The Greater Philadelphia region is heralded as America’s Garden Capital for good reason: within 30 miles of the City of Brotherly Love, there are 30-plus public gardens, arboreta and historic landscapes. In order to celebrate the area’s lesser known private gardens, writer Nicole Juday and photographer Rob Cardillo published “Private Gardens of Philadelphia” in 2024. The book profiles 21 gardens, which range in style from Old World formal to a collector’s paradise to landscaping designed to complement mid-century architecture. In this photo-rich presentation, they will share the stories behind some of the most noteworthy. For more background, listen to this interview with Nicole and Rob on “A Way to Garden with Margaret Roach.”

Speakers’ Bios:

Nicole Juday grew up in rural Illinois and first experienced great horticulture when she came to Philadelphia in the 1990s. Gardening then became the catalyst for a career change and a source of lifelong fascination and learning. She served as the rosarian for Wyck House and Garden, the oldest rose garden in the country. Later she managed the renowned program at Barnes Arboretum School before working in several roles at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. She has served on the boards of Awbury Arboretum and Historic Fair Hill. She enjoys writing and speaking about gardens and garden history and tending her own garden in the historic Germantown section of Philadelphia.

Rob Cardillo has been photographing gardens, plants, and the people who love them for over thirty years. He has more than twenty-five books to his credit, including “Private Edens,” “The Private Gardens of South Florida,” “The Art of Gardening” and “The Layered Garden.” He is a founding partner of Blue Root Media, which produces GROW, the award-winning magazine of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Rob’s work is also frequently seen in major garden publications and news outlets. Winner of numerous photography awards, he is a member of the GardenComm Hall of Fame. He lives and gardens in Ambler, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.