Last June, I kept seeing posts from friends about visiting Schnormeier Gardens. When I tracked down their website to try to buy tickets, though, I found that they are only open for weekends (and Thursdays) in the month of June. So, I found their Facebook page and signed up for notifications so that I could be alerted when their tickets went on sale. Very early in April this year, I was able to snag a ticket for Keith and I to visit this month – tickets are sold by carload, so it really was just one ticket for the both of us.

We went into the tour not really knowing anything about it except that all of our friends that had gone had really liked it. We found it to be a beautiful and relaxing setting and may have spent more time if it had not been so very hot. The gardens have a definite Asian influence, which we really liked a lot. There was plenty of shade and a bit of a breeze, which helped with the heat. We entered next to the waterfall garden, one of my personal favorites, and continued around the property in a clockwise fashion to see all of the garden areas. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day.

While I don’t know that we will visit again, it was a really nice stroll with lovely scenery. I might have paused a bit in the shady hosta garden or sat beneath a tree by the waterfall, but it really was miserably hot. I give it a 4/5 stars and definitely recommend, especially if you are an avid gardener. We did find that we prefer a little more natural settings that don’t feel quite so man-made if we are going to be hiking through nature, or a little more of a public space if we are going on a tour. Keith said it was like touring someone’s private stuff – a little uncomfortable – and I think I agree.

Have you every visited Schnormeier Gardens? What did you think? What was your favorite garden? Let us know in the comments. 🙂