For nearly 40 years, this couple has been turning their Berwyn property into one of the most beautiful private gardens in the region, writes Sally A. Downey for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
When Bonnie and Bob Dettore bought their Chester County home in 1987, it was dominated by old-growth trees, bare ground, and almost no natural light.
“The house was dark and damp all the time,” said Bonnie. “There was no sun,” Bob added.
Bob, a civil engineer, had over two dozen trees removed, terraced the yard, and began filling the space with a mix of shrubs, perennials, and flowering trees. These included redbuds, dogwoods, ironwoods, magnolias, and American pawpaw trees.
The garden stands out every season. Yellow witch hazel blooms in late fall and winter, giving way to camellias and hellebores. Each spring, a hillside of rhododendrons erupts in purple, then spring bulbs and azaleas. Finally, roses, butterfly bushes, and asters sprout as summer fades.
Unfortunately, the Dettores dealt with a problem many county neighbors face: deer. They had issues of the critters feasting on their greenery for years and knew they had to make a stark choice.
“It was either put up a fence or sell the house,” Bob said. They chose the fence, a 6-foot barrier that rings the property and recently found relief using lamb fat to deter deer outside its perimeter.
Among the garden’s most personal touches is a white hydrangea arbor Bob built on a front terrace in 2001 for their daughter’s wedding, which still stands today.
Bonnie, a retired nurse and clinical trial manager, now volunteers at Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, exploring more of the horticultural knowledge she’s applied at home. Meanwhile, Bob credits his success to years of trial and error.
For a closer look at the stunning Berwyn garden and the couple’s decades-long gardening journey, head over to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on VISTA.Today in June 2026.
