“The Most Outstanding Topiary Garden in America”

The Ladew Gardens in Monkton, Md., are a breathtaking expanse of rolling meadows, decorated with some of the most amazing topiary sculpture and hedges on the North American continent. It was dubbed “The Most Outstanding Topiary Garden in America” by The Garden Club of America, and is a popular public attraction today. Largely a European art, the caliber and quantity of topiary found on the 200-acre Ladew grounds is a rare find in the United States. This topiary collection was a calculated design of epic proportions, made possible through the efforts of one eccentric, wealthy, and fun-loving socialite known as Harvey Ladew. Ladew was born in Manhattan in 1887, the heir to a leather fortune founded by his grandfather earlier that century. As a child of privilege, Ladew took an interest in the aristocratic sport of foxhunting. He grew into quite a sportsman, and spent most winters of his adult life pursuing the sport in England. During his time overseas, Ladew fell in love with another British tradition: topiary. He was enchanted by the sculpted perennials that commonly decorated the terraces and gardens of the upper class society. They were hauntingly beautiful, and Ladew could not shake their grip.

In the 1930s, Ladew purchased a farmhouse estate in Monkton. He saw the vast grounds as a suitable canvas for the topiary vision he’d dreamed of since his encounters with those magical English gardens. Over a period of years, Ladew labored at planting and shaping topiary bushes and boxwood hedges. Though he was not a gardener, and had no formal training, Ladew was motivated by his affinity for this sort of botany. He taught himself the art of topiary, making a few mistakes along the way, and learning from them. He hired local workers to help lighten his workload, but the vision was all his.
Ladew ended up with 15 topiary gardens, today called “garden rooms,” featuring all manner of topiary creations, from stately to downright silly. The grand Temple of Venus garden room is a lengthy meadow surrounded by topiary hedges, with a mystical garden folly overlooking the landscape. It’s a stark juxtaposition to the nearby sculpture garden, which features animal topiary and other designs—including Winston Churchill’s top hat! And Ladew’s “Hunt Scene,” depicting a horseman chasing hounds in his favorite sport, is a hallmark of the gardens.

All around the topiary plants sprout beds of fresh flowers, many of which are organized by color. Guests enter the Pink Garden, for example, through an elegant brick archway, and are greeted by rose-hued blooms in every direction. The Garden of Eden, Ladew’s own creation scene, is rife with azaleas, while a garden of native American wildflowers is home to 30 kinds of fresh blooms.

Toward the end of his life, Ladew took steps to ensure his topiary gardens and renovated farm house would be enjoyed by the public for generations to come. A board of directors was established to oversee garden maintenance and events after it was opened to the public in 1971. Ladew died in 1976, leaving behind his sprawling ode to the art of topiary. Today, topiary enthusiasts and other tourists continue to flock to the Ladew Gardens seven days a week, from March through October, to view Ladew’s creations. A board of directors continues to oversee the grounds, and runs events, lectures, and children’s activities to support operations.