Established in 1982 and encompassing over half an acre, the Horticulture Garden at Purdue University is one of the most visually stunning landscapes on campus. Located on Marstellar Street, adjacent to the Horticulture Building, the garden is home to over 200 cultivars of annual flowers and nearly 1000 species of perennial flowers and foliage plants. Collections include herbaceous and tree peonies and ornamental grasses.
Diversity is intrinsic to the beauty of the garden. Each year different annuals are chosen; this allows the garden to retain a fresh and new appearance year after year. Different types of soil and many small microclimates (distinctly different mini-climates within a larger area) provide the garden with an ability to nurture and grow plants otherwise not found in the area. This creates a unique environment, and visitors will be impressed by the tranquility and ever-changing hue of the flowers and plants each time they stroll through the garden.
This picturesque setting provides a living classroom for many Purdue academic programs including: Horticulture, Landscape Architecture, Botany and Plant Pathology, Entomology, and the School of Veterinary Medicine. The general public is always welcome and appointments are available for individual or group-guided tours.
Thanks to the generosity of Professor E.C. Stevenson’s family and friends, a pavilion was constructed in the garden and dedicated to his memory in October of 2007. Prof. Stevenson was Head of the Horticulture Department from 1958-1967. He was a leader who brought the department to
new heights of recognition and took decisive steps that led to the formation of the Landscape Architecture Program. The pavilion serves as a gathering place for informal meetings and receptions.
The gorgeous array of plants and flowers in the garden would not be possible without the express involvement of Purdue faculty, student interns and volunteers. We invite you to join us in our efforts to ensure that the Purdue University Horticulture Garden will continue to enrich both the mind and the spirit. You can become a “friend of the garden” through a tax-deductible contribution to the Purdue Foundation. Your contribution will be used to support educational programs of the garden and new plantings.
For more information about the Purdue University Horticulture Garden, contact:
Mary Lou Hayden
Purdue University Horticulture Gardens Coordinator
Dept. of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
625 Agriculture Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2010