Brookside Gardens
Brookside Gardens is Montgomery County’s incomparable, award-winning 50-acre public display garden situated within Wheaton Regional Park. Included in the gardens are several distinct areas: Aquatic Garden, Azalea Garden, Butterfly Garden, Children’s Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Style Garden, Trial Garden, Rain Garden, and the Woodland Walk. The Formal Gardens areas include a Perennial Garden, Yew Garden, the Maple Terrace, and Fragrance Garden. Brookside Gardens also feature two conservatories for year-round enjoyment. Admission to the gardens is free.
Pets are not allowed in Brookside Gardens. Service animals are welcome. For more details on rules and regulations, please see the Garden Etiquette section.
Please note: Brookside Gardens’ vehicle entrances feature deer exclusion grates, which also preclude pedestrians from crossing. All pedestrians should enter the Gardens through either the pedestrian entrances on Glenallan Avenue to the left of the vehicle entrance, or the conservatory pedestrian entrance to the right of the vehicle entrance. Crossing the deer exclusion grates on foot could result in injury.
Virtual Programs
Even though our facilities are currently closed, Montgomery Parks and Brookside Gardens are adapting our education programming to offer you online learning opportunities. Check out this free video to learn helpful design tips as you plan your summer garden and register for our upcoming programs below.
Perfect Plant Marriages
Winning the War on Weeds Virtual Program
Saturday, June 6 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am | Ages 18 & up | $10, $8 FOBG | #79689
Tired of fighting the never-ending weed war year after year in your garden? Fear no more as this workshop will explore proven ways to combat weeds and keep them controllable, while still being able to enjoy your garden. This talk will also review a list of the “Dirty Dozen” weeds, which are the worst challenges to fight off in our local gardens. Join Kathy Jentz from Washington Gardener Magazine to learn labor-saving tools, best timing for maximizing efforts and tips for preventing future weeds. This is an online program.
Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org
Common Garden Pests & Diseases Virtual Program
Saturday, June 13 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am | Ages 18 & up | $10, $8 FOBG | #78756
Pests and diseases can be a significant concern for the home gardener who has worked hard at creating a beautiful landscape. Join Montgomery Community College Assistant Professor Carol Allen as she examines common pest, disease and abiotic issues that you are likely to experience in your garden. Learn how to recognize the symptoms of plant disease, the conditions that cause it and when and how to apply remediation measures including proper horticultural practices, resistant cultivars in addition to chemical and organic methods. Understand how to distinguish between harmful and beneficial insects while exploring pest life cycles and applications of natural, biological and chemical controls as elements of an integrated pest management program. This is an online program.
Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org
The Chinese Kitchen Garden: Beyond Bok Choy Virtual Program
Wednesday, June 17 | 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm | Ages 18 & up | Free | #78978
Wendy Kiang-Sprang, the author of “The Chinese Kitchen Garden: Beyond Bok Choy,” will share practical lessons on how to grow and enjoy a wide variety of Asian vegetables such as chrysanthemum greens, luffa gourds, bitter melon and many more, along with growing tips for success. The gardener and home cook will explain how to use these vegetables traditionally and in your own recipes. Wendy’s book will be available for purchase. Wendy Kiang-Spray is a writer and speaker whose articles about gardening and food have appeared in national and local print publications. She gardens in Rockville, Maryland where she also works as a school counselor. This is an online program.
Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org
The Recycled Garden Virtual Program
Saturday, June 20 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am | Ages 18 & up | $10, $8 FOBG | #78686
Repurposed items can create whimsy in your garden, but they can also save money and make your garden unique. It is time to train your eye to see the treasure in trash from cast off chairs to the remnants of a building project, and use those resources to help you create something fabulous in an increasingly cookie-cutter world. You will learn practical steps to create fun garden art like elegant grapevine spheres from potting shed finds from Marianne Wilburn, garden columnist and author of “Big Dreams, Small Garden: A Guide to Creating Something Extraordinary in Your Ordinary Space.” Have fun exploring new ways to visualize create elements that will bring your garden to life! This is an online program.
Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org
Care & Handling of Butterflies in Your Garden Virtual Program
Thursday, July 16 | 2 pm – 4 pm | Ages 18 & up | $10, $8 FOBG | #78757
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn how to raise butterflies at home by closely examining all the life stages using specimens from Brookside Gardens’ butterfly exhibit and the gardens. Go behind the scenes with Brookside Gardens staff member Kathy Stevens to learn how exhibit staff maintain healthy butterflies. Discussion will cover parasites and diseases along with rearing techniques used in conservation. Butterfly and plant relationships in the garden will also be observed and discussed so that students will better understand how butterflies behave in every season and survive from year to year in our area. This is an online program.
Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org
Art in the Garden
Brookside Gardens is hosting an online art competition for Montgomery County public high school students.
Juried category winners will be announced May 13, 2020.
Visit Brookside Gardens’ Facebook page from May 11 to May 17 to cast your vote for the People’s Choice award.
People’s Choice Winner will be announced on May 19, 2020!
Weddings and Other Venue Rentals at Brookside Gardens
Award-winning Brookside Gardens is a picture-perfect location for garden weddings. From April through October, groups as large as 110 enjoy the Gardens’ shimmering ponds, romantic gazebos, colorful gardens, and green lawn expanses for celebrations of all kinds. The contemporary Reception Hall and Conservatory are available year-round and are ideal locations for large and small indoor gatherings.
Brookside Gardens offers a choice of meeting venues. The Hall, with its panoramic view of the regularly changing, spectacular garden displays, can seat 175 lecture room-style. Brookside’s classrooms are also available for small meetings or training sessions for groups up to 50.
For more information, visit the Venue Rentals and Photo Permits webpage. To schedule a private event consultation or tour, click here.
Registration Online
Sign up for activities, classes, and events at Brookside Gardens 24 hours a day, seven days a week through ActiveMONTGOMERY.
eNewsletter
Find out the latest news including upcoming programs and activities by signing up for Brookside Gardens’ monthly eNewsletter by clicking on this link.
Donations
Contributions to the Montgomery County Parks Foundation on behalf of Brookside Gardens keep the Gardens moving forward to become an even stronger community resource. They also ensure hours of enjoyment for future Brookside Gardens visitors. Please donate to the Montgomery County Parks Foundation today.
Sponsorships
All inquiries regarding sponsorships may be directed to Ellen Bennett, 301-962-1402 or Ellen.Bennett@montgomeryparks.org