Groundbreaking in 2025 for New Garden Railway Train Shed The Garden Railway train shed "tent" to be replaced with a design inspired by historic Chestnut Hill train station. The Garden Railway will have a new look in spring 2025—the nearby train shed “tent” will be replaced with a structure featuring a playful design inspired by the landmark Chestnut Hill West Station newsstand on Germantown Avenue, complete with crooked fascia. The new train shed will provide more space, storage, and better shelter to trainmasters Bruce Morrell and his grandson, Josh Faia, and the staff and volunteers who help keep the trains running. Executive Director Bill Cullina says it will enhance the guest experience, increase accessibility, and celebrate the past while embracing the future. Image The landmark Chestnut Hill West Station newsstand on Germantown Avenue is the inspiration for the new Garden Railway train shed.  “It’s a really cool project because it solves a functional need of replacing the old canvas tent that’s there now,” said Cullina. “It’s also a celebration of the history of trains and Chestnut Hill, and how trains were so formative to the development of Chestnut Hill and the community.” Cullina said while it’s not a scale replica of the newsstand, it will have the same Victorian details—the green, tan, and red paint scheme, and the iconic and charming crooked roofline. There will be an enclosed space outfitted with benchtops, lighting, and shelving to store the extra trains and equipment. An L-shaped 8-foot-deep porch with seating will provide visitors with shelter from the weather and a great spot to watch the goings-on in the garden. Image The current tent shelters the train masters and equipment for the Garden Railway. The new structure comes by way of a $300,000 commitment by longtime Morris members Radclyffe “Mike” Thompson and his wife, Maria Thompson, who has been newly elected to the Advisory Board. Their gift will also establish an endowment to ensure ongoing …

What's in Bloom: October What's in Bloom: October Image October at the Morris Image strawberry bush Euonymus americanus Native Azalea Collection Inconspicuous spring flowers become showy seed pods in early fall. The textured pink seed pods of this native shrub burst open, exposing striking orange fruit that contrast against its bright green leaves and stems. Image stiff dogwood Cornus foemina Swan Pond Clusters of deep blue fruit adorn these small trees native to the southeastern United States. The genus name Cornus means “horn” and is in reference to the tree’s strong wood. Image Chinese osmanthus Osmanthus armatus Orange Balustrade Small white flowers produce a sweet, wafting fragrance throughout this area of the garden. This large evergreen shrub is similar to the evergreen hollies ( Ilex ) planted nearby, but the leaf arrangements on Osmanthus are opposite, while Ilex is alternate. Image false holly Osmanthus heterophyllus Hillcrest Pavilion Blooming from late fall into early winter, this evergreen tree produces small, fragrant cream-colored flowers. Unlike Osmanthus armatus , this species’ leaves tend to have toothed margins rather than smooth. Image common baldcypress Taxodium distichum (common baldcypress) This stately deciduous conifer produces a showy display of fall color, with needles turning a deep orange color before falling off. When growing near water, baldcypress trees produce cone-like, above-ground root shoots called “knees”. Image American beautyberry Callicarpa americana Native Azalea Collection These native shrubs produce clusters of bright purple fruit along its branches, hanging on to the plant into early winter after the leaves fall off. … What's in Bloom: …

Millions of Years of Movement: New data shows tropical mallow plants heading out of Madagascar On islands like Madagascar, a particularly high proportion of plants have been introduced via long-distance dispersal, and recent research demonstrates that Madagascar has also been a prominent source for dispersal of plants to other places, including the tropical plant group Dombeyoideae. The history of botanical evolution is full of slim chances: Some fruits or seeds get swept up in a storm or lodged in a bird’s feathers and carried across an ocean. In some instances, this long-distance dispersal can lead to rapid variegation as new species evolve from the founding ancestor(s). On islands like Madagascar, a particularly high proportion of plants have been introduced via long-distance dispersal. While islands have long been recognized as important “sinks”—or places where plants are introduced via dispersal—a new paper in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution improves on our current knowledge by demonstrating that Madagascar has also been a prominent source for dispersal of plants to other places. Co-first authors Cynthia Skema, botanical scientist at Morris Arboretum & Gardens, and Timothée Le Péchon, research scientist at Meise Botanic Garden in Belgium, along with Lucile Jourdain-Fievet and Jean-Yves Dubuisson, both of Sorbonne University in Paris, studied the evolutionary and biogeographic history of the Dombeyoideae. Dombeyoideae is a group of tropical plants that are part of the cotton family (Malvaceae), falling somewhere between cotton and cacao. The researchers found that this group dispersed from Madagascar to Africa five times more than from Africa to Madagascar. “This paper completely underlines this sort of percolating idea that Madagascar is really a source [for plant dispersal] too, and a source for [plant dispersal to] continents, which is really interesting,” explains Skema. Image Dombeya rottleroides , a member of Dombeyoideae. For the project, Skema and …

Garden Features Garden Features Image Almost around every corner, visitors will discover unusual gardens and garden areas that are unique to the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. John and Lydia Morris designed many of the garden features themselves (along with the help of some of the finest architects of their time) so that each space reflected their cultural interests.   The Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery Image Photo: Paul W. Meyer The Dorrance H. Hamilton Fernery is the only remaining freestanding Victorian fernery in North America. Originally built in 1899 under the supervision of John Morris, the fernery stands today as a historical time piece, documenting the British obsession with ferns and glasshouses during the Victorian era. The building was constructed using locally mined stone and utilized cutting edge technology in glass cutting, steam heating, and architectural elements.  Nestled in a curve of land below the rose garden, the fernery has become an iconic part of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Its glittering rooftop welcoming visitors into a peaceful space filled with ferns, trickling waterfalls and reflecting pools. A wonderful place to explore in all seasons.  Learn more about the Fernery →  Mercury Loggia Image Photo: Ken Tapp The Mercury Loggia was constructed in 1913 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Compton estate. The Loggia is a small, temple-like structure constructed of Wissahickon schist with an arched plaster roof and mosaic tile floor. Located at the western edge of the English Park, the Loggia captures the feel of a Roman temple with a bronze statue of Mercury, recognizable by his winged sandals, nestled within. The Grotto beneath the Loggia is an artificial cavern created and lined with Wissahickon schist. Historically, grottos similar to this one was designed as a wonderful location for intellectual ponderings. A narrow winding path leads through the grotto and out into the Ravine Garden on the north side of the Loggia. …