Brookside Gardens

Brookside Gardens is Montgomery County’s incomparable, award-winning 50-acre public display garden within Wheaton Regional Park. Included in the gardens are several distinct areas: Aquatic Garden, Azalea Garden, Butterfly Garden, Children’s Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Style Garden, Trial Garden, Rain Garden, and the Woodland Walk. The Formal Gardens areas include a Perennial Garden, Yew Garden, the Maple Terrace, and Fragrance Garden. Brookside Gardens also features two conservatories for year-round enjoyment. Admission to the gardens is free.

Brookside Gardens’ vehicle entrances feature deer exclusion grates, which also preclude pedestrians from crossing. All pedestrians should enter the Gardens through the pedestrian entrances on Glenallan Avenue, on the left of the vehicle entrance, or the conservatory pedestrian entrance, to the right of the vehicle entrance. Crossing the deer exclusion grates on foot could result in injury.

The Gardens are open for your enjoyment, relaxation, and exercise from sunrise to sunset.

Visit the website:  Brookside Gardens

The Orange Dead Leaf butterfly (Kallima inachus) is native to broad swaths of dense forests throughout Asia.  Though often hunted by birds, this species is very rarely found, thanks to an evolutionary defensive tactic that employs camouflage. When its wings are closed, this butterfly has mottled brown tones and dark lines that bear a striking resemblance to the veins of a decaying leaf.  Yet when it spreads its wings, a dazzling display of vibrant shades of orange, black, and blue help this species attract a suitable mate. Could you tell from the image that it was a butterfly? 

October at Brookside Gardens  South Conservatory Autumn Display   Two quintessential signs of autumn—ripening pumpkins and blooming chrysanthemums—come together in our stunning “Great Pumpkin” chrysanthemum display. Featuring 32 vibrant cultivars, this free exhibit runs October 4 to November 7 in the South Conservatory: open 9:00 am–5:00 pm in October, and 9:00 am–4:00 pm in November.

Garden of Lights - Tickets On Sale October 13 It’s almost that time of year when Brookside Gardens will transform into a magical winter wonderland, alive with twinkling lights and glittering, one-of-a-kind displays. The Garden of Lights display runs from November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026 (closed November 24–27, December 24–25, and January 1), and will be open nightly from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Tickets go on sale Monday, October 13. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit our Ticketsauce page.

 

Plants in bloom at Brookside Gardens in October

Blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) Glossy abelia ‘White Marvel’ (Abelia x grandiflora ‘White Marvel’) Japanese anemone hybrid (Anemone x hybrida) Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) 'Autumn Joy' stonecrop (Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Joy') Smooth blue aster ‘Bluebird” (Symphotrichum laeve ‘Bluebird’) White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata ‘Eastern star’) Willow-Leaved Sunflower ‘Low Down’ (Helianthus salicifolius ‘Low Down’)

JCS