Andalusia in Bucks County, PA Announces it’s a New Partner Garden of the Royal Horticultural Society

For press information only:
Bill D’Agostino, Marketing & Visitation Manager
bdagostino@andalusiapa.org

BENSALEM, PA: Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum is proud to announce that it has been named a Partner Garden by the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), making Andalusia the only Partner Garden in the United States.

Founded in 1804, the RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity. Public gardens can apply to become an RHS Partner Garden, and RHS approves only a select few through a rigorous yearlong process. The criteria include showcasing “horticultural excellence,” with high standards in design, planting, and maintenance. Only nine new Partner Gardens were chosen for 2024. There are now 220 RHS Partner Gardens internationally.

“I am delighted that the RHS has chosen Andalusia as one of its partner gardens.  This is a well-deserved honor for a garden that has been beloved for decades by people from many states,” said Jane G. Pepper, recent Vice President of the RHS, chair of the board of Longwood Gardens, and a member of Andalusia’s Horticultural Committee. “Being part of the RHS will inevitably bring gardeners from the UK and beyond to enjoy everything at Andalusia from the drama of the river and the big trees to the perennial and rose gardens.”

Located just outside of Philadelphia, Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum is situated in Bucks County, on the banks of a beautiful stretch of the Delaware River.

After being closed for the winter, Andalusia’s gardens will reopen to the public on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and select Saturdays beginning April 1. Admission to the gardens is $15. Visitors can also choose to tour the historic house for an additional $15. Tickets can be purchased at andalusiapa.org.

As a Partner Garden, Andalusia agrees to let RHS members tour the gardens for free on any open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. There are currently more than 600,000 members of RHS.

“Andalusia is proud to support a renowned horticultural institution that does so much good for so many on a global scale,” said Andalusia trustee Kristin Biddle, who serves as the chair of Andalusia’s Horticultural Committee.

Andalusia’s historic house, built in 1797, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and is considered one of the finest examples of Greek Rival architecture in the United States. It is surrounded by gardens designed by Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd and an arboretum with a curated collection of more than 1,000 trees representing over 250 different species.

Lennox-Boyd is one of the leading landscape designers working today. Italian by birth and based in the United Kingdom, she has designed more than 400 gardens worldwide, including six Chelsea Flower Show Gold medal gardens. Her designs for Andalusia—her only public garden in the United States—added 14,000 assorted trees, shrubs, roses and perennials, sourced from as far away as Texas, Oregon and California.

“Being a RHS Partner Garden is a great recognition of Andalusia’s exceptional historic gardens, their dramatic expansion in recent years, and our gardeners’ hard work to keep them beautiful and thriving,” Andalusia Executive Director John Vick said. “Come see for yourself and enjoy the gardens when Andalusia reopens on April 1.”

ABOUT ANDALUSIA

Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum is a non-profit organization and a scenic 50-acre property overlooking the Delaware River in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Established more than 225 years ago, the site is a natural paradise of preserved native woodlands and spectacular gardens, as well as a museum with an exceptional collection of paintings, sculptures, decorative art, and rare books and manuscripts.

The mansion at Andalusia, built in 1797 and later expanded, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States. Opened to the public in 1980, thousands of visitors explore its stunning rooms each year during tours and events, discovering an unparalleled look into the nation’s past through the eyes of the influential Biddle family that lived there.

Andalusia features formal and informal gardens, plus an accredited arboretum with over 250 unique species and cultivars. Focused on creating beautiful spaces for the enjoyment of visitors, Andalusia’s aesthetic grew out of the English landscape tradition and has evolved to reflect the contributions of various residents over the past two centuries.

Learn more and plan your visit at www.andalusiapa.org.