Published Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Spanning two acres, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden is a popular attraction for guests to the Conservatory. Designed to celebrate the beauty of Ohio’s nature, this garden is full of kid-friendly, interactive experiences that connect children to the natural world. Since its opening in 2018, the Children’s Garden has been well loved by thousands of guests every year. In fact, in 2024 more than 26,000 guests immersed themselves in the whimsical joy of the Children’s Garden. This vibrant, colorful inviting space at the Conservatory is a ‘living classroom’ available for children to visit year-round. In 2024, Conservatory educators delivered over 130 informal nature programs and offered nearly 20 Let’s Grow Garden Club sessions, connecting children to gardening, native plants, wildlife and critters, and more.
As the Children’s Garden is well loved, the Conservatory sees more garden beds, structures and playhouses each year that require maintenance and care. This year, the team at the Conservatory made the decision to shut down the Children’s Garden for an entire month to dedicate time to necessary renovations, garden work, and artwork cleaning. The Conservatory’s Horticulture, Engineering and Exhibits team collaborated to efficiently complete more than ten projects during the 4-week shutdown in order to revitalize the Children’s Garden for the summer and year ahead.
On March 3rd, the Children’s Garden was closed to the public, and our teams began their work. One of the largest undertakings was pipeline maintenance that had to be done to the beloved Misting Boulders water feature to ensure that the popular display remained functional and enjoyable for guests. Next, the Conservatory’s horticulture team cleared out, weeded, reseeded and planted perennials throughout the Children’s Garden, refreshed the Fibar safety surface in multiple play areas, and repaired the turf at Sunrise Lawn. Partnering with Ahlum & Arbor, tree pruning was done across the garden to ensure that the native tree collection remains healthy for years to come.
Beyond landscaping, several structural and artistic improvements were made. The foundation of the cobb Playhouse was reinforced using all natural materials in order to maintain its safety and longevity. Additionally, a new stone path leading to the Whisper Bench was installed, making the area more welcoming and accessible, offering both a fun experience for children and a place to rest for guardians.
Art and exhibit maintenance also played a key role in the renovations. Glass panels from the Sunshine Arch were carefully removed and sent back to artists for cleaning before being reinstalled. Other interactive art elements, including the Salamander Tail, Misting Boulders, dimple rocks and gnomes, were thoroughly cleaned to maintain their animated coloring and engaging features.
Following these improvements, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden reopened, revealing a refreshed and revitalized space for families to explore, learn and immerse themselves in nature. According to Danielle Leininger, Children’s Garden Manager, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive so far. “More than any year before, I have heard guests complimenting how beautiful and vibrant the space is!” she shared.
One family, who visited the Children’s Garden nearly every day in May after the reopening, expressed their excitement about the changes. “We’ve always loved coming here, but this year, it feels even more magical.” This year, the Children’s Garden offers an even more welcoming, exciting environment for children to play, learn, and connect with nature. Open year-round, with educational programs offered in the spring and summer, the Children’s Garden is the perfect place to bring your children, grandchildren, family and friends!
With generous support from donors like you, the Conservatory can continue to maintain and enhance our beautiful spaces, like the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden. Each gift helps maintain and revitalize this treasured space, ensuring that our unique, exciting gardens remain beautiful and safe for guests to enjoy.
For more information on educational programs and weekly Garden Club, Story Time and Discovery Station, click here.