It’s only 30 minutes east of Downtown Toledo, but visiting Elmore’s Schedel Arboretum & Gardens is like entering another world.
“When you come onto the grounds, especially when you enter the lower area, it’s like not even being in Northwest Ohio anymore,” said Superintendent of Grounds Jeff Saffran. “It actually seems like a different climate down there sometimes. Being sheltered like it is, it’s warmer and we’re even able to grow some plants here on the grounds that are usually difficult to grow around here.”
The 17-acre property along the Portage River was once the home of Joseph and Marie Schedel. The couple traveled widely, collecting plants as well as antique jade, bronze and other collectibles from more than 110 countries.
Later in life, the Schedels, who had no children, established a foundation in their name that would allow for thepreservation of the property. When they died in the 1980s, they left the property to the Joseph J. & Marie P. Schedel Foundation with instructions to open it to the public, a dream realized in 1991.
One of the most popular parts of the property is the Japanese garden, featuring a 30-foot waterfall, red torii gate, wooden bridges and four stonepagodas the Schedels brought back from Japan, said Rod Noble, executive director for the gardens.
“They really loved the orient culture and spent a lot of time there,” Noble said. “We have over 40 varieties of Japanese maple trees here and some of those were picked up in their travels.”
Also among trees on the grounds are a stand of the Dawn Redwoods once thought to be extinct, three Yoshino cherry trees grown from cuttingsoff the trees that blossom each year around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., a much-larger-than-normal mugo pine and a bristlecone pine, one of the oldest known species of life on Earth, Noble said.
“Arboretum means a collection of trees,” Noble said.
The property also features two fouracre lakes, a reflecting pool with water lilies, a fruit orchard, vegetable garden, kitchen garden featuring more than 100 varieties of ornamental hot peppers, a collection of more than 100 bonsai trees and more than 20 sculptures.
Visitors can also view more than 100 flower beds whose designs change every year, including an iris garden, peony garden, perennial garden, rose garden and more.
A children’s garden has been proposed, but is dependent on funding, Noble said. More than 80 volunteers help plant flowers and care for the beds.
The grounds are popular for weddings, with more than 30 scheduled for this season, Noble said.
Birds commonly seen at the garden include bald eagles, mute swans, great white herons, great blue egrets and kingfishers, Noble said.
The Schedels’ home, called the Manor House, was built in the late 1800s. It still contains many of their possessions, including part of their jade, ivory and bronze collection, including pieces up to 5,000 years old.
At one time, the Schedels held one of the world’s most significant privately held collections of jade, Noble said.
A shelf of passports full of stamps attests to their travels. The home also houses a gift shop.
Noble hopes the gardens allow visitors to reconnect with nature.
“We try to provide opportunities for the appreciation and study of nature and the arts,” Noble said.
“It seems like this generation gets so much of its stimulus from electronics and we feel like our role is even more important because it seems like the appreciation of nature has diminished in today’s generation.”
Noble, who has been executive director for three years, follows in the footsteps of his father, Reginald, who was director for 12 years before him.
“I’ve got the best job in the world just because of the beauty I get to see every day,” Noble said. “Really and truly you could come here once a week and see something different. If I’m gone for a few days and comeback, a lot of times I’m just amazed at how much it has changed.”
Visiting
All visits to the grounds start at the Brown Welcome Center’s information desk, where visitors can pick up a brochure and map for a self-guided walking tour of the gardens.
Guided tours are available by appointment only for $60. Special evening guided garden tours are set for 6:30 p.m. June 7, July 5, Aug. 2 and Sept. 6. Cost is$12. Guided tours of the Manor House and summer home are available for $8 on Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m.
The garden is open May 1 throughOct. 31. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays and closed Mondays. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (60 and older), $9 for AAA members with card, $6 for children age 6 to 12 and free for children age 5 and younger.
Katie Boss of Genoa recently visited the gardens for the third time. “It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen,” Boss said. “The flowers and landscaping are so perfectly manicured. I even saw bamboo. It’s a dream every time I go. My friend Manny (Bowling Green artist Emmanuel Enriquez) has a few really nice sculptures in the garden. It’s such a great story how this couple, the Schedels, would want to
leave a legacy for generations to enjoy.”
Upcoming events
The third annual Gardens, Wine and Food Festival, set for 6-9 p.m. June 15, is a fundraiser to benefit the Schedels’ foundation.
This year’s event will have a South American theme, featuring South American wines and
music and food by Stella’s and Swig in Perrysburg, Noble said. Tickets are $50.
Another fundraiser is the ninth annual Hidden Garden Party, set for Sept. 9. Tickets are $150 or $1,000 for a table of eight. The event includes gourmet dining, live music, celebrity-hosted live auction and silent auction.
Other upcoming events include:
- May 23: Container Gardening, taught by Cindy Bench of Bench Farms, 6:30 p.m., $12, reservations required.
- June 13, Aug. 15: Basic Bonsai Care, taught by Rod Noble, 10 a.m., $12, reservations required.
- July 12: Indoor Arrangements,taught by florist Jilly Gray of Bloom, 6:30 p.m., $12, reservations required.
- July 26: Pond Clinic, Ottawa County Soil and Water Conservation District, 6:30 p.m., $12.
- July 28: Butterfly and Bird Walk, led by Kenn and Kim Kaufman of Black Swamp Bird Observatory, 10 a.m., $12, reservations required.
- Aug. 9: Corsage and Boutonniere Workshop, taught by florist Ellen Saffran, 6:30 p.m., $12.
- Sept. 12: Deadline for an annual amateur photography contest for photos taken at the gardens between September 2011 and Aug. 31.
Schedel Arboretum & Gardens is located at 19255 W. Portage River
South Road in Elmore. For more information, call (419) 862-3182 or visit
www.schedel-gardens.org.
