Summertime Visit to Wayne Guymon’s Wonderful Garden of WynEden
in Chadds Ford, PA

Our 2023 spring visit to WynEden was a very popular event. Wayne has kindly invited us back to experience summer at WynEden. Widely recognized as one of the premier gardens of the Mid-Atlantic, WynEden is a superb ten-acre garden anchored by a one-acre pond and an extensive collection of Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Hosta.

The land on which this garden is set slopes down to the pond from the house. To the right of the main pond is a smaller Koi pond fed by a diminutive waterfall. Three more small cascades are set into Brinton’s Run as it passes alongside the large pond. On this basic layout, the owner has created a sumptuous banquet of form, color and texture with a deep richness of plant material carefully managed to emphasize order and serenity. All in all, this is a lush and dreamy wonderland of delightful nooks and crannies filled with magical, horticultural surprises.

The south hillside below the house is a large expanse of three different Hostas, blue, gold and chartreuse, flowing to the level ground below in large rivers of each color. This is thought to be the largest continuous expanse of Hosta in North America.

Elsewhere in the garden there are over 500 different varieties of Hosta as well as thousands of Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all planted in large drifts of color and texture. These areas are reached by mulched paths lined with tree trunks giving the garden the feel of a natural woodland. 

A large grove of tall Bamboo separates the more traditional garden and lawn area from the woodland and bog gardens of the eastern section where the former streambed of Brinton’s Run has been transformed into a series of cascading vernal ponds surrounded by large sweeps of native Azaleas, Iris and Hosta. A large bridge, painted red and black in the Asian tradition, crosses Brinton’s Run here.

As one leaves the Bamboo grove one encounters a fairy café of tree trunks and a foot bridge which leads to a stone bridge over a dry streambed, guarded by a very small troll. Along the sides of the dry streambed grows a planting of some 200 Primulas. Japanese candelabra primroses are also scattered throughout the entire garden where they grow in great abundance.

Each area of this garden has a sense of identity and each melds harmoniously into the scope of the garden as a whole. While the plant collections are extensive, they are handled with such subtlety that they link the garden areas together, never appearing as heavy or contrived but always leading the eye on to the next treasure, the surprising detail, the small moment of graceful beauty. WynEden is a unique achievement of artistic vision, horticultural skill and sustained effort.

Please Note:  HPS/MAG thanks the Wilmington Garden Day organization for the use of their latest description of WynEden.

This is a self-guided tour. Wayne Guymon will be available to talk with attendees and to answer questions. While you are welcome to arrive anytime between 10:00 AM and Noon, you can easily fill three hours taking in all of WynEden. Please plan your arrival to allow yourself time to thoroughly enjoy the grounds.

Members and non-members are welcome to enjoy this event. Registration is required. $5 per member; $15 non-member. Maximum number of attendees is 75.

Registration open June 23rd and closes August 8^th. Rain date is Wednesday August 14^th.

Address and parking directions will be sent to all registrants in their confirmation email.

Contact: Dawn Freeman at [email protected]