Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens

A small but interesting arboretum. I have a healthy interest in the trees that grow in the Midwest (not just grow but thrive), so this was a very educational and enjoyable visit.My only gripe is that the arboretum is way too small. I was really hoping to spend hours of my time among the trees but I was done in an hour and a half. My recommendation to the horticulture department is to get much more land for a much more ambitious arboretum and fill it up with thousands of trees.

This is located near the agricultural college at OSU and has easy parking. There's a machine (coins or cards) to prepay for your parking - remember your license plate - and it was $2 for the hour I estimated I'd be there. Started off the new year with a walk of the labyrinth. It was quiet and easy to get to. It was nice to wander around the gardens and imagine what they will look like in the spring and summer when all the dirt and mud is covered with foliage. I still need to locate Annabelle, the praying mantis sculpture, so I'll be back.

I've yet to make it inside the Arboretum, this review is solely for their annual plant sale put on by Chadwick Arboretum every year in May. It's a great event, with a mix of vegetable and flowering plants, young trees, and gardening ornaments/yard decorations. My main purpose is always to load up on veggie seedlings to plant in my raised beds. However, this year we got a few starter trees, which I can't wait to see them grow and mature. Always a good event, and all proceeds go straight back into the programs put on for agriculture/horticulture/urban planning classes.

One of the most gorgeous gardens around but hard to get to sans parking pass, these Ohio State repositories of plants species often go forgotten. The most interesting as well, the Lane Avenue Gardens, blends into the background so much that one doesn't notice it while driving pass, looking more like a common grove than an arranged garden. But it is there in front of the Schott, across Lane; to the civilians it is a breezy walkthrough, a spot for meditation, and an informative museum, to students it is a teaching tool and a practice field to gain horticultural skills. There are actually three sections hidden around the stadiums and halls of west campus: The Learning Garden is south of Woody Hayes featuring bamboo, wild flower, and other plots for instruction; the Arboretum North off Fred Taylor Drive featuring collection of trees around a lake; and the aforementioned Lane Garden.The later is the one I like the best. It has a maze brought over from France that runs by, under, and around a whole host of shrubs, brush, and trees. Hundreds of various plant genres and trees can be found. It's almost seems Asian to me, the tree placing, the visual bricks, the white stepping stones under canopy has a wild oriental appeal--though I doubt it was planned to. There are nice black benches sprinkled among the grounds where many coeds seem to read or meditate--both metaphorically and for real. A negative is the lack of complete peacefulness; the hums and honk of Lane and Olengtangy renders Chadwick little escape from the urban university district soundtrack. But I won't mark them down for that, the visual and aromatic delights of Chadwick is worthy of five stars.

I love this little hidden gem. Most people forget it is here or overlook it. Great to bring your lunch or a book and just relax. Plenty to see and plenty to learn about.

The Chadwick is awesome. For starters, it's free to walk around, I mean, how could they stop you? Secondly, they have an amazing array of plant life all over the grounds, very carefully planted in groupings that make sense visually. I had a really good time walking through. There's a really awesome wisteria hanging garden that's like something out of a Tolkien novel. I was pretty mesmerized by it. I can't remember the age, but I think it's a significantly old vine. They have a few Friends of the Garden sales every year, as well as a patch of garden for new hybrids that Ohio growers make and test here. There is a giant stone maze that you can walk, it's circular and surrounded by some interesting plant life of its own. Supposed to be therapeuticThat only accounts for about a third of the arboretum! There's a section along Lane Ave with bigger plants, trees and such, and another portion over near some parking lots and the 4H Center. A really nice option for a cheap yet romantic date, or a good learning experience if you take a guided tour.

This update is dedicated to the lesser known Arboretum North, which was showcased at this year's Chadwick Open House! The section is spectacular. It is off of the main roads, so it is quieter, unless there is an event at the nearby Schottenstein Center. A major draw is the Research Lake, which is stocked with fish (catch and release), and it is home to the enCORE Solar Decathlon House, which is occasionally open for a tour - it is neat to see all of the energy-saving features. There is nice picnic area near the lake, and several more gardens, including one for willows, one for native Ohio trees, and a prairie section that has a small trail through which to wander. There's a nice path that leads you around the lake too. It's an easy stroll, but provides some nice green space. Very enjoyable area that is also worth a look!

I would never consider myself an outdoorsy person, but I really like this place. The Chadwick Arboretum visually pleases and fascinates its visitors with its diversity of plant life. To experience it is therapeutic, even. I am a fan, and the flowers photograph so well in ideal weather.If allowed the option to, however, I would subtract half a star in protest against the pesky bee that kept chasing me away from many a rhododendron.

The Chadwick Arboretum is a nice collection of little gardens across from the Schottenstein's Arena. There are some interesting collection of trees and plants. A little stone maze thing. I thing the coolest thing is the green roof on Howlett Hall. Its pretty fantastic.Its full of these little scrub like plants, like something you'd find in the mediterranean area. There's a little pathway you can walk around. There is also a bee hive along one wall, which I only noticed after wondering where the buzzing sound was coming from. If you walk out of Howlett Hall and to the side of the building there is a cool little bamboo forest. I went in May so the bamboo was just starting to grow. I'd like to see it now. Probably pretty high. Now my one complaint is that the green roof is not directly accessible from outside. That is you have to enter Howlett Hall and then go to the roof. When I went the main entrance to Howlett hall was locked. As is the case with many university buildings, a door in an adjacent building was unlocked, and I was able to get into Howlett Hall this way. Probably not officially sanctioned, there are probably public hours. But I wanted to see it, the door was open, so I entered.Very cool place. The Chadwick Arboretum and in particular the green roof on Howlett Hall. This is a link to the Green Roof's webpage: http://thechadwickgreenroofproject.weebly.com/

DIRECTIONS: for GPS directions, put "2001 Fyffe Court, Columbus, Ohio." Don't put "152 Howlett Hall," even though that's another line in their address.MAP: Once I got on campus I used the arboretum map to get around. It was more helpful than the GPS map because it had the names of buildings, where parking was, and the different features within the arboretum. Said map can be found here: https://chadwickarboretum.osu.edu/our-gardens/interactive-mapPARKING: If you read the arboretum web site, it sounds like there are lots of choices for parking. I just wanted to visit the northern part of the arboretum, near the pond, so I parked in the parking area that I circled on the map. IMO that is the best parking area and will start you near the pond. I didn't see anything about paying so I didn't pay and didn't get a ticket. REVIEW: I'm spoiled by Longwood Gardens, which is simply spectacular. What can they do with only two full-time staff? It's nice for being free. My favorite specimens were the pink leaved dogwood and the curly willow.