Cleveland Cultural Gardens

The Cleveland Cultural gardens, located in Cleveland, Ohio in the area known as Rockefeller Park, contain over 50 acres of gardens divided into individual gardens representing the ethnic communities of the great Cleveland area.

 

The gardens were created by students and professors of Cleveland State University.  The first garden, the British, or Shakespeare Garden, was built in 1916.  In 1926, Leo Weidenthal, editor of Jewish  Independent, had the idea to make the cultural gardens represent the city's different communities.  He wanted people of different nationalities to work together and learn about each other's culture.

  

Today there are 35 gardens.  These include Polish, Slovenian, Czech, Russian, Slovak, Italian, Greek, Lithuanian, German, Hungarian, and Hebrew gardens, amongst others.  The newest is the Croatian garden, built in 2011.

  
When I lived in Cleveland, I enjoyed visiting these gardens.  There are lots of fountains, decorative iron work and sculptures.

  The gardens are open daily from dawn to dusk.  Admission is free.

Ault Park

Ault Park, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a little gem that I used to visit a lot when I lived there.  It's a 224 acre park in the Hyde Park/Mount Lookout area of Cincinnati.

 The gardens were designed by renowned landscape architect, Albert D. Taylor, and named after Levi and Ida Ault who played a big role in developing Cincinnati parks.  They  were opened to the public on May 30, 1930.  The gardens have changed quite a bit through the years.  Today, the main attractions are a dahlia garden, and the Hilda Rothchilde Memorial Old Fashioned Rose Garden.

 

 There is also an Italian-style Pavilion located on the grounds, which is a popular site for weddings.  The gardens are open year round from 6 AM to 10 PM.  Admission is free.

Fellows Riverside Gardens

Fellows Riverside Gardens is a free public garden located in Youngstown, Ohio's Mill Creek Park.  It covers 12 acres, and includes an assortment of gardens.  It is probably best known for its variety of roses. Three of its gardens are dedicated to roses:  The Formal Rose Garden, Climbing Rose Allee, and the Rose Garden Terrace.  If you wish to see these gardens in full bloom, the best time to go is in June.

Other gardens include the Blue Garden, the shade garden, and the perennial border walk.

If you visit the gardens in the spring, you'll  love all the spring flowers.  The grounds are planted with 40,000 spring bulbs.  You'll see crocus, tulips, narcissus, and other colorful blooms.

Aullwood Park

Aullwood Park, located in Dayton, Ohio, is a 31-acre park that was donated by Marie Aull to the Five River Metroparks in 1977.  It's an historic estate garden with numerous native and exotic flowers.


There are hiking trails through the park that allow you to enjoy all of the beautiful plants.  Every season is different.  In the spring, you'll see tulips, daffodils, lenten roses, and wildflowers.  In May, the Lilac Lawn smells absolutely heavenly.  You might even see clematis vines growing in the shrubs.  In June, look for the gorgeous peonies.  And in July and August, check out the butterfly garden, magic lilies, and begonias.


If you visit the park, take the time to find these attractions:  a bur oak tree with the 1913 flood watermark, and a twin sycamore tree that was alive in 1492, when Columbus discovered America.

 The gardens are open April 1 - October 31 from 8 am - 10 pm, and November 1 - March 31, from 8 am - 8 pm.  Since it's part of a park, admission is free.

Chadwick Arboretum

The Chadwick Arboretum, in Columbus, Ohio, is a 60 acre arboretum on the campus of Ohio State University. Its mission is to provide an educational environment for students' horticultural studies as well as be a resource of learning for the general public.

The gardens began in 1888.  At that time, the Columbus Horticultural Society tended them on campus.  They were called the Horticultural Gardens.  In 1926, the gardens were opened to the public.  In 1980, the gardens were renamed as the Chadwick Arboretum, in honor of Dr. Lewis C. Chadwick, a professor at the university.

Today, the gardens contain a large selection of Ohio plants, tropical plants, wildflowers, and woody plants.  It represents one of the most varied collections of plants in the state. 

The Learning Gardens are the most visited section of the arboretum.  These are a collection of twelve gardens, which include the Easy Elegance Rose Garden, the Katherine F. Fosser Wildflower Garden, the Gazebo Garden, and the Bamboo Garden.

The gardens are open daily from dawn to dusk.  Admission is free.

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

Stan Hywet Hall and gardens, located in Akron, Ohio, is one of my favorite places to visit.  It was originally the vast estate of the Seiberling family, founders of the Good Year Tire Company.  The estate originally covered more than 3,000 acres.  Now it covers 70 acres.
  
The gardens were designed between 1912  and 1915 by the famous American landscape architect, Warren Manning.  The gardens are divided into ten sections:  The English Garden (Gertrude Seiberling's favorite), Birch Allee Vista, The Dell, Grape Arbor, Great Meadow, Japanese Garden, Lagoon, West Terrace, the Great Garden, and the Breakfast Room Garden.  My personal favorite is the Breakfast Room Garden.  With its blue, white, and gold color scheme and lovely fountain, it compliments the Breakfast room of the manor perfectly.



 The gardens open April 1st and remain open through December.  Hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am - 6 pm.  Admission for non-members is $8.00 per person.

Toledo Botanical Gardens

Located in Toledo, Ohio, the Toledo Botanical gardens is a collection of eighteen gardens that covers over twenty acres.  Featured gardens include the azalea garden (pictured above), an herb garden, cottage garden, rose garden, perennial garden, green garden, and my favorite, the Pioneer garden.



The Pioneer garden is a small garden that is dedicated to northwest Ohio's first settlers.  It features a log cabin that belonged to Peter Navarre, a well-known frontiersman.  It has been said that Johnny Appleseed himself planted the large apple tree that stands near the cabin.  The garden contains a variety of heirloom flowers and vegetables.

  
The gardens are free and open to the public year round.