Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum has been named a Partner Garden by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), making Andalusia the only Partner Garden in the United States.
Founded in 1804, the RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity. Public gardens can apply to become an RHS Partner Garden, and RHS approves only a select few through a rigorous yearlong process. The criteria include showcasing “horticultural excellence,” with high standards in design, planting,and maintenance. Only nine new Partner Gardens were chosen for 2024. There are now 220 RHS Partner Gardens internationally.
“I am delighted that the RHS has chosen Andalusia as one of its partner gardens. This is a well-deserved honor for a garden that has been beloved for decades by people from many states,” said Jane G. Pepper, recent vice president of the RHS, chair of the board of Longwood Gardens, and a member of Andalusia’s Horticultural Committee. “Being part of the RHS will inevitably bring gardeners from the UK and beyond to enjoy everything at Andalusia from the drama of the river and the big trees to the perennial and rose gardens.”
Located just outside of Philadelphia, Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum is situated in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, on the banks of the Delaware River.
After being closed for the winter, Andalusia’s gardens are reopened to the public Tuesdays, Fridays and select Saturdays. Admission to the gardens is $15.
Visitors can also choose to tour the historic house for an additional $15. Tickets can be purchased at andalusiapa.org.
As a Partner Garden, Andalusia agrees to let RHS members tour the gardens for free on any open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. There are currently more than 600,000 members of RHS.
Andalusia’s historic house, built in 1797, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and is considered one of the finest examples of Greek Rival architecture in the United States. It is surrounded by gardens designed by Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd and an arboretum with a curated collection of more than 1,000 trees representing over 250 different species.
Lennox-Boyd is one of the leading landscape designers working today. Italian by birth and based in the United Kingdom, Lennox-Boyd has designed more than 400 gardens worldwide, including six Chelsea Flower Show Gold medal gardens. Her designs for Andalusia – her only public garden in the United States – added 14,000 assorted trees, shrubs, roses and perennials, sourced from as far away as Texas, Oregon and California.
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