This Incredible Ohio Garden Looks Almost Too Colorful To Be Real
At first glance, it does not look natural. Rows of color flow so richly and so densely that many visitors pause, unsure what they are seeing.
Deep blues sit against fiery reds, soft pastels blend into bold bursts of orange and gold, and every corner feels carefully alive.
In Ohio, where gardens often follow familiar patterns, this one breaks expectations. The balance of texture, height, and season long color creates a scene that feels almost painted rather than planted.
People slow down when they pass, some even stopping just to study how it all comes together. Photos rarely capture the depth, the layering, or the quiet movement of blooms shifting with the light.
It feels immersive, intentional, and slightly unreal in the best way. Near the heart of this display sits Hipply Garden, a space that has drawn growing attention for its remarkable color and presence.
1. A Hidden Gem In Columbiana Ohio
Finding Hippley Gardens requires a bit of local knowledge since this treasure isn’t advertised with big signs along the highway. Located in Columbiana, a small town in eastern Ohio, the gardens sit quietly on a residential property that John Hippley has transformed over more than two decades.
The garden is located at Stanton Ave, Columbiana, OH 44408. You’ll need to call ahead at 330-692-7909 to schedule your visit since the gardens open by appointment only.
This appointment-only policy actually enhances the experience rather than limiting it. When you arrive, you’re not fighting crowds or rushing through to make room for the next group.
Instead, you get a more intimate experience where you can truly absorb the beauty surrounding you.
The three-acre property feels much larger once you start exploring its winding paths and discovering hidden corners. Each turn reveals something new: a trickling fountain, a burst of seasonal blooms, or a whimsical garden ornament that makes you smile.
The residential setting makes the gardens feel like a secret shared among friends.
John Hippley’s background as a teacher shines through in how the gardens educate while they entertain. You’ll learn about different plant varieties, design principles, and creative water features without feeling like you’re in a classroom.
The gardens prove that extraordinary beauty can flourish in the most unexpected places.
2. Color Explodes In Every Direction
Walking into Hippley Gardens feels like someone turned up the saturation on reality itself. Everywhere you look, colors compete for your attention in the most delightful way possible.
Reds clash beautifully with purples, yellows dance alongside oranges, and pinks soften the bolder hues into a harmonious symphony of petals and leaves.
The color intensity comes from John Hippley’s careful selection of plant varieties that bloom simultaneously. Rather than planting single specimens scattered throughout, he groups flowers in masses that create bold statements.
This technique, called drifting, makes colors appear more vibrant and creates visual impact that photographs can barely capture.
Different garden areas showcase different color palettes, giving each space its own personality. One section might feature cool blues and purples that create a calming atmosphere, while another area explodes with hot reds and oranges that energize visitors.
This thoughtful color planning prevents visual chaos despite the abundance of blooms.
Even the foliage contributes to the colorful display with variegated leaves, burgundy accents, and chartreuse highlights. When flowers aren’t blooming, the varied leaf textures and colors maintain interest throughout the growing season.
The result is a garden that never feels dull or monochromatic, challenging everything you thought possible in Ohio’s climate.
3. The Story Behind Hippley Gardens
John Hippley didn’t start out as a professional landscaper or horticulturist; he was a teacher with a passion for growing things. After retiring from education, he channeled his energy into transforming his property into something extraordinary.
What began in 1999 as a modest gardening project evolved into a destination that draws visitors from across Ohio and beyond.
His teaching background influences every aspect of the gardens. John approaches garden design with the same enthusiasm he brought to his classroom, eager to share knowledge and inspire others.
When visitors tour the gardens, they’re not just looking at pretty flowers, they’re learning about plant care, design principles, and creative problem-solving in outdoor spaces.
The gardens reflect more than two decades of continuous refinement and expansion. John didn’t create everything overnight; instead, he added features gradually, learning from successes and adjustments along the way.
This organic growth process gives the gardens an authentic feel that’s missing from professionally designed landscapes installed all at once.
What makes John’s story particularly inspiring is his willingness to share his creation with the community. Rather than keeping this beauty private, he opens his gardens to visitors who appreciate the work involved.
His generosity allows others to experience joy and inspiration without requiring them to invest years of labor themselves.
4. Carefully Designed Yet Wonderfully Wild
Hippley Gardens walks a fascinating line between meticulous planning and natural spontaneity. The eight distinct garden areas each have clear boundaries and thoughtful layouts, yet within those spaces, plants seem to grow with joyful abandon.
This balance creates visual interest while preventing the overly manicured look that makes some gardens feel sterile.
The structured elements include carefully maintained pathways, strategically placed water features, and architectural elements like the imported English potting shed. These hardscape features provide bones to the garden, creating year-round interest even when plants go dormant.
They guide visitors through the space while establishing focal points that draw the eye.
Within this framework, plants are encouraged to spread, self-seed, and intermingle in ways that feel organic. Flowers spill over pathway edges, vines climb wherever they find support, and unexpected color combinations emerge from nature’s own mixing.
This controlled wildness gives the gardens personality and prevents them from looking too perfect or artificial.
The approach requires knowledge and confidence – knowing which plants can be allowed to roam freely and which need restraint. John’s experience shows in how the gardens maintain beauty without constant intervention.
The result is a space that feels alive and dynamic rather than frozen in a designer’s original vision, proving that great gardens evolve rather than simply exist.
5. Blooms That Change With The Seasons
Spring arrives at Hippley Gardens with thousands of daffodils and tulips pushing through the warming soil. These early bloomers signal that the growing season has begun, painting the landscape in cheerful yellows, whites, and vibrant tulip colors.
The spring display alone makes the gardens worth visiting, but it’s just the opening act in a year-long performance.
Summer transforms the gardens into their most lush and abundant phase. Perennial flowers reach peak bloom, creating the explosive color displays that make visitors question if the gardens are even real.
The eight water features become especially important during hot months, providing cooling sounds and refreshing visual elements that make the gardens feel like an oasis.
Fall brings a different kind of beauty as chrysanthemums line the Jack & Dinah Sitler Bridge in rich autumn hues. The changing season adds warmth to the color palette with golds, russets, and deep burgundies that complement the fading summer blooms.
This transitional period shows the gardens in a softer, more reflective mood.
Winter doesn’t close the gardens’ story but adds a quiet chapter. Snow dusts the evergreens and architectural features, revealing the garden’s structural beauty beneath seasonal color.
The water features, garden ornaments, and carefully pruned shrubs create interest even in dormancy, proving that thoughtful design transcends any single season’s blooms.
6. A Peaceful Escape For Garden Lovers
Modern life moves fast, filled with screens, schedules, and constant noise. Hippley Gardens offers something increasingly rare; a place to slow down and simply exist among living beauty.
The appointment-only policy means you won’t encounter tour buses or overwhelming crowds, allowing for genuine relaxation and reflection.
The sound of water flowing through eight different features creates natural white noise that drowns out worries and mental chatter. Whether it’s the dramatic watershed where 10,000 gallons flow from the potting shed’s chimney down its slate roof, or gentler fountain trickles, these water elements add a meditative quality to your visit.
The combination of visual beauty and soothing sounds creates a multisensory experience.
Garden lovers find endless inspiration in the plant combinations, design solutions, and creative features throughout the property. You’ll spot ideas you can adapt for your own yard, whether it’s a color pairing, a water feature concept, or a clever use of vertical space.
The gardens function as both relaxation destination and outdoor classroom.
Even non-gardeners appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and natural beauty. You don’t need to know botanical names or understand horticultural techniques to enjoy walking among flowers, listening to water, and breathing fresh air.
The gardens welcome everyone who needs a break from everyday stress, offering restoration without requiring expertise or effort.
7. Why Visitors Keep Coming Back
First-time visitors to Hippley Gardens often become repeat visitors, and the reasons go beyond simple beauty. The gardens change dramatically with each season, offering completely different experiences depending on when you visit.
Spring’s tulip display looks nothing like summer’s perennial explosion or fall’s chrysanthemum show, giving you valid reasons to return multiple times throughout the year.
The whimsical elements scattered throughout the gardens add layers of discovery that aren’t fully appreciated in a single visit. The Train Garden with its miniature grist mill and over 25 tiny buildings rewards close examination.
The Children’s Area features a walk-on piano, a restored 1954 Chevy pickup with a tailgate waterfall, and a yellow brick road complete with Wizard of Oz characters – details you might miss while overwhelmed by the overall beauty.
Photographers particularly love returning to capture the gardens in different lights, seasons, and weather conditions. Morning mist, afternoon sun, and evening golden hour each create distinct moods.
The combination of natural beauty and artistic features provides endless photographic opportunities that change with conditions and plant growth.
Perhaps most importantly, the gardens simply make people feel good. In a world that often feels chaotic and stressful, Hippley Gardens offers consistent beauty, peace, and joy.
That emotional response – the lifted spirits and restored sense of wonder – keeps visitors returning whenever they need a dose of natural beauty and tranquility.
8. The Garden That Feels Almost Unreal
Sometimes reality exceeds what seems possible, and Hippley Gardens represents one of those moments. The sheer intensity of color, the abundance of blooms, and the seamless integration of artistic elements create a scene that photographs struggle to capture accurately.
Visitors often comment that seeing the gardens in person reveals beauty that pictures simply can’t convey.
The “too colorful to be real” quality comes from John Hippley’s refusal to settle for ordinary. Where most gardeners might plant a few flowers, he plants masses.
Where others might include one water feature, he’s created eight. This abundance and commitment to excellence push the gardens beyond typical backyard landscapes into something extraordinary.
The combination of natural and constructed elements adds to the surreal quality. Real plants surround miniature buildings in the Train Garden, creating scale confusion that delights the eye.
Water flows impossibly up through a chimney in the watershed feature, defying expectations. The yellow brick road and Oz characters blend fantasy with reality in unexpected ways.
Yet despite feeling almost unreal, the gardens remain rooted in practical horticultural knowledge and years of hands-on work. This isn’t CGI or artificial enhancement – it’s what dedication, knowledge, and passion can create in Ohio soil.
The gardens prove that with vision and effort, ordinary spaces can become extraordinary destinations that inspire wonder and challenge our assumptions about what’s possible in our own backyards.
