Inniswood Metro Garden
Westerville, Ohio
This
nature preserve is well worth the effort to find and spend a few hours visiting.
The garden park
is surrounded by an urban environment, but once inside the 121 acres, you'll be transported
to woodlands, cultivated gardens and landscaped flowerbeds.
Visitors will enjoy the seasonal beauty of the gardens and natural areas as they stroll along the trails and paved pathways.
The park is part of the Metro Parks of Central Ohio, but the original grounds were part of Grace and Mary Innis' estate. The sisters enjoyed both gardening and wildlife and donated their home and property to the Metro Parks.
Established in 1945, Metro Parks features 14 outstanding natural area parks and protects more than 22,500 acres of land and water in seven Central Ohio counties. Metro Parks offers free educational and recreational opportunities every day of the year that will excite your senses and rekindle your spirit.
Inniswood Metro Gardens is free and open daily throughout the year from 7 a.m. to dusk.
There over 2 miles of walking trails within the park and 10 distinct landscape gardens with various streams and ponds.
Directions: From I-270, that circles around Columbus, Ohio, take Route 3 south to Dempsey Road and turn left. Go about 1 mile to Hempstead Road and turn left. Turn again as Hempstead Road jogs right. The entrance is approximately 100 yards on the right.
Feature Inniswood Gardens
Conifer Garden: collection of evergreen and deciduous conifers, including dwarf varieties
Cutting Garden: annual and perennial plants suitable for use as cut flowers.
Herb Garden: herbs grown for ornamental and medicinal attributes are grouped by their uses; features a thyme collection.
Memorial Garden: shade garden, location of signature Inniswood gate and site where the Hosta Inniswood was discovered.
Nature Preserve: oak, hickory, beech and maple forest with native wildflowers accessed by a boardwalk.
Prairie Garden: natural area of native prairie plants with a mowed path.
Sisters' Garden: seven gardens within a 2.8 acre children's garden honoring Grace & Mary Innis.
White Garden: white flowering perennial and woody plant species.
Woodland Rock Garden: cascading water falls amid alpine and woodland plants.
Photography by: John Merrill, editor
