GAMBIER — “Where else can you take your family and enjoy the day for free,” asked Carol Garner, marketing director for Schnormeier Gardens. The gardens, located at 8701 Laymon Road, Gambier, are open this week for the enjoyment of the Knox County community and the world — and that’s not an exaggeration. Visitors come from many countries to see the gardens which are open only once a year. The 2012 open house began Wednesday and continues through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Garner observed that after developing the rural property, Ted and Ann Schnormeier opened their beautifully developed 75-acre garden property to the public five years ago. Originally it was just for the weekend, but the response was so enthusiastic Ted decided to hold the open house for five days to resolve some of the heavy traffic to the property. Grinning widely, Garner noted that last year the response was just that much bigger, drawing as many as 8,000 visitors; and more are expected this year.
She did warn, however, that it is private property and unfortunately not handicapped accessible.
So what will visitors find when they visit the gardens?
Peace, harmony, and serenity might be the short response — that’s the theme of the gardens. Of course, during the busy open house, the grounds are not quite as serene as they might be when the Schnormeiers are enjoying their private year-round residence.
