What a nice and relaxing day at Schnormeier Gardens! We went Friday (6/9/23) and the weather was…read moreperfect, and around 78 degrees. We had the opportunity to visit in 2020 and so happy we took some time off to visit again this year for 2023! Booked tickets online a couple weeks ago, drove up from Columbus, checked in at the gate, and spent the afternoon enjoying the grounds and gardens. Price is $50 per car, there were only 2 of us but we would have been the same for a full car. The experience was simply breathtaking, tranquil, and fun to explore the 9 gardens and art. The gardens consist of: the Waterfalls Garden, Stream Garden, Serenity Garden, Hofstra Garden, Chinese Cup Garden, Japanese Garden, Meadow Garden, Woodland Garden, and the Quarry Garden. My personal favorites are the Quarry, Stream, Serenity, and Woodland Garden and I absolutely love all the art and the various shapes and sizes of the trees and shrubs throughout. The stroll took us about 2 1/2 hours this trip. Open to the public this season from Jun 1st - Jun 25th, 2023. Located in Gambier, Ohio (Knox County) It's about an hour outside of Columbus. Second visit in three years and hope to be able to return again as it is simply a treasure. For more info visit schnormeiergardens.org

The June tour of the Japenese/Chinese inspired gardens was so much better than I was even…read moreexpecting!! The self-guided tour of the gardens allowed for literal roaming of the property off path (as there are no official paths). I had thought this would be a drive-through tour to protect the garden space (pricing is by the car load). I thought I would have 1 hour. When I learned I could walk the grounds at my leisure and literally stay as long as I wanted, I was amazed and ended up staying for almost 3 hours tracing and retracing my steps! Thank you, Schnormeier family, for sharing your treasure with all of the public who want to come!

We enjoyed our afternoon at the Kingwood Center. The staff and docents we spoke with were friendly…read moreand knowledgeable. We especially appreciated Julie, the receptionist, rounding up some sandwiches for us (They're transitioning to a new food vendor, and the grab-and-go case was nearly empty when we arrived.). We brought our sandwiches out to the gardens, where there are many seating areas with nice views. The historic mansion is beautifully decorated, a window into how this wealthy industrialist lived in the last century. Pam, the docent at the front desk, was full of interesting stories about the family and the house. We were surprised to learn from her that the curtains at the front of the house were the originals from the 1920s. With high ceilings and huge windows, every room has a beautiful view, even the servants' areas. I found the kitchen especially interesting. If you plan to visit Kingwood with small children, I recommend saving the mansion for another day. The beautiful staircase (faux painted with a feather!) has a low railing and wide spaces between the balustrades. It would be easy for a child to slip through and fall to the terrazzo ground floor.

Beautiful gardens, house, and visitors center with special events throughout the year for…read moreHalloween, Christmas, special art installations, etc. Free admission for NARM members and members of conservatories outside of Ohio. The current (summer 2026) art installation is particularly nice - the perfect scale for this very manageable place. The gift shop also has an excellent selection of both annual and perennial plants for sale, including many varieties featured in the gardens.

This new garden center shop is my absolute favorite place to go for all my garden needs. Heather,…read more"The Garden Gurl" is really passionate about her plants. Whether you are a novice or experienced plant enthusiast you will find everything you need here. As a somewhat beginner gardener I have lots of questions and she always has answers to all my questions and takes the time to help me... and boy is she patient! Not only that but her classes that she has weekly are really fun and educational. They have a new selection of plants weekly to choose from so check back in often. Oh and did I mention she is famous for her tomatoes! This shop is open seasonally, so I am dying for them to open this year so I can get in there and see whats new.

From the owner: Vegetable Plants, Herb Plants, Annual Plants, Tropicals, Hanging Baskets, Porch Pots, miniature…read moregarden plants, air plants, succulents, and Workshops for both Adult and Children. We host private events for groups, clubs, and kids birthday parties. Custom container planting on the spot, you pick it out, we plant, and leave the mess with us.

Very cool trails with flowers, trees, and a koi pond. The flowers were very vibrant and had a lot…read moreof variety.

A beautiful educational and recreation space. We enjoyed the walking trails and planned flower…read morebeds. There are a lot of labeled plants to enjoy, and paved paths. We noted the visitor's center, but didn't explore, in addition to some porta potties with hand wash stations throughout. Definitely a nice place to visit, and we are already planning our return trip!

The service is wonderful. The selections are very unique. The price is not bad. I suggest going in…read morejust to look. It's like a secret wonderland. It's a must visit..........

WOW! This store makes you feel like you're stepping into Alice in Wonderland at Christmastime…read more Nearly every inch of space is covered with ornaments, gnomes, lawn decor, statues, and even some jewelry. I think there was only one employee working when we visited and she greeted us when we entered and seemed very friendly, but not overbearing or ever hovering while we were browsing. It took us a while to make it through the store and I'm sure we didn't see everything. The selection was massive and I'm only docking the review a point because mostly everything seemed a little pricey. I'm not sure if the ornaments are imported or anything. I'm sure that could factor into the sell price.

I love coming here and I enjoy hearing the history. Zoar was founded by German Separatists who…read moreformed their own fully functioning community here. About 225 German Separatists (Radical Pietists) from Württemberg, Bavaria, and Baden, led by Joseph Bimeler came to Ohio to escape religious persecution and form a simpler way of living in Zoar. The buildings look very much like they did when the Separatists arrived in 1819 and most of them have been very well preserved. The Zoar Hotel needs some work and parts of it are unsafe to visit, although the first floor hosted a Christmas tree sale and the basement housed Krampus (which might have been my absolute favorite part of this particular event). I also love how friendly all of the docents are. I've been here many times and the photos attached are from Christmas in Zoar which takes place several weekends in December and is $15 for adults and free for children. There is a bit of a disconnect with the advertising; event page says "guided tour", but you arrive and it's self guided. That is not a problem because I prefer to go at my own pace, however it may be off-putting for some. I also came to Zoar for the Ghost Dinner at Halloween at Zoar Tavern. It was a fun event and the food was really good, but again the communication was a little confusing, because no address was provided and we weren't sure exactly where to go. The Zoar Tavern is listed as "permanently closed" on yelp and on Apple Maps, so it makes you question if you are headed to the right place or not. I would love to do the ghost tour at some point. It is led by a lantern-toting guide through each of the historic buildings and Zoar takes on a different vibe at nighttime. I did bring my son here for the daytime Trick or Treat event and we had a lot of fun and got a generous amount of candy. Also, during the Christmas event the community hall (near the church) sold hot food items and gluwein. Very tasty. The Zoar Bakery was opened as well and I got a pretzel and a cookie. I've never been impressed by the baked goods there, so next time I'll skep that stop. I also bought a commemorative Zoar Christmas mug at the community hall, in which my gluwein was served. Very cool keepsake and I love that hot mulled wine. If you are in eastern Ohio, this place is worth a visit. It is twenty minutes down the street from me, so I have no doubt I'll be back again.

This Village is absolutely gorgeous like stepping back into time. I would live to go back during…read moreChristmas Season The buildings and houses are beautiful to walk around. There is no cost to walk around. Nothing was open but that was okay The history of this location is amazing

They have so many varieties of plants. The workers are knowledgeable and very helpful. The prices…read moreare great. 10/10 would recommend.

I highly recommend the Garden Patch for their friendly attitudes and personalized service. From…read moreplants, trees, and mulch to Christmas arrangements they are able to help you out with landscaping and decorating. They were able to help me out with a load of mulch even though they were officially closed one day.

It's YE Gurl, here for the flowers and the life lessons in bloom…read more Timbuk Farms Tulip Festival Granville, OH 4/27/2025 After hearing the buzz (and spotting a few too many pastel-clad photo dumps on Instagram), I finally made my way to Timbuk Farms' Tulip Festival--and it did slightly disappoint. Think of it as Ohio's most photogenic meeting of the minds: aspiring influencers, local families, plant-loving aunties, and at least one goat that clearly thinks it's in charge. The farm setup is charmingly chaotic in the best way: hay towers, bouncy castles, cardboard cut-outs, and a lineup of goats ready to be hand-fed at 50 cents a handful. Rows upon rows of tulips in full bloom awaited us, $1 a stem. It's part aesthetic, part strategy--because yes, the seasoned grannies will coach you on the art of pulling bulbs with stems intact. (Pro tip: look for those slightly opened blooms if you want better replanting success.) We caught the tail end of the season, so while I wasn't dressed like a walking Pinterest board, I got the full experience. Dirt under my nails, sun on my face, and a haul of 18 vibrant tulips for $19.31. The wait to check out was a little steamy--sun beating down, line inching slowly--but it gave me a chance to eavesdrop on gardening tips and admire a dog wearing flower crowns. There are also food trucks and coffee carts if you need a break, and plenty of plants and bulbs for sale if you're looking to extend your floral moment beyond the bouquet. Just a heads-up: parking is gravel-based, bumper-to-bumper, and you'll probably end up next to a pickup truck with a decal that reads "I only stop for tulips." Welcome to the Midwest. Would I go back? Absolutely--only next time I'm dressing for the photo ops and the heat.

We drove out here for the Lavender festival a few weeks ago and to be honest it was not quite what…read moreI was expecting. There were a ton of cute photo opportunities and my son had a great time. The property itself is gorgeous and I would recommend if you are looking to buy a Christmas tree or plant as they had a large greenhouse selection. However when I think of a festival I imagined vendors with unique lavender products to purchase or food. Maybe my expectations were too high but I was a little underwhelmed.