GARDEN CENTER • ARBORETUM • BOTANIC GARDENS
We are closed for the season!
Shipping will resume in the spring. If you place an order now it will be held until we start shipping again.
Welcome!
Hornbaker Gardens, Inc. is a family owned and operated nursery located five miles southeast of Princeton, Illinois. Our large collections of hostas, daylilies, trees and shrubs, grasses, aquatics, annuals, and other perennials draw plant enthusiasts from not only the Midwest, but from all across the country.
WE DELIVER AND PLANT
Children's Garden
The children’s garden area was created in memory of our beloved Kathy Hornbaker. It consists of a large, sloped, grassy play area where kids can be kids.
Garden Tours
Every year we host many garden clubs and tour groups. We are happy to greet your group upon arrival and provide a history and overview of Hornbaker Gardens.
Hornbaker Highlights
Late Fall in the Garden: What to Do Now and What to Leave Alone
The first hard frost has a way of making a garden look finished. The hosta leaves slump, the annuals turn to mush, and it is tempting to put the tools away and call it a year. But what you do in the next few weeks decides a lot about how your garden looks in April. Late fall is not about doing more. It is about doing the right few things at the right time.
Back to School, Back to the Garden
The Back to School Garden Reset
There is something about the start of the school year that resets everyone’s schedule, gardeners included. Buses start running again, lunches get packed, and somewhere in the middle of all
that shuffling, a lot of us realize we have not touched a trowel since the Fourth of July. Late August and early September turn out to be one of the best stretches of the whole year to get back into the garden after a busy summer, and there is a real window here worth taking advantage of before it closes.
What to Plant in August and Why
Soil temperature is the key factor most people overlook. By August, the ground has been warming all summer and holds onto that heat well into fall, even after air temperatures start to cool. Warm soil keeps roots actively growing, and root development, not top growth, is what determines how well a newly planted tree or shrub survives its first winter. A tree planted now has roughly two and a half months of strong root-building weather before the ground starts to cool in earnest, which gives it a real head start over something planted next spring.
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Annual Artisan Market
Join us in our beautiful country setting for a day filled with 40 fine artists, craft beer, delicious home baked items, live music, wine tasting, fresh-picked local produce, local lunch fare, hands-on community art experiences, and more. Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 10am to 4pm. Free Admission.
Gift Certificates Available
The perfect gift for any gardener
