Wade & Gatton. Nurseries. We invite you to learn more about our history through this guide.

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1 Wade & Gatton Van & Shirley Wade visiting a garden during National Hosta Convention. In 2018, Wade & Gatton is celebrating its 90th year as a family business. It has grown from humble beginnings as a fruit farm to more than 900 acres of shade and ornamental trees; evergreens; a four-acre garden center with multiple poly-houses full of perennials, hostas, daylilies, and other plants; and the Wade Botanical Gardens. We are excited to welcome you this year to celebrate with us and see what s blooming at Wade & Gatton. We hope you take a few hours to honor the life of Van Ross Wade, who died in April of 2017, with a walk through his masterfully crafted botanical gardens! And of course, we hope you stop by our garden center and select a new addition to your own home garden. We invite you to learn more about our history through this guide. Celebrating

2 The History of Wade & Gatton SETTLING THE LAND The family farm began in 1812 with Maryland-born Isaac Gatton, one of 17 children (nine boys and eight girls). He and his wife, Hettie (Carpenter) settled in 1812 on the land that would later become the main farm. It s no surprise why Isaac first settled this land. The main farm (modern day 1288 Gatton Rock Road) is edged on the north by the Clear Fork River and Gatton Rocks, a rocky 125-foot cliff, carved out of the glacier melt 25,000 years ago. The river is stocked with European brown trout and lined with giant American sycamores and Ohio buckeye trees. In 1834, Isaac and Hettie gave birth to John ( ) on the main farm. John eventually built the Big House on the hill in the late 1800s. John married and had three sons--cyrus, Alfred, and Charles. His sons would be the first family to start using the farm as a fruit farm. ily photo in The Gatton family gathering for a fam 0. from of the Big House around 191 THE BEGINNING: THE GATTON BROTHERS FRUIT FARM Cyrus Miller Gatton ( ) and his brother Charles ( ) started the Gatton Brothers Fruit Farm in the late 1800s. At the height of the fruit farm business, Gatton Brothers was shipping 75,000 bushels of fruit by rail to Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Detroit. The B&O Railroad, which ran from Baltimore to Ohio and directly through the main farm property, was critical to the growth and success of the fruit farm. The children of Cyrus Gatton Earl Gatton, Bess Gatton and Nell (Gatton) Wade. Cyrus and his wife, Etta Pearl, lived on the fruit farm in the Big House, where they raised their family: son, Earl, and daughters, Nell and Bess. In the early 1900s, Charles retired and moved to Mansfield, Ohio. Cyrus continued to operate the fruit farm under the name of Gatton & Sons Fruit Farm to mark management of the farm by Cyrus, Earl, and Earl s sonin-law Van Dola Wade, husband to Nell. Cyrus left his mark on the farm by building an addition to the Big House in 1910 and in his later years building the small retirement home on the farm, which now serves as the main office for Wade & Gatton. The Big House expansion allowed Nell ( ) and Van Dola ( ), and their four sons (Cye, Richard, Burr, and Robert) to live on the farm. The Big House on the farm is actually two entire homes joined by a central telephone room on the first floor, and two perpendicular hallways on the second floor. Each side of the home originally included its own bathroom and three bedrooms on the second floor, as well as its own living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor. Earl Gatton and his family lived in the north side of the house, while Nell and her family lived in the south side. BECOMING A NURSERY Workers on the Gatton Brother Fru it Farm preparing the fruit for landing on the B&O Rail road. In the early 1900s, times were changing due to the rise of the automobile and the building of roads across the state. Fruit was no longer being shipped by rail car and the business was no longer as profitable. Cyrus and his grandson, Cye Wade ( ), the son of Van Dola and Nell, decided to start a small nursery to supplement the family income. Since Cyrus Gatton was still the property owner of the farm, the name chosen for this new business was Gatton & Wade Nursery. This eventually became today s Wade & Gatton. Cyrus Gatton died just 10 years after the birth of the nursery. The wives of the family, Pearl Gatton, Nell Wade and Adelia Gatton, each started their own small private gardens around the residences on the farm. Upon the death of Cy Gatton, the nursery and fruit farm were inherited by Nell Wade, and Earl and Bess Gatton. Cye Wade was the main operator of the nursery along with his parents, Nell and Van Dola Wade. THE END OF THE FRUIT FARM & THE GROWTH OF THE NURSERY In the early 1960s, Cye Wade began buying the farm from the older generation of Nell Wade, and Earl and Bess Gatton. The fruit farm business had continued to decline and was officially faded away. The nursery business, however, was growing. Cye Wade, seeing this business opportunity, purchased several additional farms in the Bellville area. He renamed Gatton & Wade Nursery to Wade & Gatton. This name change was made to indicate that Cye Wade was now the head of the business. Cye Wade as the new owner and operator decided to plant Christmas trees on these new properties. In 1930, Cye Wade welcomed his only son, Van Ross Wade ( ), who joined the family business as a teenager. Isaac Gatton harvesting potatoes in The Gatton cousins: from left to right: Jim Gatton, Jerr y Gatton, and Van Wade.

3 Van s original contribution to the family business was to expand the nursery by developing the landscaping division and services. In 1950, he married Shirley Varner, and together they welcomed three sons, Steven, Thomas, and Brian; and one daughter, Linda. Van also purchased a farm (modern day 6715 Garber Road) from his in-laws, William and Betty Miller, and used this property to plant additional Christmas trees. This farm became what is today s cut-your-own Christmas tree farm for Wade & Gatton. A MAN WITH A VISION & PASSION ite Pine Van & Shirley Wade s first crop of Wh Farm Tree as istm Chr e hand dug off of Wad In 1962, Cye Wade met an untimely death at a railroad crossing in the valley. As Cye Wade was still making payments to buy the farm from Earl and Bess Gatton and Nell (Gatton) Wade, Van inherited the payments and continued to purchase the farm. He expanded the main farm by purchasing additional properties throughout the Clear Fork Valley. In the early 1980s, Van and Shirley began expanding the small gardens originally started at the main farm by Pearl and Adelia Gatton, and Nell Wade. The sales area was expanded with the building of multiple polyhouses, along with a truck loading area on the lower level of the nursery, along with several pump houses for irrigation purposes. Van and Shirley, along with their sons, grew the business into what you see today. r Fork A view of the Big House from the Clea e Wad the of t River prior to the developmen Botanical Gardens. Wade & Gatton Today Today, Wade and Gatton includes about 900 acres of shade and ornamental trees, and evergreens; a four-acre garden center which includes multiple poly-houses full of perennials, hostas, daylilies, and other plants; and the Wade Botanical Gardens. The original Big House still stands at the top of a small hill, surrounded by the botanical gardens, the garden center (including the small home), and nursery. Well over 5,000 varieties of shade and ornamental trees, flowering shrubs, vines, groundcovers and perennials--including hostas, daylilies, and daffodils--can be studied and observed at Wade & Gatton, the various farms, the botanical gardens, and the garden center. during the height A view of Wade Botanical Gardens of Daylily season. The botanical gardens designed and built by Van are located on the hillside of the main farm. They feature over 3,500 hostas and over 2,000 varieties of daylilies, along with other perennials, trees, and shrubs in a woodland setting. The gardens include giant Canadian hemlocks, white oaks, 100-year-old Sugar Maples, 70-year-old white pines and 90-foot-tall European larch, which add tall overhead shade to the small stream and waterfall within the gardens. Several acres of intensely planted perennials, are well labeled and display in attractively designed beds and grassy walkways. The paths are primarily grassy walkways, while some are concrete, and others brick or gravel. Many walkways are for the young at heart and other surefooted gardeners, but staff are more than happy to provide a golf cart ride to anyone who seeks a lift. Sitting patios are well placed throughout the gardens and garden center. The last garden being built by Van Ross was left unfinished, as he passed away April 26, 2017, at the age of 86. LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE With the passing of Van Ross, his wife, Shirley, is now the primary owner of the farms and Wade & Gatton. Van and Shirley s sons, Steve and Brian, continue the work of their ancestors. Steve serves as the maintenance manager, while Brian is the general manager. Brian s wife, Cheryl, who has worked at Wade & Gatton since 1974, serves as office administrator and their son, Daniel, operates the landscaping division. Steve s son, Mark, works in the field maintenance and digging departments. Van Ross Wade, taken during the early 2000 s. Scarlet Oaks lining the Richland County Bike Trail (the original B & O Railroad) Above: The Wade Christmas tree Farm located on Garber Road in Bellville, Ohio. Left: Another view of the Wade Christmas tree Farm located on Garber Road in Bellville, Ohio.

4 Visiting Wade & Gatton and Botanical Gardens LOCATION & HOURS The Big House taken in the 1990 s The main nursery, garden center, and botanical gardens are located at: 1288 Gatton Rocks Road Bellville, OH Wade & Gatton and Wade Botanical Gardens are open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. They are closed on holidays and every Sunday. From the months of January through March, Wade & Gatton is closed on both Saturdays and Sundays. VISITING THE WADE BOTANICAL GARDENS se The Big House - this side of the hou ton. Gat l Ear by was inhabited The botanical gardens are best viewed during peak bloom season, starting in mid-june through the beginning of August. Please allow a minimum of two hours to see the gardens. It is easy to spend half a day and still have more to see! We suggest visiting multiple times a year to see how the seasons impact our beautiful gardens. Touring Our Gardens On Your Own: Visitors who are interested in the botanical gardens are welcome during regular business hours to tour the gardens individually at their leisure. A personal walking tour can also be scheduled ahead of time as well by calling the main office at (419) The botanical gardens are home to numerous picnic tables located throughout the gardens for your convenience. You are welcome to bring your own lunch and have a picnic in the garden! The entrance to the Wade Botanical Gardens. Touring Our Gardens as a Group: We welcome family groups, garden clubs, church groups, youth organizations, and any group of gardening enthusiasts to schedule a group tour. Gardening groups can schedule tours of the botanical gardens through the main office by calling (419) Please call ahead and schedule your tour so that we can put out the welcome mat. The welcome mat includes complimentary lemonade, peach iced tea, ice water, cookies and a free plant for everyone in the group! We also can help you work with local restaurants that will cater meals at the gardens for your group. The botanical gardens are home to a garden house which can hold up to 50 people as well as numerous picnic tables located throughout the gardens for your convenience. Directions to Wade & Gatton Wade & Gatton is centrally located in Ohio. We are 15 miles south of Mansfield, three miles East of Bellville, and two miles west of Butler. We are located at the midway point between Cleveland and Columbus, approximately eight miles from I-71. If coming from the South: Take I-71 North to SR 97 East (Exit 165). Go approximately two miles into the small town of Bellville. In Bellville, you will take a left at the first traffic light and follow Main Street through the center of town. You will cross over the bike trail, pass by the Dairy Belle and Muffler Ship on your right. Turn right just passed the Muffler Shop to continue on ST 97 East. Follow SR 97 East approximately 3 miles and you will pass Clear Fork High School on the left. The first road on the right passed the High School is Dill Road. You will see a large Wade & Gatton sign here. Turn right onto Dill Road and follow approximately 1.5 miles to the main farm. Follow signs into Wade & Gatton. If coming from the North: Take I-71 South to SR 13 South (Exit 169). Take a left onto SR 13 South and go approximately 8 miles into the small town of Bellville. Take a left onto SR 97 East and follow SR 97 East approximately 3 miles. You will pass Clear Fork High School on the left. The first road on the right passed the High School is Dill Road. You will see a large Wade & Gatton sign here. Turn right onto Dill Road and follow approximately 1.5 miles to the main farm. Follow signs into Wade & Gatton. Special Note: All are welcome to traverse our gardens and sales area, but we are not responsible for slips or falls in and around our polyhouses, garden house,s or gardens. We water extensively, and timbers and railroad ties can become slippery. Our walks and paths often wash out during heavy rainstorms, and are mulched and graveled, but often are difficult to traverse. Please be careful when walking in any of the areas, especially after rains or in the early morning! Van Ross Wade inspecting one of his giant hostas. The hosta gardens at Wade Botanical Gardens. Swamp white oaks that were grown at Wade & Gatton and now are located at the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City.

5 Wade & Gatton 1288 Gatton Rocks Rd, Bellville, OH (419) wadeandgattonnurseries.com