Set on twenty-five acres adjacent to Rock Creek Park, Hillwood’s gardens feature a diverse and fascinating array of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, offering something to see in every season. 

Plants to note in the gardens:

• Autumn has come to the gardens and the seasonal displays are a highlight not to be missed. Almost seven thousand plants were added to the garden including over two thousand chrysanthemums. A dazzling mix of six different yellows and oranges are featured in the French parterre. Chrysanthemum cultivars can have different blooming times (i.e. early through very late). The mix in the French parterre consists of mid-season to very late bloomers, creating an extended show.
• The toad lilies (Tricyrtis ‘Sinonome’) are blooming near the Dacha. The unique, orchid-like flowers on this herbaceous perennial are welcome additions to a fall shade garden. The solid green, ladder-pattern foliage on a strong central arching stem is also an attractive feature. ‘Sinonome’ is a hybrid cultivar reaching three feet tall. The long stems have made it popular with the cut flower industry in other parts of the world and for use in Hillwood arrangements.
• The roses in the rose garden have rebounded nicely after the tough summer weather and many are in bloom. In particular, 'Tupelo Honey™' has many buds ready to open. The warm yellow flowers stand out vividly against the dark green foliage. 'Tupelo Honey™' is a fast, vigorous grower reaching five feet tall even after being cut back in the spring. This cultivar was added to the garden in 2023 because of its superior disease resistance. Hillwood’s rose garden is maintained organically without traditional pesticides. 

Highlights in the greenhouse:

• Among the various orchids blooming, there are several wonderfully fragrant dancing lady orchids in flower. Oncidium Sharry Baby is located nearly at head height when passing into the entrance house, making it is easy to stop and take in its rich chocolate scent. Full of small maroon blooms with a white lip, flower spikes can reach several feet in length. This orchid can bloom for months! Not only is it famous for its fragrance but also viewed as one of the easiest dancing ladies to grow at home.
• Is purple your color? Then take a peak at a sumptuous purple vanda orchid (Vanda Pachara Delight 'Pachara') hanging in the entrance house. This is one of the best purple flowers in our collection. Vandas are grown without a true pot and can be distinguished by their long, hanging root systems. The plant has a monopodial growth habit meaning that it grows upright from a single stem. The flower spike emerges from the axil of the leaf, referring to the point where the leaf meets the stem.
• Another beautiful orchid, putting out multiple flower stalks, is the Brassocattleya Mari's Glory in the eastern orchid house. Overall, the flower is white and soft lavender with large patches of magenta at the ends of the petals. Parentage for this beauty comes from two very interesting genera, Cattleya and Brassavola. The large billowy flowers of the cattleya, or corsage orchid, were one of Marjorie Merriweather Post’s favorites. Brassavolas, on the other hand, are known as “Lady of the Night” orchids due to their strong fragrance in the evenings.