Beautiful Gardens in a Day

Beautiful Gardens in a Day

by Toni Leland

Mid-August in Ohio. Hot. Humid. Hardly good gardening weather. And with the exception of tough plants like lantana, cannas, Russian sage, herbs, and sedum, the garden landscape is looking dull. Tired of the browns and tans of late summer? Take a day trip to one of these beautiful public gardens and revitalize your senses. In mere weeks, it will be time to get outside and begin preparing your garden for winter.

Right here at home, visit Mission Oaks on the corner of Yale and Norwood. Free and open to the public daily from dusk to dawn, this fascinating urban garden cover acres of gently sloping land in the heart of residential Zanesville. Home to over 2,000 plants of 300-400 species, Mission Oaks is “in bloom” from March through December. On-street parking is plentiful, but bring your walking shoes and be sure to greet the resident dogs who keep the deer from making Mission Oaks a super buffet!

Historic McIntire Terrace hides a charming public garden that is home to the largest tree in Ohio: a massive Turkish filbert. Gale Garden is located on a one-acre lot planted with close to 70 trees, and a wide variety of woody ornamentals and perennials. Open from dawn to dusk, the garden is accessible on foot from Charles Street, or by permission, through Murphy Beadling Portraits parking lot. Muskingum County Master Gardeners maintain the garden throughout the year.

Another surprise garden right here at home is the Potter’s Garden at the Zanesville Art Center on Military Road. The plot was designed around and planted with familiar subjects seen in pottery art: iris, clematis, bleeding hearts, daffodils, oriental lilies, and peonies to name a few. The garden can be viewed from inside the lobby during business hours, or enjoyed anytime by walking past the mammoth sculpture “Outlook”, and around to the west side of the building. A definite must in the spring! http://www.zanesvilleartcenter.org or 740-452-0741

Dawes Arboretum is less than a thirty-minute drive from downtown Zanesville, and worth every minute you spend there. Over 15,000 plants cover 1,700 acres and, no matter what season you choose to visit these wonderful gardens, they will be magnificent. Stroll through the serene Japanese Garden, or visit the Oak Collection when the leaves turn. In spring, the rhododendrons and azaleas are beyond description. Located at 7770 Jacksontown Road, SE in Newark, Dawes is open from dawn to sunset every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. http://www.dawesarb.org or 800-44-DAWES

Have plenty of time? Columbus abounds with great gardens. Ohio State University’s Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens are big enough to take several days to see. The gardens include native and non-native plants, trees, and shrubs suitable for the central Ohio climate. Individual learning gardens feature roses, wildflowers, shade plants, perennials, bamboo, and trial gardens. Feeling stressed? Walk the labyrinth in the Lane Avenue Gardens and experience the impact of carefully placed trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in this replica of the 800-year-old 11-circuit Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France. Maps and directions are available at http://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu or 614-688-3479

Visit The Topiary Garden in Old Deaf School Park and see amazing art with greenery. The garden was developed in 1992 as a living interpretation of a famous French post-impressionist painting, and has been enjoyed by thousands of people from around the world. Enjoy this unique experience for free, sunrise to sunset daily. The park is located on the northwest corner of East Town Street & Washington Avenue. http://www.topiarygarden.org or 614-645-0197

One of the largest municipal rose gardens in the United States is located in Whetstone Park in Columbus. Eleven thousand rose bushes of 350 varieties grow in the Columbus Park of Roses, a 13-acre garden that includes an Herb Garden, Daffodil Garden, and Perennial Garden. The gardens are free and open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. Peak bloom time is mid-June and mid-September. Entrance to Whetstone Park is at 3901 N. High Street, and parking is free. 614-645-3350

Inniswood Metro Gardens features specialist plantings, memorial, rock, rose, and conifer gardens nestled within a woodlands filled with wildflowers and crystal clear streams. The 123-acre preserve boasts more than 2,000 species of plants in a serene landscape that soothes the weary soul. Walk the nature trails from 6:30 a.m. until dusk and wonder at the beauty. Inniswood is located at 940 S. Hempstead Road in Westerville, about an hour from Zanesville. http://www.metroparks.net or 614-895-6216

Historic Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Cincinnati is definitely worth the drive if you want to see spectacular landscaping, magnificent gardens, and breathtaking sculpture and statuary. Lakes and ponds reflect the serenity of the trees and flowers, and the road winds through 400 acres of beautifully designed plantings of both native and exotic materials. State and National Champion Trees grow at Spring Grove, the second largest cemetery in the U.S. Open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati. http://www.springgrove.org or 513-681-7526

About two hours north of Zanesville, another magnificent garden beckons: Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio. Imagine 47 acres of peonies, roses, herbs, daylilies, and iris complementing perennial, terrace, and woodland gardens. Indoors, you can view cacti and succulents, seasonal floral displays, a greenhouse courtyard, and a magnificent collection of rare and exotic tropical plants. Kingwood Center is located at 900 Park Avenue West; open and free during daylight hours all week, but closed on winter holidays. No pets allowed, but plenty of parking. http://www.kingwoodcenter.org or 419-522-0211

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