Philadelphia Area Fling and Andrew Bunting’s Belvidere
I spent all last week in the beautiful countryside around Philadelphia for the 14th annual Fling (formerly known as Garden Bloggers Fling), touring private and public gardens with around 100 other garden writers, bloggers, Instagrammers, YouTubers, and other social media gardeners. We were hosted by the irrepressibly enthusiastic Karl Gercens. He manages the conservatory at the show-stopping Longwood Gardens, so I knew it would be a Fling to remember.
Still, more is more! I flew in two days early and spent an extra full day at Chanticleer Garden, followed by shopping and dinner at Terrain with a few friends. After that, it was go, go, go on the 3-1/2-day Fling tour. Highlights included a behind-the-scenes tour of Longwood Gardens’ production facility, dinner and dancing at Chanticleer, a visit to David Culp’s Brandywine Cottage, lunch at the playful and colorful garden of Jenny Rose Carey, and much more. It was a terrific tour — even if Tropical Storm Ophelia drenched us during the final two days — and I have hundreds of photos to share with you over the coming months.
Let’s jump into the tour with the first private garden. Located in Swarthmore, Belvidere is the home garden of plantsman Andrew Bunting, the vice president of horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Leafy vines soften his charming stone cottage, which overlooks a gravel garden of diaphanous grasses, yucca, euphorbia, and other dry-loving plants (see photo at top).
Amsonia and a blushing hydrangea smother a wooden chair in the front garden.
In a window box, red foliage plants echo rosy glassware displayed inside.
Heading around back, I saw a potting bench conveniently located by the back door.
It makes a lovely place to display more red plants.
Metal flowers adorn a bit of trellis work.
Andrew indulges his love of tropicals on the back patio, with dozens of potted, big-leaved plants making a foliage-centric display.
Canna looking pretty
A bromeliad in bloom
In a shady spot, a mossy bench is half swallowed by a hydrangea and other lush foliage.
Here began my banana sightings. It seems that gardeners all around Philadelphia fancy the dramatic, paddle-like foliage of bananas. I swear I saw bananas in every garden we visited.
Going bananas at the Fling
I was so struck by all the bananas that one day I declared to a fellow tour-goer, who hails from the Pacific Northwest, that bananas might be the signature plant of the Philly Fling, and wasn’t that a little surprising? She said, “But everyone can grow bananas.” Her point being that we can all grow tropicals in summer and either haul them indoors for the winter or put them in the compost at the end of the season. That’s true…
And yet right then I realized that bananas and other big-leaved tropicals are far more popular — even commonplace — in other parts of the country than they are here in Central Texas. I mean, I almost never see bananas grown as patio plants here in Austin. I can think of an exception or two, but in general we’re much more into agaves and yuccas and grasses and native perennials. Why? I think it can only be because it’s so blisteringly hot and droughty here in the summer, and we’d have to water tropicals constantly to keep them looking good. Instead, gardeners in Central Texas have embraced waterwise native or near-native plants. Not exclusively, of course, but predominantly. It’s an interesting cultural difference, one I might not have noticed but for going on garden tours in other regions. Such discoveries help me understand the gardening culture of my own home ground a little better.
But back to the tour
Enough about bananas — back to Belvidere! Andrew converted a dilapidated stone garage into a beautiful summerhouse. One of the rooms is open to the elements and functions more as a patio. Notice Andrew’s silver-themed decor: a pewter mannequin torso presiding over a collection of gray tillandsias and galvanized watering cans.
At the other end of the building, a fully sheltered man cave offers a cushy leather sofa, a glowing chandelier, and…
…a collection of books and knickknacks to make a cozy retreat that overlooks the garden. Everyone coveted this inviting space.
Here’s the summerhouse as seen from the other side of that multipaned window.
At the far end of the garden, shade plants enclose a pretty round pond, which I neglected to take a photo of, probably because I was waiting for a clear shot and forgot to go back. Chairs designed by Chanticleer’s Dan Benarcik offer an invitation to sit and stay a while.
Andrew found additional space for a vegetable garden by taking over a portion of his neighbor’s yard — with permission, of course. A bosque of four trees shades a wooden table with a planter running down the middle — also crafted by Dan Benarcik. You can learn more about the design of this space, and all of Belvidere, in a video of one of Andrew’s talks at the JC Raulston Arboretum. It’s worth watching just to see how much a garden evolves over time.
Those Benarcik chairs are tucked into the garden everywhere.
As are the bold tropical leaves of colocasia and banana!
Up next: Charles Cresson’s garden, Hedgleigh Spring, in Swarthmore.
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Digging Deeper
Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!
Tour several Austin gardens on Saturday, November 4, on the Garden Conservancy’s Open Day tour for Travis County. Tickets must be purchased online in advance and will be available beginning September 1st.
All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I’m almost ready to pack up and move to Philly! Andrew’s garden looks as though it could cope admirably with a little rain from Ophelia and not miss a beat. Bananas everywhere. I’m glad you said-not in Texas because not in the desert either although I’m trying to remember if I saw them at the Tucson BG. Of course not a typical Sonoran desert garden. Those garden rooms are wonderful and I’m quite sure everyone was vying for a seat in there. I have been an armchair viewer throughout everyone’s fling posts and it has been wonderful. I missed out big.
I’m almost ready to pack up and move too, Jenny — ha! We Texans were drinking up the cooler temps and rain after the scorching summer we’re *still* enduring, and I’m sure it’s the same for you in Tucson. Winter in Philadelphia might be another matter though…
I had always enjoyed your writing, but re-living the visits from the Fling is even better. I never told you, but I learned about the Fling through you. Thank you!
Pilar, I enjoyed meeting you at the Fling! Hope to see you next year in Puget Sound.
That was a beautiful garden, as they all were. I couldn’t believe how many banana plants we saw–in most of the gardens. Who knew?! I’ll look forward to your future posts, too. 🙂
Philly-area gardeners are bananas for bananas! I was surprised but enjoyed seeing those big leaves everywhere.
I thought it was odd to see all of the banana plants! But it’s obviously a thing. Loved this post, Pam.
Thanks, Lisa. It was good seeing you again!
I really wanted to make this Fling. I’ve been to Longwood and knew it would be a great few days touring this area. Thanks for the wonderful roundup of Andrew Bunting’s Belvidere. (My neighbor when I was a teenager had a banana tree he buried each winter. This was in North Carolina.)
I’m kind of intrigued by bananas now, and I never was before — ha! Sorry you couldn’t make it this year, but I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Susie.
What a lovely space, and such a beautiful variety of plantings; I look forward to watching the video showing the evolution of this garden. And lucky you for experiencing a bit of rain and cooler temperatures. It’s gotta break soon, right?! I sure hope so.
Yes, it’s supposed to break next week — yay!
This was such a wonderful garden full of personality and plantsmanship. The banana with the big red leaves—Ensete maurelii—shown in Andrew Bunting’s garden is one that needs to be dug and over wintered (or composted) in any garden colder than a Zone 9. Another banana we saw a lot of on the Fling, Musa basjoo, is hardier though, to at least Zone 7 (colder with mulch), although it can die back to the ground over the winter it faithfully reappears in the spring. Bananas for everyone! I wonder if the Philly-area’s love for big bold tropical plants isn’t in part a response to their winters?
That’s a good point, Loree. I wish I’d thought to ask one of the gardeners about all the banana love!
Thanks for sharing your excellent photo coverage of this garden, Pam. I LOVE the table with the planter in the middle and what appears to be actual tree trunks for support. I haven’t seen many banana plants here in recent years. When we moved it, there was one at the bottom of our slope but that’s long gone. The local botanic garden installed a tropical display (consisting of Cannas, taro plants and some bananas) in its rose garden (!) recently but I think that was a one-off to address drainage issues.
That tree-trunk table is pretty fabulous. I guess it’s too dry in SoCal for bananas too, huh?
Too much fun. I love seeing the pictures and reading your narrative.
Thanks, Lisa!
I love this garden. I especially enjoyed watching the video of Mr. Bunting’s talk. Thanks so much for providing the link.
You’re welcome. I enjoyed it too.
I watch Andrew’s presentation… the transformation of his garage is amazing.
The idea and execution of the communal garden are fantastic, and LOVE that community table… Metal gate and mail box are fun. It’s great how he uses artisans, some at the start of their careers. Everyone wins.
I’m glad you enjoyed the presentation. I did too. He’s very talented!