12 Most Beautifully Landscaped Governor’s Mansions

On the east lawn of the Kentucky Capitol, perched on a bluff above the Kentucky River in Frankfort, stands the Governor’s Mansion. The 25-room mansion, built in the Beaux-Arts architectural style, dates back to 1914.

The Kentucky Governor’s Mansion is, simply put, a gem. Yet the stunning limestone structure wouldn’t be quite the gem it is without the superb landscaping. The tidy, bursting-with-color landscaping accentuates what’s already an attractive and treasured asset.

The mansion’s grounds consist of formal gardens in the front, a private space in the back, a small memorial garden, a rain garden, a vegetable garden and an activity area. Two people are assigned to maintain the grounds, but other landscapers and horticulturists chip in as needed.

“We are so fortunate to have such a talented staff here to work with. It takes a high level of dedication to accomplish all the things that we do to provide our visitors with a world-class display,” says Garth Larson, who oversees 700 landscaped acres at the mansion, the Capitol and other state-owned properties.

Photo: WKMS/Wikimedia Commons

Larson says that every year, the mansion’s grounds feature a summer landscaping design and a winter landscaping design, as well as designs for special events. Among the landscaping highlights are beech, dogwood and elm trees, along with ivy and Weeping Katsura.

Larson says he’s pursuing certification of the Capitol grounds, including the Governor’s Mansion, as a botanical garden and arboretum. In our estimation, such certification is well deserved.

“We are charged with being good stewards of the commonwealth’s resources,” Larson says of the landscaping for state facilities, “and we take this very seriously.”

Here at LawnStarter, we take landscaping and lawn care seriously, too. We believe that seriously good landscaping deserves high praise, so we’ve put the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion atop our list of the 12 Most Beautifully Landscaped Governor’s Mansions. Read on to see whether the governor’s mansion in your state made the cut.