This is the premier historic horticulture feature of the campus. Designed by James Bush-Brown and Beatrix Farrand, the long formal garden space is enclosed by an arborvitae hedge which serves as a backdrop to English-style perennial borders.  The perennials and shrubs filling the borders today reflect a more modern plant palette. Stephanie Cohen and Rudolph Keller led the garden's most recent restoration in 1998. The focal point at the end of the garden is a fountain flanked by Farrand’s twin pergolas and garden houses.

Formerly an open meadow, this area was originally planted during the 1920s by the students and staff of the School of Horticulture for Women. A fine example of naturalistic garden design, it is an inviting retreat any time of the year, but particularly in the spring when a carpet of colorful bulbs and woodland wildflowers appear, and in the summer when mature beech, sycamore, tulip tree, dogwood, holly and rhododendron shade and enclose the area.

This garden was redesigned 1995 to display native plants in a formal manner.  A central allée of black gum trees with assorted native ground cover is flanked by a colorful border of native perennials and an ericaceous collection. Red stone paths allow for rain water infiltration, providing added soil moisture and reducing runoff.

This garden of culinary, dye, medicinal, and aromatic plants was built by students in 1992 to demonstrate the use, cultivation and design of herb gardens. The central sculpture, created by Joseph Winter, represents a teacher passing plant knowledge to students. The garden design was led by Arboretum Founding Director Stephanie Cohen.

This garden was designed and built by students of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture with faculty guidance. The design features porous paving which facilitates rain water recharge. Construction techniques were designed to minimize disturbance of existing tree roots. The courtyard, made possible by a gift from the class of 1990, serves as an intimate outdoor room for relaxation and study.

Sponsored by Michael Colibraro of Colibraro Landscape and Nursery, Inc., this garden includes many exquisite dwarf cultivars donated from his own collection.  Students will be able to compare and contrast different forms of the same species.

A collection of superior annual plants to show homeowners and other community members what they could plant in their own gardens in the coming years.

A deer exclosure where students, faculty, and horticulture staff grow plants for research. A National Boxwood Trial Garden is located within this garden.  Vegetables, roses, trees, and other plantings are evaluated in this area.

This garden, funded by PECO, An Exelon Company, is based on an award-winning project created for the 2002 Philadelphia Flower Show. The green roof, perched atop the Ambler Intercollegiate Athletic Fieldhouse, was installed to evaluate which plants can survive and thrive on similar roofs in the northeast region of the United States.

Green Roof News:
Green Roof Garden provides research opportunities for students and faculty

A contemplative area in the process of being designed by faculty and students as a result of the 2006 Philadelphia Flower Show exhibit “Nature Nurtures.” This garden will also serve as a memorial to Ernesta Ballard, a pioneering woman for both Temple University Ambler and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.  It will include a central labyrinth and predominately native plants.  For more information, please see Ballard Garden.