Henry Foundation for Botanical Research — a botanical garden in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Bryn Mawr, about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) away (Henry Foundation for Botanical Research lies NE of town).
The Henry Foundation for Botanical Research is a nonprofit botanical garden of 50 acres located in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania at 801 Stony Lane, Gladwyne. The garden was established in 1948 by botanist and plant explorer Mary Gibson Henry (1884–1967) for plants that she collected through remote areas of the West, Midwest, and Southeast United States. The garden has been maintained by the Foundation since 1950. Today the garden contains scenic plantings, gardens, and trails for walking and horseback riding set among steep hills along Rock Creek, near the Schuylkill River. It also contains 15 taxa of native magnolias, in a program established under the auspices of the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC) to help broaden the genetic diversity of organized botanical collections.From the Wikipedia article “Henry Foundation for Botanical Research”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Henry Foundation for Botanical Research the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 19m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 21m |
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 Henry Foundation for Botanical Research, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city 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 | 5:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:25 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.2 | 11° | 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.11 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 65 | 73 | 76 | 90 | 89 | 95 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 94 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | -7 | -11 | -8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 49 | 50 | 38 | 24 | 10 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Henry Foundation for Botanical Research, closest first.
Lake
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Covered Bridge
Botanical Garden
WaterfallWaterfallFAQ
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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.