Just an eight-hour drive from the Fox Valley, Lima, Ohio, sits in the northwest corner of the state. About the size of Oshkosh, Lima is similar to many other Midwest cities of its size. But there is a jewel tucked into what was formerly a vacant lot filled with trash and choked with weeds near the downtown.
The Lima Children’s Garden is different from and far more interesting and exciting than any other public garden I’ve visited. On about one acre, there are over thirty theme gardens where visitors of all ages are encouraged to touch, smell and listen to the plants and the wildlife they attract. The mini gardens are much more fun than just a bunch of plants lined up with their identifying plant markers stuck in the ground nearby.
For example, there is a butterfly-shaped flower bed outlined in brick. The wings are planted with flowers that attract butterflies.
Discarded saxophones, drums and trumpets sit in the music garden alongside plants with names like bugleweed, drumstick allium, bellflower, red trumpet and million bells. The curving sidewalk through this area is painted white and black to resemble piano keys.
The alphabet garden is decorated with large colorful alphabet letters. Near each letter are one or more plants whose name starts with that letter, all the way from angelonia and bouncing bet through kale and lavender, to yarrow and zinnia.
The round pizza garden is divided into slices, each of which features plants like basil, oregano and peppers that could be used on a real pizza.
Inside a small enclosure entered by a miniature gate, is the rabbit chow garden. Growing here is lettuce, carrots and cabbage.
The zoo garden features plants with animal names – elephant ears, gooseneck loosestrife, zebra grass, turtlehead, monkey grass and many more.
The body parts garden, planted inside the outline of a body which lies in front of a brightly painted metal headboard is appreciated by staff and patients of the nearby hospital. Plants include lamb’s ear, inky finger coleus, bleeding heart, dragon’s blood sedum, beard tongue and lungwort.
There is also a prairie garden, woodland garden, dinosaur garden and the highlight for any 5-year-old boy, a train topiary. A bog garden is in the works.
Not only do children enjoy visiting the garden, many of them have contributed stepping stones and other garden art. You’d think with all the variety in garden types that the Children’s Garden would be a hodgepodge of plants, but it all flows seamlessly in a garden entertaining for children and beautiful and relaxing for adult visitors.
The Lima Children’s Garden is worth visiting again and again. If you don’t get a chance to visit, use some of these ideas to make your own garden more fun and interesting for your children and grandchildren.
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