Ladew Topiary Gardens — a botanical garden in Harford County, Maryland — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Jarrettsville, about 3.9 km (2.4 mi) away (Ladew Topiary Gardens lies SW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ladew Topiary Gardens (22 acres (8.9 ha)) are nonprofit gardens with topiary located in Monkton, Maryland. The gardens were established in the 1930s by socialite and huntsman Harvey S. Ladew (1887–1976), who in 1929 had bought a 250-acre (100 ha) farm to build his estate. The house and gardens are open April through October, weekdays and weekends; an admission fee is charged. The grounds contain 15 garden rooms, each devoted to a single color, plant or theme, arranged around two cross axes with vistas. The axes meet in an oval swimming pool. The garden is particularly noted for its topiary, which was strongly influenced by Ladew's extensive travel in England, where he frequently went fox hunting. Ladew designed topiaries depicting a fox hunt with horses, riders, dogs, and foxes clearing a hedge, a Chinese junk with sails, swans, and a giraffe, among others. It was proclaimed an...From the Wikipedia article “Ladew Topiary Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ladew Topiary Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:39 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:46 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 23m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Ladew Topiary Gardens, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:53 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:09 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.59 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 67 | 73 | 78 | 90 | 91 | 96 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 95 | 76 | 70 |
| Low °F | 1 | -4 | -2 | 24 | 33 | 45 | 54 | 54 | 42 | 29 | 21 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ladew Topiary Gardens, closest first.
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Covered BridgeFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.