Inniswood Metro Gardens
Westerville – 15 miles from Embassy Suites
Situated on 123 acres, Inniswood Metro Gardens is a continual source of inspiration for central Ohioans of all ages. A natural woodland is home to native wildflowers, wildlife and waterways which provide a majestic backdrop to the beautifully landscaped gardens and lawns.
Dedicated to the enjoyment, cultivation and preservation of nature’s treasures, Inniswood boasts more than 2,000 species of plants, specialty collections and themed gardens, including a children’s garden, as well as the Rose, Herb, Conifer and Woodland Rock Gardens.
Inniswood Garden society is the originator of Hosta ‘Inniswood’.
Note: Public restrooms
Columbus Park of Roses
Columbus – Northwest – 16 miles from Embassy Suites
Columbus Park of Roses is a unique public garden that was created in 1953 and has grown to include over 12,000 roses or more than 400 varieties. Admission is free. Open daily – dawn to dusk.
The formal Rose Garden reaches peak bloom in mid-June. Other gardens include: Heritage Rose Garden (varieties cultivated before 1867); Perennial Garden; Herb Garden, Backyard Garden and Arboretum.
OSU Chadwick Arboretum
Columbus – Northwest – 10 miles from Embassy Suites
Chadwick Arboretum is a sixty-two acre arboretum on the agriculture campus of The Ohio State University. Features include the Van Wade hosta collection; a labyrinth garden; conifer, willow, and native tree collections; and more.
Topiary Garden
Columbus – Downtown – 20 miles from Embassy Suites
An urban, seven-acre park, the Topiary Park includes traditional park features such as sidewalks, benches, flowerbeds, and landscaping; but the jewel of the park is the topiary garden—a sculptural interpretation of Georges Seurat’s famous Post-Impressionist painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte. It is the only known topiary representation of a painting and comprises fifty-four human figures, eight boats, three dogs, a monkey and a cat—each made of yew with the tallest standing at twelve feet. The scene also includes a man-made pond to represent the River Seine, where boat-shaped topiaries reside next to beautiful water lilies.
The park is open from dawn to dusk.
Franklin Park Conservatory
Columbus – Downtown – 21 miles from Embassy Suites
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a premier botanical landmark and attraction featuring exceptional plant collections, indoor and outdoor gardens, seasonal art and nature-based exhibitions, and an interesting array of special art and botanical exhibits.
Open Daily: 10am –5pm (General Admission)
Notes: Visiting the grounds is free. Admission is required to the conservatory building.
Garden at Gantz Farm
Columbus – Southwest – 17 miles from Embassy Suites
Situated alongside the historic Gantz farmhouse, the gardens provide a unique look at horticulture throughout time. Park staff and volunteers have developed three main gardens to demonstrate a wide range of gardening styles: The Garden of Yesterday, The garden of Today and the Garden of Tomorrow. A focus of the gardens are herbs and their many uses. An 11-circuit labyrinth design in the pattern of France’s 1201 Chartres Cathedral was constructed in 2010.
The Garden of Yesterday is a kitchen garden typical of an Ohio farm of the 1840’s. A farm wife would have planted herbs, fruits, vegetables, and perhaps some ornamentals.
Notes: Restrooms at the picnic shelter house, bus parking.
Open daily from dawn to dusk
Dawes Arboretum
Newark – 50 miles from Embassy Suites
In 1918, Beman Dawes purchased 140 acres of the old Brumback farm in Licking Township. The farm, known as “Woodland,” offered gently rolling hills and several acres of mature trees native to central Ohio. Dawes family renamed the farm “Daweswood” and the brick, half-century-old farmhouse became their country home and retreat.
By the time The Dawes Arboretum was founded in 1929, over 50,000 trees had been planted and the grounds had doubled in size to 293 acres. Beman and Bertie Dawes created The Arboretum as a private foundation: “To encourage the planting of forest and ornamental trees… to give pleasure to the public and education to the youth.”
To ensure the continuation of The Arboretum, Beman and Bertie Dawes established an endowment fund. The endowment continues to be one of the major sources of funds for The Dawes Arboretum that has grown from 293 acres to nearly 2,000.
Open daily during April-September from 9am–7pm
General Admission $10
Mission Oaks
Zanesville – 70 miles from Embassy Suites
Mission Oaks Gardens is a beautiful urban garden located in Zanesville, Ohio. It exists quietly and virtually undetectable from the street in a residential neighborhood. More than seven acres of gardens showcase hundreds of rare and unusual plants including a collection of azaleas, rhododendrons, magnolias, and conifers. Perennials, annuals, and wildflowers fill the gardens year round.
Open daily dawn to dusk
Gale Garden
Zanesville – 70 miles from Embassy Suites
Gale Garden is a serene green space in an historic residential community.
The area now included in the Gale Garden was a farm pasture in the early 1800s and then a truck farm for vegetables. The property was purchased by Kenneth and Jane Gale in 1938 and turned into a retreat garden. The garden features more than 80 species of trees and shrubs as well as a wide variety of woody ornamentals and perennials including a large Hosta collection.
In 2005, the property was transferred to the Mission Oaks Foundation and then in 2010, it was acquired by Muskingum Valley Park District.
Open daily dawn to dusk
Kingwood Center Gardens
Mansfield – 64 miles NE of Embassy Suites
10a-7p
Admission $10
50 N. Trimble Rd., Mansfield, Ohio 44906
Kingwood Center Gardens is renowned for its distinctive floral displays, unique plant specimens, woodland trails, historic mansion and gardens, display greenhouse, duck pond, and peacocks. Your Kingwood experience now includes more than ever with the opening of the Garden Gateway visitor center. Enjoyment and inspiration are assured for horticultural experts, casual gardeners, and nature lovers alike. Unwind, relax, and be restored in the beauty of this exquisite garden estate that once was the home of the innovative industrialist, Charles Kelley King.
Wegerzyn Gardens
Dayton – 75 miles SW of Embassy Suites
Apr. 1 – Oct. 31, 8 AM – 10 PM
1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414
Wegerzyn Gardens actively promotes landscaping with native plants in balance with traditional garden selections. Home gardeners will find a wealth of design ideas and plant combinations. Venture into the woodlands on the Marie Aull Nature Trail or the Swamp Forest Boardwalk and immerse yourself in the botanical richness of the Stillwater River Corridor.
Cox Arboretum
Dayton – 81 miles SW of Embassy Suites
Apr. 1 – Oct. 31, 8 AM – 10 PM
6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton, OH 45449
Cox Arboretum is a very special place for visitors to approach, enter and connect with nature. Come look at, discover and rest in the serenity and majesty of trees and shrubs thoughtfully arranged to capture the imagination.