Toledo in Bloom

The Toledo Botanical Garden (TBG) springs into full bloom this season, offering plenty of opportunities for gardeners, photographers and visitors just seeking a little serenity among the gardens, paths and public art at the garden that is part of this northern Ohio city's amazing and diverse metropark system.

We visited the garden late last summer, cameras in hand, as its dahlia show garden put on an amazing display of colorful blooms, and can't wait to visit again this summer to explore more of the TBG's sixty-plus acres of display gardens and plant collections.

George P. Crosby donated 20 acres of land to the City of Toledo with the idea of creating a public park in 1964.

By 1967, the site opened to the public and park planners developed it with the idea of creating the site a center for gardeners and arts within the community.

Empathy by Emanuel Enriquez

In 2006, TBG became a public/private partnership with Toledo's Metropark system, the non-profit Toledo Botanical Garden Board, Inc. and the City of Toledo.

Today, the TBG bills itself as a living museum for horticulture and the arts, drawing more than 120,000 visitors annually to enjoy a full schedule of gardening- and arts-related events as well as self-guided tours of the grounds.

The historic Navarre Cabin, home to Toledo-area pioneer and War of 1812-era Indian scout Peter Navarre is also at TBG.

Peter Navarre was a French Canadian fur trapper who settled at the mouth of the Maumee in 1807 with his family. He spoke French Canadian and little or no English, but he was fluent in several Native American languages, so he served as an Indian Scout during the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

Local historians believe Peter's son (also named Peter) built the cabin for his father as a home during the 1860s on Consaul Street near Toledo's Port District. The cabin moved to Navarre Park and became a gift to the City of Toledo in 1922. It remained at Navarre Park until 1957, when the city moved it to a site near the Toledo Zoo's amphitheater. It fell into disrepair until the city moved it again in 1975 to "Crosby Gardens", which eventually became TBG.

Today a 1937 Pioneer Garden surrounds the cabin with heirloom plants.

The TBG hosts outdoor festivals, performing and visual arts classes and concerts, environmental education classes and workshops, an annual wildflower rescue, native plant programs and many other family-oriented weekend programs.

Many art and cultural organizations like the Black Swamp Hosta and Daylily Society, Maumee Valley Herb Society, the Photo Arts Club, the Toledo Gem and Rockhound Society, the Toledo Glass Guild, the Toledo Potter's Guild and Toledo Rosa Society maintain their headquarter buildings near the gift store at TBG.

Even as we visited on a weekday afternoon, there were a number of visitors walking the garden paths, relaxing among the public art pieces on the grounds and, like us, capturing images with their cameras.

The TBG opens daily, year round, during daylight hours. The gift store and Visitor Center opens every day from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m

Admission is free, although there is sometimes a small charge for special events and classes.

You can connect with TBG at its Web site, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube.

To learn more about Peter Navarre, check out Peter Navarre: War of 1812 scout, the man behind the legend by Larry Michaels.

Be sure to check out my stories about some of the other Toledo Metropark facilities: Pearson Metropark, Oak Openings, Secor Metropark and the National Center for Nature Photography.