Wheaton in Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Trial Garden
1974
Brookside Gardens: 40 years (1969-2009)
The first Trial Garden was a temporary display that tested new varieties of vegetables and annual plants for use in home landscapes. The permanent Trial Garden (pictured far right after completion) continues with this mission, but with more emphasis on annual plants than on edibles.
The fountain bed depicted in the photo to the right was removed after it began to crumble. It was replaced by the current sundial bed; this new design softened the original Trial Garden design by replacing a very hard feature with more plant material.
During its early years, Brookside Gardens accepted plant donations from local citizens - often trees that had outgrown their home landscapes. The large Norway spruce (Picea abies) to your right above the Trial Garden was donated by a neighbor who had used it as a Christmas tree in his home. The dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) located above the Rose Garden is another tree donated by a citizen after it became too large for its intended landscape. These two trees and others like them remind us of the surrounding community's strong link to and support of the Gardens.
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Erected by Montgomery Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Man-Made Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1974.
Location. 39° 3.54′ N, 77° 2.116′ W. Marker is in Silver Spring, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It is in Wheaton. Marker can be reached from Glenallan Avenue east of Heurich Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1800 Glenallen Avenue, Silver Spring MD 20902, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Composting (a few steps from this marker); Efficient Irrigation System (within shouting distance of this marker); Formal Gardens (within shouting distance of this marker); Azalea Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Conservatory (within shouting distance of this marker); What Happened Here? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fragrance Garden (about 500 feet away); One Tree's Life (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Silver Spring.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 21, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 9, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 157 times since then. Last updated on February 19, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 9, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
