Located in Cape May County, New Jersey, Leaming's Run Gardens is a botanical garden. It sits roughly 6.3 km (3.9 mi) NW of Avalon.
Leaming's Run Gardens (30 acres) were flower gardens located at 1845 US Route 9 North, Swainton, in Middle Township, New Jersey. The gardens are now indefinitely closed. The gardens were designed and created by Jack and Emily Aprill and children, and opened to the public in 1977. Until closure, Leaming's Run Gardens claimed to be the largest annual flower garden in the United States. It consisted of the following gardens: Blue and Red Garden, Blue and White garden, Celosia Garden, Down Jersey Garden (heat-loving plants), English Cottage Garden, Hibiscus Garden, Orange Garden, Pink Garden, Red and White Garden, Reflection Garden, Serpentine Garden (red salvia), Shades of Rose Garden (roses underplanted with rose-colored flowers), Sweetheart Garden (pinks and purple), and Yellow Garden. Leaming's Garden received its name from a long stream that ran through the land. The stream was...From the Wikipedia article “Leaming's Run Gardens”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Leaming's Run Gardens the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 120° ESE | 4:40 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 25m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 26m |
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 Leaming's Run 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:01 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.65 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 62 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 88 | 92 | 91 | 88 | 84 | 71 | 67 |
| Low °F | 6 | 5 | 11 | 29 | 37 | 49 | 58 | 58 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
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
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Leaming's Run Gardens, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
BeachFAQ
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How far is Leaming's Run Gardens from Avalon?
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.