Hornbaker Gardens, Inc.

Hornbaker Gardens, Inc. Hornbaker Gardens is located down a secluded country lane a few miles outside of Princeton, Illinois. www.facebook.com/thebarnathornbakergarden/
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Destination Garden Center - Arboretum - Botanical Gardens
Featuring over 400 hosta varieties
Open April 10-October 10
Order Hostas and Daylilies Online All Year We are a Destination Garden Center, Arboretum, and Botanical Gardens attracting plant enthusiasts from across the Midwest. Our Garden Center is open April 10 to October 10 each year. We have a large selection of trees, shrubs, perennials,

natives, annuals, soil, mulch, pottery, statuary, fountains, garden supplies, giftware and garden decor. We are also a Polywood Authorized Distributor - the only one within 40 miles of Princeton, IL. Our inventory is located on our website at HornbakerGardens.com under "Plants and More" and we also Ship Hostas and Daylilies across the United States. We carry over 400 varieites each year, many of which are grown here on in our Hosta Fields. We serve the Illinois Valley and Bureau County areas, as well as traveling for consultations, deliveries, and installations- wherever our customers need us. We have customers from the Chicago suburbs, LaSalle/Peru, Ottawa, Streator, Bloomington, Peoria, Kewanee, Geneseo, the Quad Cities (even the Iowa side), Sterling/Rock Falls and Dixon. The Barn at Hornbaker Gardens is our All-Season event center, perfect for hosting wedding receptions, corporate meetings, community events, and more. It features a great room that seats up to 350, an outdoor ceremony site, Caterer's Kitchen, Bridal Suites, Covered Patio, Firepit, and use of our acreage and display gardens for photography. View The Barn page and contact our Event Coordinators for a tour!

Today we are spotlighting two Illinois natives that do not get talked about nearly enough, and both are in the garden ce...
06/25/2026

Today we are spotlighting two Illinois natives that do not get talked about nearly enough, and both are in the garden center right now.
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a monarch host plant, which means it is one of the plants monarch butterflies need to complete their life cycle. No milkweed, no monarchs. It blooms in soft pink clusters in midsummer, gets 3 to 4 feet tall, and handles wet or low spots in the yard that other plants struggle with. Native bees swarm it from the moment it opens. If you have a soggy corner you do not know what to do with, this is your plant.
New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) is one we get really excited about. It is a compact native shrub that tops out around 3 feet, covered in showy clusters of white flowers in early summer. Bumblebees in particular go absolutely crazy for it. It is also incredibly drought tolerant once established, which makes it a great option for sunny, dry spots where not much else wants to grow. It fixes nitrogen in the soil too, which means it actually improves the ground around it over time.
Two very different plants solving two very different garden problems, and both are supporting pollinators the whole time.
Stop in and we can help you figure out where they fit in your yard.

06/24/2026

Most people think of honeybees when they hear the word pollinator. But honeybees are actually not native to North America. They were brought over from Europe in the 1600s. The real workhorses of our local ecosystems are native bees, and most people have never heard of them.
There are over 400 species of native bees in Illinois alone. Bumblebees, mason bees, sweat bees, leafcutter bees, mining bees. They are out there every single day, and unlike honeybees, many of them are solitary. No hive, no queen, just one bee doing the work. Some of them are so small you would walk right past them without a second glance.
Native bees are also significantly more efficient pollinators than honeybees for many of our native plants. They evolved together. The fit is perfect in a way that imported species simply cannot replicate.
Then there are the butterflies, moths, beetles, and hummingbirds rounding out the picture. Moths alone are responsible for pollinating plants that bloom at night, which is an entire category most gardeners never think about.
All of them need the same basic things: native plants for food and habitat, water, and places to nest. A lot of native bees nest in the ground or in hollow stems. One of the simplest things you can do is leave a patch of bare soil and stop cutting back your perennials in fall.
We will talk more about that on Friday. Tomorrow we are spotlighting two Illinois native plants that pollinators absolutely love.
Hornbaker Gardens | Princeton, IL

Butterfly W**d is one of those plants that does not get nearly enough credit.It is a milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), whic...
06/23/2026

Butterfly W**d is one of those plants that does not get nearly enough credit.
It is a milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), which means it is one of the only plants monarch butterflies can lay their eggs on. No milkweed, no monarchs. It is that simple. But Butterfly W**d goes beyond monarchs. Those bright orange flower clusters are a magnet for native bees, swallowtails, fritillaries, and just about every beneficial insect that passes through your yard.
What surprises a lot of people is that it does not look like the milkweed growing in the ditch along the road. It stays tidy, tops out around 18 to 24 inches, and blooms mid to late summer in some of the most saturated orange you will ever see in a garden. It is also native to Illinois, drought tolerant once established, and perfectly happy in full sun with average to poor soil. It actually prefers it.
The one thing to know before you plant it: Butterfly W**d is slow to emerge in spring. Do not dig it up thinking it is dead. Mark where you planted it and give it time. Once it gets going, it comes back stronger every year.
We have it in the garden center now in several sizes. It is one of the best things you can do for pollinators and it is genuinely a beautiful plant on top of it.
Hornbaker Gardens | Princeton, IL

This week is National Pollinator Week, and it is one we take pretty seriously around here.Pollinators — bees, butterflie...
06/22/2026

This week is National Pollinator Week, and it is one we take pretty seriously around here.
Pollinators — bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and hummingbirds are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. They keep ecosystems running. And they are in serious trouble. Habitat loss, pesticide use, and the spread of non-native plants have all played a role in sharp pollinator population declines over the last few decades.
The good news is that home gardeners can actually make a difference. Native plants are the key. They evolved alongside our local pollinators over thousands of years, which means they provide exactly the right food at exactly the right time. A garden full of native Illinois plants is not just pretty, it is habitat.
All week we are going to be sharing some of our favorite native plants and the pollinators that depend on them. We have expanded our native collection significantly this year, and we want you to know what is out there and why it matters.
Come find us in the garden center if you want to talk through what would work in your space.
Hornbaker Gardens | Princeton, IL

Can we talk about porch geese for a second?Because somewhere along the way, a whole new generation discovered the concre...
06/19/2026

Can we talk about porch geese for a second?
Because somewhere along the way, a whole new generation discovered the concrete goose dressed in a tiny rain slicker and decided this was actually incredible. And they are not wrong.
If you grew up in the Midwest, you already know. The porch goose has been out here quietly holding it down for decades, swapping outfits with the seasons, completely unbothered. And now TikTok found it and suddenly it is a whole thing.
We love to see it. Some trends deserve a comeback.
Do you have a porch goose? Out of pure curiosity we want to know what it is wearing right now.

Hornbaker Gardens | Princeton, IL

Every summer, the flower pots lining Main Street help create the welcoming, vibrant atmosphere that makes Princeton so s...
06/18/2026

Every summer, the flower pots lining Main Street help create the welcoming, vibrant atmosphere that makes Princeton so special. They brighten our magical mile, enhance the visitor experience, and showcase the pride we all share in our community.
What you might not know is that Hornbaker Gardens puts together every one of those pots each year. It is one of those behind the scenes contributions we are always happy to be part of.
The Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce is still looking for 13 more sponsors to fully cover this year's program. For just $125, your sponsorship helps maintain one of the many small touches that make a big difference in keeping Princeton beautiful and inviting. If you would like to sponsor a pot and help Main Street continue to bloom, reach out to the Chamber office directly. Area Chamber of Commerce
It truly takes a community, and we are grateful to play our small part in making Princeton a place we are all proud to call home.
13 pots remaining. $125 per sponsorship. Help us keep Main Street blooming!

One of the most common watering mistakes we see in summer, and honestly it's an easy one to make. is watering a little b...
06/18/2026

One of the most common watering mistakes we see in summer, and honestly it's an easy one to make. is watering a little bit every day. It feels like you're doing right by your plants but what it actually does is keep moisture near the surface, which is where you don't want roots going. What we recommend instead is watering deeply and less often. Get that water down 6 to 8 inches into the soil. Roots will follow the moisture downward, and a plant with deep roots is a plant that can handle the heat of an Illinois July without you babying it every morning. A simple test: stick your
finger two inches into the soil. If it's still moist, hold off. If it's dry, water — and water slowly and thoroughly. Your plants will thank you.

We just planted a hedgerow of Quick Fire hydrangeas along our wedding ceremony site and they are going to be stunning ou...
06/17/2026

We just planted a hedgerow of Quick Fire hydrangeas along our wedding ceremony site and they are going to be stunning out there.
Quick Fire is one of the first panicle hydrangeas to bloom each summer — creamy white flowers that gradually turn pink and red as the season goes on. Months of color, and they are tough as nails. Full sun, heat, cold winters — panicle hydrangeas handle it all better than any other hydrangea we grow.
If you are thinking about adding them to your own yard, they mature at 6–8 feet tall and wide. Give them 6–8 feet of spacing for a natural hedge look, or tighten that up to 4–5 feet if you want something denser. Prune them in late winter before new growth starts — they bloom on new wood so you really can't mess it up.
We have them in the garden center now. Stop in and see the new bed while you're here.
Hornbaker Gardens | Princeton, IL

MYTH BUSTERS: PLANT EDITIONWe hear these every single week. Let's set the record straight. MYTH: You should water your p...
06/16/2026

MYTH BUSTERS: PLANT EDITION
We hear these every single week. Let's set the record straight.
MYTH: You should water your plants every day in summer.
TRUTH: Most plants prefer deep, infrequent watering. Daily shallow watering keeps roots near the surface where they're vulnerable to heat.
MYTH: More fertilizer = more flowers.
TRUTH: Over-fertilizing pushes leafy growth at the expense of blooms. Too much nitrogen and your plant is all leaves, no flowers.
MYTH: Native plants take care of themselves and need no attention.
TRUTH: Natives are lower maintenance once established — but that first season
they need regular watering to get their roots down.

Got a plant question you've always wondered about? Drop it in the comments.

Address

22937 1140 North Avenue
Princeton, IL
61356

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

(815) 659-3282

Website

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