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Cleveland
Botanical Garden
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Holden Arboretum
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Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
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Secrest Arboretum
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Where
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Cleveland
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Kirtland
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Akron
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Wooster
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Open
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Year-round except Christmas, New Year’s Day and Thanksgiving
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Year-round
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April-December
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Year-round
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Admission/ Summer hours
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$7.50; Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m.
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$6; daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
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$8 (gardens); daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $18 (guided tours); 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
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Free; dawn to dusk
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What’s blooming in May and June?
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The Japanese garden’s purple and fuschia azaleas in May and the rose garden in June
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Wildflowers, lilacs, rhododendrons and magnolias
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Tulips, wildflowers, roses, peonies, the apple orchard
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Rhododendrons, azaleas, viburnum and other flowering shrubs
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Popular events
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Winter show (Nov.-Dec.) and
Orchid Mania (Feb.-March)
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Spring, when the
gardens are in bloom
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The annual Father’s Day car show, which draws 9,000 visitors
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Plant Discovery Day (a plant and art sale) on the first Saturday of May
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Who makes your garden grow?
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9 horticulturists
(3 in the Glasshouse, 6 outside)
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10 horticulturists and 8 seasonal horticulturists
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6 full-time and 2 seasonal
gardeners; 15-20 volunteers
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6 full-time researchers and staff, interns and volunteers
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What pests do you have? How do you deter them?
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Rabbits. “We have a garden kitty [named Kale],” says Cynthia Druckenbrod, director of horticulture. “Or we spray plants with a distasteful egg white spray.”
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“We’re worried about the emerald ash borer,” says Dave Desimone, director of guest relations.
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Deer. “They absolutely love our tulips,” says Katie Campbell, vice president of marketing. Gardeners plant tulips closer to the buildings, “but for the most part we just have to pray the deer find other things.”
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“We have deer here, but it’s an agriculture area,” says Ken Cochran, program director. “I can’t say that they’re extensive problems.”
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Plant sale
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May 20 & 21. “Bring in pictures of your backyard, get some advice [from local landscapers].”
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May 14-16
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May 21 (members only) & May 22
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First Saturday in May
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If I can only see one thing, what should I see?
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Japanese garden. “It’s picture-perfect.”
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The rhododendron
garden
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The English garden and its reflecting pool. "Of course, the jewel is the 65-room Tudor revival mansion."
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The whole ecosystem. “I really want to get away from this idea that you should only come when something’s flowering.”
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Dog friendly?
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During the Dog Days of Summer (Sundays from June 7-Sept. 27 for a small fee)
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“Absolutely.”
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April through October except during events
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“Dogs need to be on a leash, and they need to be cleaned up after.”
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How many weddings each June?
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“Every weekend is completely booked. … Sometimes there are one, two or three weddings staggered each Saturday.”
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“Between 12 and 15.”
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“We have 72 booked this season so far. We do a lot.”
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“There’s one each Saturday the middle of May through the middle of October.”
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Expert advice
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Saturdays during the summer, Ohio State University extension master gardeners answer questions.
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“We have a plant hot line on Wednesday from 9-1.”
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“Our horticulturists will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.”
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Post questions through the website.
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Frequently asked questions
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Last year, the garden had the popcorn cassia, which smells like buttered popcorn. “Everybody was like, ‘Wow, this is awesome!’ ”
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“Problem plants.”
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Gomphocarpus physocarpus. “The common name is ‘hairy balls.’ Everybody wants to know where you get it and how you grow it.”
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“What’s wrong with my dogwood?”
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What sets it apart?
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The Glasshouse, which includes plants and animals. “We [want] people to experience what the real rainforest is like, what the real desert is like.”
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The property's 3,600 acres. "It's a nice blending of gardens and natural areas."
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“We are a historic house and museum first and foremost.”
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“We are a research center. People look to us for expert advice.”
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