This romantic and dreamy garden is wonderful to visit. It is one of the most attractive and imaginative public gardens in America and a contemporary garden within a historic setting. It has 48 acres of rolling landscape, mature trees and a meandering creek. The famous Chanticleer house sits majestically over a sweeping landscape downwards to the west. The garden is divided into various garden rooms featuring different planting combinations and features and each area has its own unique microclimate. The garden design effectively maximizes the potential of shaded and sunny locations by planting species that will grow best in each environment. Light is cast in different areas of the garden, vistas draw you in, and planting combinations both inspire and provide a relaxing oasis for the visitor. The garden was originally established by Adolph G. Rosengarten who was the grandson of a German immigrant to America who founded a pharmaceutical business that became part of Merck & Co in 1927. The Rosengartens named their home after Chanticlere in Thackeray’s novel ‘The Newcomers’. Chanticleer is also the French word for rooster and this theme runs throughout the property. More than 5,000 plants are currently documented and grown in the garden.
