When traveling it’s always interesting to compare and contrast what I’ve got back home to what I discover on the road. With a motto of “enriching life through gardens, the arts and nature,” the Toledo Botanical Garden is similar to our Frederick Meijer Gardens, yet has very different and unique offerings.
TBG began in 1964 with the donation of 20 acres of private land to the City of Toledo by George P. Crosby for the purpose of creating a public park. The vision the City had for the new site included creating a center for gardening and the arts in the community. A Park Board was formed and a public sculpture park installed. Programming was expanded to include festivals, performing and visual arts classes and concerts, environmental education workshops, annual wildflower rescue and native plant programs, and family-oriented weekend activities.
TBG has grown significantly and now covers 60+ acres. Its park-like setting is lovely and welcoming. It’s the perfect place to wander, picnic, read, take pictures, or simply relax among the beauty of nature. Just watch out for goose poop! And there’s no admission charge. You how I feel about free! Though it was another scorcher of a day which was more akin to August than July weather, Mark and I visited TBG to see some of what it had to offer.
Aquatic Garden
Tall cottonwood and oak trees surround a cement basin which houses an ornamental water garden. A fern-lined path follows the flow of a 60-foot creek and leads to a gazebo. Water lilies live here year round, but the best months to view them are in mid July and August.
Herb Garden
The Herb Garden is a blend of 13 theme gardens accented with permanent works of art, including a honeysuckle arch. Members of the Maumee Valley Herb Society financially support this garden and tend it during the growing season. They also host discussions on how to emphasize the ornamental aspect of herbal plants.
Small Park with Arches
Um, I think the name of this area pretty much sums it up!
Color Garden
Fortunately, much of the plant life in TBG is labeled with both scientific and common names or I never would have known what half of them were. I have a brown thumb, remember? This garden is composed of different beds in which peonies, irises, lilies and other flowers are grown. A number of pieces of stone artwork add an extra element. The four cherubs found in the color beds are made of French limestone and represent the four seasons.
Cottage Garden
My favorite garden was the Cottage Garden, an informal garden designed to represent those which would have been found near thatched roof cottages of English craftsmen or artisans. It was customary for the man to grow the vegetables while his wife planted herbs and flowers of the countryside near their front door. Tradition dictates that a cottage garden be fenced to keep out stray cattle.
Pioneer Garden
This garden is dedicated to the first settlers of Northwest Ohio. It boasts a log cabin that once belonged to Peter Navarre, a scout and frontiersman who is thought to be one of Toledo’s first residents. It is said that Johnny Appleseed himself planted the apple tree standing near the cabin. If this is true, it would be nearly 200 years old! The garden is planted with a variety of heirloom vegetables and flowers that were likely grown in pioneer days. No chemicals are used to promote growth or control pests or diseases. Every attempt is made to grow this garden organically as the pioneers would have done.
The Toledo Botanical Garden, a museum of plants, is open year-round. We decided it definitely warrants another visit—especially when it’s not so hot—to see what the other seasons have to offer. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, you won’t be disappointed if you decide to check it out as well.
Toledo Botanical Garden
5403 Elmer Drive
419.536.5566
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