you to linger, reflect, and enjoy the peaceful, historic surroundings. Bring a picnic, roam at your own pace, and discover interpretive signs that share the rich history rooted in every corner. Best of all, the garden is open daily from sunrise to sunset—free to all.

Today, Morven’s flourishing verdant grounds celebrate 250 years of American horticulture, and feature a blend of towering trees, shrubs, flowers, fragrant herbs, heirloom and modern vegetables. These include majestic legacy trees, as well as other ornamental flowering specimens, shrubs, and vines. The cherished wisteria that graces the front of the mansion is over 150 years old, and bursts into bloom by early May.

The jewel box of the grounds is the Colonial Revival Garden, restored in this century to represent the garden of Helen Hamilton Shields Stockton. Here, something new unfurls nearly every two weeks—from hellebores, narcissus and tulips in early spring to richly-scented nicotiana and radiant dahlias lasting into late fall, up to frost. Fragrant peonies peak in late May, followed by the heavenly perfume of our Zepherine Drouhin rose, and throughout October, the cheerful HIllside Sheffield pink chrysanthemums burst forth. Abundant classic perennials create a changing palette of flower shapes and colors.

Sprinkled among the perennials are charming old-fashioned annuals and biennials—once common in early American gardens, now a rare delight. Look for masses of cobalt-blue larkspur in June, whimsical love-in-a-mist, and playful daisy-like feverfew. Later in the summer enjoy the intriguing structure of self-sown balsam impatiens. Biennial  rose campion, fox glove and the intriguingly musk-scented clary sage were enjoyed as ‘pass along plants’ in the past, but today they’re tended with care by Morven’s dedicated gardeners. Bees, butterflies, and birds are frequent visitors, too.

Whether you're a gardener, a history lover, an artist, or simply seeking a beautiful escape—Morven’s garden is a place to engage your senses, find inspiration, and reconnect with nature and the past. Come for a stroll, stay for a picnic, and experience the magic that blooms here year-round. Young visitors may enjoy a romp on our expansive lawns.