Chanticleer is a 48 acre botanical garden built on the grounds of the Rosengarten estate in Wayne, PA. Described as a contemporary pleasure garden, Chanticleer’s thirteen different garden “rooms” are as beautiful as they are diverse. Each garden has its own distinct charm, which changes throughout the seasons.
I have visited here over a dozen times, and it’s always a delight. Below are a few of my favorite photos through the years. On one particular evening, I was leading a workshop, and we were working on photographing this scene below. Just as we began, a woman in a lovely sundress wandered up the steps and stood there for the longest time. At first I was impatient with waiting, until I realized that she added something special to the image. After we all grabbed a few shots, we went to chat with her and offer her a copy of the image. I need to remind my self that people often add a something special to the image.
As you enter, if you head to the restrooms near the entrance, you will be near the entrance of the Teacup Garden. Make sure you spend some time wandering around here. This is actually one of my favorite spots. There is a great mix of plantings, along with quiet fountains, a small water lily patch and urns and pots that add an artistic touch to this lovely, tranquil spot. Don’t miss this!
If you walk straight through the entrance and head down the stairs, you will find the Tennis Garden. This is always full of a variety of flowers in all color, shapes and sizes. There is also a beautiful bench for your to rest and just take time to appreciate the beauty.
The area around the house is also gorgeous. I love the statues and water features
The pool area is gorgeous-and so inviting. A shame it’s not open for a quick swim to cool off:)
As you meander the paths, there is beauty everywhere-including the stone paths, themselves.
The Ruin Garden is my second favorite place to explore. The area around the outside I believe is called the Gravel Garden, and is full of a huge variety of plants. This offers a ton of photographic subjects.
The reflecting pool is fascinating. It’s a great place to play around with different compositions. A super wide angle can be great to experiment with here.
I just absolutely love the floating faces in the fountain! Seriously-how cool is this?! Also a great place for a wide angle lens. I don’t have examples here, but this is also a great place to play around with different shutter speeds-to freeze the water drops or ender them soft and smooth with a slower shutter speed.
The Hillside Garden is full of poppies in late May/early June, and is another gorgeous spot to spend time.
The pond area just below the Hillside Garden, is another spot not to be missed! The lotus flowers in the summer are amazing! Make sure to walk all the way around the area for a variety of views. The water lilies are also quite stunning!
Below is a variety of others flowers photographed on numerous visits
If you are into macro and insect photography, by late May, there were a ton of pollinators and insects buzzing around. I will generally capture these using a macro lens, flash and an AK diffuser to help freeze motion and control the light. (affiliate links to the flash and diffuser I use by clicking on the name/link)
I couldn’t get a good angle on the leaf hopper(below left), but I loved the bold colors so I photographed him anyway. I think the little guy with the big eyes in the second photo is actually a leaf hopper nymph. I had never seen one before this. Last one is a jagged ambush bug nymph. I’m ecstatic when I find one of these!
Potting Shed area below is a neat place to photograph. There is also a large garden in front of the shed that is a must-see but not pictured here.
All in all, I absolutely love visiting Chanticleer Garden in the Spring, summer and fall-the three seasons that they are open. As a photographer, you could spend an entire day wandering and capturing the beauty of the landscape, the gardens, intimate flower portraits and even the tiny bees and bugs that make the garden their home.
If you would like to join a fun photography workshop, we have one coming up this weekend-Saturday June 6th, for the early morning hours. Event information can be found back on the home page.
And for those that are not photographers, but who just loves to wander in quiet beauty, without all the crowds of other local gardens-then this is the place for you. There are also several trails to help you get your steps in for the day-and at least one big hill:)
Normal visiting hours are 10am to 5pm. Fridays they are open until 8pm. The later evening is a great time to visit. Photographers can also enjoy less harsh light on the first Saturday of each month, when the gardens open at 8am. Check the website to confirm hours. Also note that due to the smaller size of the parking are, free timed parking passes are required during the business times. Visit https://chanticleergarden.org for hours, address and other important info. follow them on social media to get an idea of what’s in bloom and special events.
If you made it this far-thanks for staying. Hope you enjoyed the images:)