Ladew Topiary Gardens

Ladew Topiary Gardens is a botanical garden in Maryland featuring more than 100 plant sculptures arranged across multiple styled garden sections. The landscape combines traditional topiary art with structured garden rooms displaying geometric and figurative patterns throughout the property.

Harvey S. Ladew created the gardens starting in 1937 as an artistic project on his private estate in the Baltimore region. The collection expanded over subsequent decades and was eventually opened to the public to preserve horticultural craftsmanship.

The gardens display living sculptures that have grown and evolved over decades as part of the region's horticultural heritage. Visitors witness how gardeners continuously shape and maintain the plants to preserve their distinctive forms.

The gardens are open to visitors from April through October and allow ample time to explore the various sections on foot. Flat pathways enable access to most areas, though some sections feature steeper terrain for different walking experiences.

The collection features rare and unusual plant forms, including animal shapes and geometric figures carefully cultivated over many years. These living artworks shift with the seasons, demonstrating the gardeners' skill in working with living material.

Location: Baltimore County

Inception: 1937

Address: 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton, MD 21111

Website: https://ladewgardens.com

GPS coordinates: 39.58110,-76.51220

Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:40