Set in 22 acres of formal gardens. the Manor House at Ladew is filled with equestrian and hunting memorabilia, fine art and English antiques.

Harvey S. Ladew’s passion for fox hunting started early in life and is what lured him to the Maryland countryside in the early 1920’s. Born into wealth and privilege in 1886, Harvey S. Ladew grew up in Westbury, Long Island. As the area became more suburbanized in the 1920s, it became less and less agreeable to the sport of fox hunting. Friends of Mr. Ladew had heard “…great tales of the wonderful hunting country in Harford County and thought it would be fun to try it.” Ladew spent several seasons hunting in Maryland, not only enjoying the hunt, but the variety of social opportunities that accompanied the sport.

His increasing fondness for the Maryland countryside and new friends inspired him to buy the house and property known as Pleasant Valley Farm from the Scarff family in 1929. It was no coincidence that the 200+ acre property was adjacent to the Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club. He sold his home in Long Island and moved to Maryland – “…where I have been happy ever since,” he wrote in the 1960s.

Ladew renovated the old and added on the new. With the help of architect, James W. O’Connor, and interior decorators, Billy Baldwin, Jean Levy and Ruby Ross Wood, he converted the rustic farmhouse into a comfortable and luxurious country home. It is important to note here, that although his team was internationally renowned, the house was essentially the creation of Ladew himself.

“When I first bought the farm, I decided to do all the landscaping and planning of the gardens myself, although I knew I would make a lot of mistakes. I made the mistakes, but they taught me the little I know about gardening”, Ladew once wrote. The “little” Harvey Ladew said he knew about gardening, now covers 22 acres of formal gardens and reflects his style, elegance and sense of humor.

With the house mostly completed by 1937, Ladew had turned his attention to the grounds. Thanks to his extensive travels in England and Italy, he knew what sort of garden he wanted. It was to have two cross axes to allow for long vistas with “garden rooms” off each axis. The axes meet at his oval swimming pool, placed in the center of the Great Bowl. Garden rooms — devoted to a single color, a single plant or a single theme — had been the rage in England when Ladew started his numerous foxhunting visits. He was among the first Americans to recreate them on this side of the Atlantic.

The Garden Club of America awarded Mr. Ladew the prestigious Distinguished Achievement Award for “creating and maintaining the most outstanding topiary garden in the country without professional help.”

Today visitors can enjoy a self-guided tour through this living masterpiece. Writer Chris Weeks states “[Ladew] has a place for every mood and leaves the visitor with an enduring impression of its maker’s serenity, sophistication and wit.”

Harvey Ladew was drawn to the Maryland countryside in the 1920’s because of the beautiful open space. The Nature Walk at Ladew was opened in 1999 and provides a contrast to the cultivated, formal gardens with pathways through a natural landscape.

Visitors can experience the various wildlife habitats of Ladew, which is located within the Piedmont Plateau. In addition to educational stations along the1.5 mile trail, there is a short boardwalk through wetland forest and fresh water marsh. Tours are self-guided, aided by a printed map and descriptions of each station.

The mission of Ladew Topiary Gardens is to maintain and promote the gardens, house and facilities in keeping with the creative spirit of Harvey S. Ladew for the public benefit and for educational, scientific and cultural pursuits.

The circa 1747 house was purchased by New York socialite Harvey Ladew in 1929. Mr. Ladew restored and expanded the house working with some of the era's leaders in architectural and interior design, including Billy Baldwin. The house features the remarkable Oval Library, which is included in the book '100 Most Beautiful Rooms in America.'