Brookside Gardens is one of the most well-kept gardens in the area. Brookside Gardens consists of 50 acres of land divided into different areas. Some of the areas include a rose garden, an aquatic garden, and an azalea garden. The best part is that admission is free to everything except the butterfly garden.
Brookside Gardens has a lot to see. The visitor center has a greenhouse which showcases edible plants. One of the most popular parts of the garden is the tea house overlooking the big pond. From inside the tea house you can see many fish and turtles swimming around. You can also get a good view of the whole park there. If you visit in the summer you might not be able to see everything because Brookside Gardens is a popular wedding spot. From the gardens you can also take the exit to walk through Wheaton Regional Park and walk along the 7 miles of the Northwest Branch trail.
Brookside Gardens also has a holiday celebration starting on November 23rd and ending January 6th. The Garden of Lights begins at dark almost every day. When I visited last year, the garden was decorated with millions of animated lights. There was a thunder storm with rain and lightning, migrating geese, and a huge Loch Ness monster. The Conservatory has a working model train set you can view. The visitor center usually has hot chocolate and pie during the festival, but there is also a hot chocolate stand at the visitor center parking entrance.
