Schedel Arboretum and Gardens
Encyclopedia
The Schedel Arboretum and Gardens is a well-preserved botanical garden
and arboretum
on the bank of a river in Elmore, Ohio in the United States
. It first opened to the public in 1991.
, near Elmore, Ohio (in the north-west portion of the state, near Toledo
) in 1929. Extensively traveled, the Schedels had acquired many lovely possessions which they wished to display, such as Persian carpets, a world-class Jade
collection, hand-wrought teak furniture
, prayer rugs, Japanese silk embroidery
, and a thousand-year-old Bronze sculpture
. Around the mansion they developed an arboretum, planting 25 varieties of Japanese maple, 16 species of pine
, including bristlecone pine, Bald cypress, Golden chain tree, cucumber and umbrella magnolia
, Japanese silver bell, various types of beech
, bamboo
, katsura
, Franklin Trees
, and nearly 50 lilac
varieties. In several separate beds they introduced English-style landscapes, flowering displays, and a Japanese garden
. They installed greenhouse
s, where annuals
are prepared; each spring some 15,000 plants are transplanted
from the greenhouse to the grounds, installed among perennials
, trees, and shrub
s. The Japanese Garden includes bridges, stone lantern
s, and a stupa
. Two waterfalls empty into pools or streams which flow into two lakes.
The Schedels, who had no children, wished for their effort to continue for the benefit of the entire region. In 1963 they established The Joseph J. & Marie P. Schedel Foundation, with the aim of protecting and preserving their estate for the enjoyment of present and future generations. To that end, the Foundation in 1989 established The Schedel Foundation Arboretum and Gardens,
The Schedels died during the 1980s. The first director of the Arboretum Foundation was T. Richard Fisher, who was able to first open the Garden to the public in 1991. Since that time the staff have increased the quantity and diversity of plant offerings on the grounds.
Current director of the Arboretum Foundation is Rodney Noble
; about half the site is upland, with the remainder lowland. There is a sharp drop between the two, and this split character allows for a variety of plantings. There are permanent sculpture installations among the plantings, and in addition the Foundation hosts rotating exhibits of sculptures and other artistic works. A Beautiful place to visit.
Schedel Arboretum and Gardens are located at 19255 West Portage River South Road, Elmore, Ohio 43416. The gardens are open for "preview" during selected dates in April, and are open to the public from May through October. An admission fee is charged. You may also become a member.
A reception center on the site is offered to the public for events such as weddings and large receptions. This large center also houses a gift shop, offices, gallery and more. This opened in 2008.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
and arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
on the bank of a river in Elmore, Ohio in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It first opened to the public in 1991.
History
Joseph and Marie Schedel purchased a hundred-acre tract of undeveloped land surrounding a charming Victorian mansion on the Portage RiverPortage River (Ohio)
Approximately in length, the Portage River meanders across Ottawa, Sandusky, and Wood counties in northwest Ohio before it empties into Lake Erie at Port Clinton...
, near Elmore, Ohio (in the north-west portion of the state, near Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
) in 1929. Extensively traveled, the Schedels had acquired many lovely possessions which they wished to display, such as Persian carpets, a world-class Jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
collection, hand-wrought teak furniture
Teak furniture
Teak is used to make outdoor furniture, boats, and other things which require resistance to the elements. Teak is used for outdoor furniture because of its natural durability in extreme weather conditions and because of its relative rarity. Being more expensive than most other woods, teak furniture...
, prayer rugs, Japanese silk embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
, and a thousand-year-old Bronze sculpture
Bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
. Around the mansion they developed an arboretum, planting 25 varieties of Japanese maple, 16 species of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, including bristlecone pine, Bald cypress, Golden chain tree, cucumber and umbrella magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
, Japanese silver bell, various types of beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, katsura
Katsura
-Architecture:*The Katsura imperial villa, one of Japan's most important architectural treasures, and a World Heritage Site-Geography:*Katsuura, Chiba, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan*Katsura, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan...
, Franklin Trees
Franklinia
Franklinia is a monotypic genus in the tea plant family, Theaceae. The sole species in this genus is a flowering tree, Franklinia alatamaha, commonly called the Franklin tree, and native to the Altamaha River valley in Georgia in the southeastern United States...
, and nearly 50 lilac
Lilac
Syringa is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering woody plants in the olive family , native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere....
varieties. In several separate beds they introduced English-style landscapes, flowering displays, and a Japanese garden
Japanese garden
, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
. They installed greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s, where annuals
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
are prepared; each spring some 15,000 plants are transplanted
Transplanting
For botanical organ transplant, see GraftingIn agriculture and gardening, transplanting or replanting is the technique of moving a plant from one location to another. Most often this takes the form of starting a plant from seed in optimal conditions, such as in a greenhouse or protected nursery...
from the greenhouse to the grounds, installed among perennials
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
, trees, and shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s. The Japanese Garden includes bridges, stone lantern
Tōrō
A "灯篭" is just a simplified form of "灯籠". is a Japanese lantern made of stone, wood, or metal traditional in the Far East. In China extant specimen are very rare, and in Korea too they are not as common as in Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and...
s, and a stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
. Two waterfalls empty into pools or streams which flow into two lakes.
The Schedels, who had no children, wished for their effort to continue for the benefit of the entire region. In 1963 they established The Joseph J. & Marie P. Schedel Foundation, with the aim of protecting and preserving their estate for the enjoyment of present and future generations. To that end, the Foundation in 1989 established The Schedel Foundation Arboretum and Gardens,
The Schedels died during the 1980s. The first director of the Arboretum Foundation was T. Richard Fisher, who was able to first open the Garden to the public in 1991. Since that time the staff have increased the quantity and diversity of plant offerings on the grounds.
Current director of the Arboretum Foundation is Rodney Noble
Description of the site
The site is located at a bend in the Portage RiverPortage River (Ohio)
Approximately in length, the Portage River meanders across Ottawa, Sandusky, and Wood counties in northwest Ohio before it empties into Lake Erie at Port Clinton...
; about half the site is upland, with the remainder lowland. There is a sharp drop between the two, and this split character allows for a variety of plantings. There are permanent sculpture installations among the plantings, and in addition the Foundation hosts rotating exhibits of sculptures and other artistic works. A Beautiful place to visit.
Schedel Arboretum and Gardens are located at 19255 West Portage River South Road, Elmore, Ohio 43416. The gardens are open for "preview" during selected dates in April, and are open to the public from May through October. An admission fee is charged. You may also become a member.
A reception center on the site is offered to the public for events such as weddings and large receptions. This large center also houses a gift shop, offices, gallery and more. This opened in 2008.