Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton MD
September 2025
Ladew is one of those rare places that is not just beautiful, it's also personally inspiring.
Located off a bucolic road in Southern Maryland, Ladew was owned by a successful bachelor who turned a small house on a huge property of rolling fields and woods into a homey manor house and fabulous gardens that go on for literal acres.
This is not the stuffy manor house of the stereotypical landed gentry. Ladew (the man) had an oval library built with a secret bookcase door so he could sneak out if he heard the arrival of a visitor he didn't like. He exchanged letters with Lawrence of Arabia and employed local gardeners. This was an interesting man.
And what a garden! One thing I love is that the gardens, while varying in formality, never get rigidly formal. They perfectly encapsulate gathering nature up in a way that accentuates its beauty rather than enforcing dominance over it. While it does include a lot of topiary, the topiary feels whimsical and fun, like a fae creation.
And the garden feels approachable, like you could implement at least something of the beauty of this garden yourself at home. Indeed, that seemed to be his ethos when creating his garden: I can do this.
Conditions: 75° F and cloudy with occasional rain
Cost: $20 for adults, $14 for seniors and teenagers, $5 for kids (plus $7 for the house tour)
