Gardening Garden Design Test Garden Secrets A Complete Guide to the BHG Test Garden The Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden® includes 22 distinct areas with hundreds of plantings that bloom all summer long. By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 6, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email The Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden® is the best place to see the creativity and skill of our editors in real life. In half an acre of space in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, the garden holds more than 2,500 shrubs, trees, perennials, vines, and annuals within 22 distinct areas, including a shade garden, a rose garden, a shrub collection, and sunny borders, to name a few. Visiting the Test Garden You can visit the Test Garden and take a stroll around when it's open to the public. Hours are Fridays from noon to 2 p.m., from May through September. Use this handy map, below, for a self-guided tour. (Groups of 10 or more may schedule guided tours during the open hours by appointment. Call 515-284-3994 to make a reservation.) Illustration by Gary Palmer From the main entrance of the BHG Test Garden, you can walk in either direction on the circular path that leads all around the space. However, if you head to your left, you can follow the order of each garden space on the map above. Simply match the numbers on the map to the numbers listed below to discover all of the distinct areas of the Test Garden's beautiful landscape. The courtyardThe rose gardenThe southwest terrace gardenThe shade gardenThe fragrant pathThe conifer collectionThe clay gardenThe garden roomThe meadowThe cutting gardenThe mixed perennial gardenThe shrub walkThe mixed borderThe tool shed and storage areaThe mixed conifer and shrub gardenThe hillside gardenThe vegetable and herb gardenThe arbor and daylily gardenThe pond and cascadeThe southeast terrace gardenThe deckThe rock garden Each garden area is designed to show plants and ideas that can add beauty to many yards in different climates and growing conditions. The shrub walk, for example, displays large and small shrubs with colorful foliage, fragrance, and flowers that add just the right touch to a front or backyard. The rose garden shows varieties that thrive and bloom with no use of sprays. The mixed perennial garden combines early and late bloomers, providing color from spring through fall. Read More in The Garden Issue, Featuring Cover Stars Dave & Jenny Marrs Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit