Garden Tour
Explore our grounds and gardens to learn about the various plants that make Heritage Gardens so beautiful and special.
Ambassador House Wedding by Taylor Good Photography, http://www.good-photography.com
Garden Tutorial Videos
Check out these gardening tips from The Historic Ambassador House & Heritage Gardens Board of Directors.
About the Gardens
The gardens are a blend of heritage, native and other plants, supplemented with colorful annuals planted each year. From modern Knockout roses greeting you in the parking lot to heritage espaliered ‘Kieffer’ pear trees on the grounds, there is something to admire in three of the four seasons.
Approaching the gate from the parking lot, historic daffodils courtesy of the Indiana Daffodil Society will greet you in the spring amid the green leaves of boxwoods and the beautiful blooms of a chestnut tree. A brick path will lead you to a pergola arbor of greenery, a popular site for outdoor weddings. Beyond the arborvitae wall, ensconced among the very old trees is a shaded “Hosta Glade”, the progeny of Hoosier hybridizers and growers.
Continuing past the flowering hibiscus there is a hilly parterre, topped by two espaliered Kiefer Pears A turn around reveals a large patio flanked by tiered walls of cobbled rock, planted with color most of the year. Up the hillsides are masses of blackeyed susans, blue asters and hydrangeas, among many others.
Across the front of The Ambassador House there is a wide expansive lawn with perennials and annuals among the many boxwood plantings. In fact, the gardens are a test site for boxwoods from Saunders Bros. Nursery of Virginia. Directly in front of the house is a topiary created by world renowned topiary artist Pearl Fryer, who was a guest speaker in 2014.
All of the permanent plants are identified on this site. There are benches provided on the outer perimeter flanking the showy hydrangeas. Many thanks to Hamilton and Marion County Master Gardeners and other volunteers who maintain this garden along with assistance from the City of Fishers Parks Department and Department of Public Works.
Special thanks to Ron Williams for the video tutorials on mulching, planting, trimming and tool tips.
Garden Maintenance Documents
See the Garden Maintenance Documents.