Here's a perfect example of the power of social media...I'm part of a Pennsylvania photography…read moregroup, and one day someone mentioned a place called The Bower. I'd never heard of it before, so naturally I started Googling. Seven minutes. SEVEN MINUTES from my house! Somehow I'd managed to spend years driving all around Perry County without realizing one of its prettiest hidden gems was practically in my own backyard! The moment I realized how close it was, it immediately earned a spot on my "must explore" list. I pulled in around 10:00 a.m. on an overcast Saturday in July and found only one other car in the parking area. From the road, The Bower is wonderfully understated. A simple sign marks the entrance, and a short stone driveway leads you into a completely different world. Everything was lush. Everything was green. Flowers were blooming. Bees were buzzing. Birds were singing. The entire property just felt...alive! The woods felt wonderfully alive! And it was exactly the kind of peaceful Saturday morning I didn't realize I needed. One of the owners greeted me shortly after I arrived and we chatted for a few minutes. I learned that The Bower has only been welcoming visitors for about six years and that they're hoping more people discover it. After spending an hour wandering the grounds, consider me happy to help spread the word! The Bower is a free, self-guided botanical garden and nature preserve that celebrates Pennsylvania's native plants while thoughtfully weaving in sculptures, artwork and peaceful gathering spaces. It's obvious that every path, every planting and every artistic element has been intentionally placed to create a space where people can slow down and reconnect with nature. I spent about an hour exploring at my own pace. Since I only live a few miles away, many of the native plants themselves were familiar. But seeing them thoughtfully arranged together with sculptures, winding paths and quiet places to pause gave me an entirely new appreciation for the beauty that's been surrounding me all along. PRO TIP: Pack a picnic lunch. There are picnic tables scattered throughout the property and I found myself wishing I'd brought something to eat so I could have lingered a little longer. This is the kind of place that invites you to slow down instead of rushing off to the next stop. Admission is completely free, and tours are now entirely self-guided, making it easy to visit whenever it fits your schedule. Donations are accepted in the Visitor Center to help support the gardens, and after seeing the care and passion that's gone into creating this place, I was more than happy to contribute. If you enjoy photography, birdwatching, gardening, native plants or simply taking a quiet walk somewhere beautiful, put The Bower on your list! Sometimes the best adventures aren't two hours from home. Sometimes they're seven minutes away...just waiting for you to finally notice them. The Bower is one of Perry County's hidden treasures, and I'll absolutely be back!

Nice community garden that specializes in native plant species with a nice, easy hike through the…read morewoods. There are sculptures through the property, highlighting key aspects of the region and the local flora. In the spring, there is an additional loop lined with mountain laurel, the PA state flower Access to the garden and walking trails is free, but you do need to make reservations in advance. Reservations open as the beginning of the month for the following month and they fill up quickly! It can be hard to get tickets but it keeps the grounds from being over crowded. You will get a nice, thoughtful and quiet walk through the gardens and trees.

Donna did it absolutely beautiful job with my wedding flowers! The flowers came out better than I…read morecould even imagine. I would recommend Donna to any bride

Donna is my local everything-plant expert! I always know I'm getting only the best quality flowers…read morefrom her, along with expert advice on how best to care for my plants.

I love tulips, so when I read about this place, I couldn't wait to visit. It's located as the…read morecenter of an expensive Baltimore block, surrounded by million dollar homes. There is no start or end, so just park on one of the surrounding streets and walk over. We were there the third weekend in April, and while the tulips were definitely past their peak, and many were completely gone, there were plenty of flower beds of tulips still blooming. Plus, almost all of the azaleas were blooming. I loved that they had so many different colored tulips and azaleas. They did different combination of colors in all the different flower beds, so we ended up seeing some surprisingly beautiful displays, even with some tulips no longer blooming. We weren't there very long because it was cold out, but this would be a great spot for engagement pictures or a picnic.

Sherwood Gardens is a privately owned community park in the Guilford neighborhood of Baltimore. A…read morenonprofit raises money for the gardens' maintenance and the spring planting. Although it's a privately owned park, the gardens are open to the public, with street parking on all sides. Up to 70,000 tulip bulbs are planted annually along with other spring flowering bulbs. The gardens are charming but as with anything spring-related, spring is shorter and shorter and less and less predictable. Use your best judgment to get the photos you see here. This spring, we had a mid-April heat wave and by this past Saturday, the tulips were already looking quite rough and the daffodils were gone altogether. For the best blooms and pictures, pay attention to the weather. The spring flowers were most beautiful early in April this year and the heat wave cut their beauty a bit short this year. When we visited on Saturday, it was certainly still a lovely place for a walk, and we did see plenty of people taking pictures and enjoying the gardens. However, it wasn't as beautiful by then as we might have expected for early April. A lovely little park. You can take a walk, read a book, take photos, enjoy a picnic... Certainly take advantage if you live in or are visiting this area of North Baltimore - especially in those weeks of the years when the tulips are in full strength and beauty!

The best Plant swap / shop around town! Lots of inventory and they even have a website to buy…read moreclippings and apparel!

I hadn't been out to OR for a long time but had the opportunity to enjoy some nature and food truck…read moretacos on a beautiful Baltimore day. The trees are in full bloom, everything is green and bursting with life and it was peaceful in this place. Beware of the poison ivy though - it's everywhere and it's YUGE!

This is one of our favorite places to visit because of the scenic trails and the indoor nature…read morecenter displays. The trails are relatively easy but fun to explore and you can go shorter or longer distances depending how much time you have. We enjoy visiting for a change of pace from the Pennsylvania State Parks because while the trails aren't extremely rugged or long, they're fun and the nature center has interesting displays and creatures to visit.

A cool little nature center in Leakin Park!…read more The staff is very friendly and helpful. You can come in and explore on your own, but they also have programs that work with summer camps and homeschool groups to have a more formal experience for kiddos. There are some animals to look at and appreciate, including a turtle (who loves playing with people who visit) and snake, and several birds in their outdoor aviary. They have free maps of the trails in the park, as well as some informational packets about various flora and fauna. También tienen folletos en español. The center room has a portrait of Carrie Murray, some couches, several taxidermized animals, and some books about nature. The bathroom is unisex, accommodating a urinal, 2 stalls, and a changing table. A great place to start your hike (or end, or just use as a break in the middle!) or just visit on your own!

Didn't go in for the nature center the last trip. But we were outside participating in the learn to…read moreride program with Baltimore city recreation and parks.

We love this park. It is very neat, pretty, and walkable, and very good place for a run. Our little…read moredog also enjoys it. Also there are a lot of trash cans for doggie poop scattered around the park, very convenient. Lots of parking spots, which was nice,too!

Lovely park, with nice playground facilities, plenty of parking, and nice level walking trails for…read morethose who need some easy activities. Plus it's all close to Kennett Square, Longwood, and Rte. 1. Worth a stop in for a break if you're doing a long drive on Rte. 1.