GARDEN CENTER • ARBORETUM • BOTANIC GARDENS
Don’t miss the Artisan Market on Sept. 19th!
We are now closed on Sundays for the rest of the season.
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
The Poppies That Always Came Back
Mom loved poppies.
She didn’t love them in an “oh, those are pretty” casual way. She loved them in the way you love something that feels like part of who you are. Wherever there was a garden, there were poppies. Especially in the front yard. They showed up along edges, in beds, tucked between perennials, and sometimes in places no one remembered planting them at all. That was the magic of them. They cheerfully reseeded themselves every year, as if they had been invited. These were the heirloom poppies like Papaver somniferum. The old varieties that carry stories in their genetics. Lavender, white, pale or hot pink, and endless variations in between. Mom helped them along, of course. Some years intentionally, some years without even realizing it. In the fall she gathered the dried pods. I remember watching her shake them, listening to their hollow rattle. She knew what it meant. Some seeds were carefully saved, others passed along, and many simply slipped away as she moved through the garden. They fell where they wanted, and she let them.
2026: Our Most Exciting Tree & Shrub Year Yet
We’ll be honest — we say this every year. But 2026 really is different. This is the largest and most diverse tree and shrub selection we’ve ever offered, and putting it together has been genuinely exciting for our whole team. Whether you’re planting a single specimen tree or building a serious collection, there has never been a better time to see what we have growing.
One of the biggest stories this year is our expanded native selection. We’re offering more native trees and shrubs than ever before — plants that support pollinators and wildlife while being perfectly at home in our Midwestern climate. We’ve devoted a separate article entirely to natives, so if that’s your passion, make sure you read that one too.
2026 New Hostas & Perennials
Every year, as we pore over plant catalogs and study offerings from our trusted growers, we find ourselves imagining what will feel fresh and exciting in your gardens for the year ahead. We want our selections to provide plants that not only have a strong garden performance, but that also have that collector-worthy detail or extra little spark that makes you say, “I have to find a place for this.”
In the Shade Garden
There’s something especially satisfying about a shade garden that feels layered and textural—where blues sit next to golds, smooth leaves contrast with corrugated ones, and every turn offers a subtle surprise. This year’s new hostas help create exactly that feeling.
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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
