botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. They are open daily with no admission fee.
History
In 1958, Elizabeth A. Fellows bequeathed the property to Mill Creek Park, together with funds to create a public garden on the site. She died in 1958 at the age of 96 in her home. In 1962, plans of how the garden would be designed came to fruition by Landscape Architect John L. Paolano. In order to keep the authenticity of the land, he maintained the overlooks and natural rolling landscape. After the design was completed, the first plantings began in 1963.
Facilities
Today the gardens include labeled flower displays of annuals,
chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center ...
s, perennials, and
tulip
Tulips (''Tulipa'') are a genus of spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes (having bulbs as storage organs). The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly coloured, generally red, pink, yellow, or white (usually in warm ...
s, with over 40,000 bulbs blooming each spring. The
rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
collection includes a formal rose garden with hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses, as well as climbing roses along a perennial border walk. Botanical and shrub roses are represented throughout the site. The gardens also contain a variety of labeled trees and woody shrubs, with collections of European
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
, dwarf
conifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
s,
hollies
The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...
, and
rhododendron
''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
s, as well as an observation tower with a fine view of Lake Glacier.
The D.D. and Velma Davis Visitor & Education Center located at the Gardens houses a horticultural library, a Garden Cafe by Kravitz Deli, classrooms, a gift shop and meeting rooms. Many cultural events take place there each year and classes in horticulture, art and culture are offered year-round. The Visitor Center also contains a museum and an art gallery which features nature- and horticulture-themed shows. National and international speakers are hosted at the center as well.
Two other structures, the Gazebo and the Kidston Pavilion, are often the site of weddings, programs, and classes.
Events
The garden is the site of an All-America Selections Roses demonstration garden where new rose varieties are tested before being released to the public, a trial garden for new releases of annuals and perennials and a dahlia trial garden where showy dahlia varieties are tested. The dahlia trial garden is sponsored by the American Dahlia Society.
Children can interact with gardening and take classes in the Family Garden. Some classes and events require a fee.
Several annual events, such as Pumpkin Walk at Twilight, an autumn exhibit of carved and lighted jack-o-lanterns, Winter Nights, a winter display of luminary, and numerous flower shows are hosted at the gardens.
Fellows Riverside Gardens celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008 with a variety of special events.