About Shelter Gardens

Rose Garden
Shelter's Rose Garden includes one of the premier rose collections in mid-Missouri. Here, you see over 50 varieties of hybrid teas, miniatures, shrubs and climbers. The vibrant colors and sweet fragrances of this rose bed are delightful to your senses. Plants are carefully arranged in raised flagstone beds so you can fully appreciate their majestic flowers.

Shade Garden
As you enter the Shade Garden, you sense a feeling of seclusion and privacy. Sunlight filters through the canopy of towering oaks, revealing many varieties of shade-loving foliage. As you stroll along the winding path, you catch a glimpse of the many textures of the Virginia bluebells, hostas, ferns and woodland poppies, plants commonly seen in remote wooded areas of the Mid-west. They retain their beauty during the entire growing season.

Waterfall, Pool and Stream
Mid-America is famous for springs and rivers. In Shelter Gardens, water flows from a high rock formation, falls over a limestone wall and fills a large pool. From there, it flows in a winding stream beneath a walking bridge, and disappears into another rock outcropping, as if ti continue its journey underground. Actually, the water is pumped back to its source and recirculated through the stream. Aquatic plants like cannas, dwarf bamboos and parrot's feather grow in the pool and stream. Flanking the pool is a large, flat-stone patio. Behind the patio, there's a bed of tulips, rhododendron, magnolias and azaleas, all competing for magnificence.

Rock Garden
This unique garden is a blend of rock and flora. Showcased here are the official rocks of the 13 states in which Shelter Insurance operates; and a spectacular arrangement of over 100 varieties of perennials, spring bulbs, herbaceous shrubs and ornamental grasses - all labeled for identification. Spring blooms include daffodils, phlox and the lavender daphne. Summer flowers - veronicas, coreopsis and anemones - show off an array of colors. The flowers of fall include the chrysanthemums, sedums and oakleaf hydrangea.

Conifer Garden
More than 50 rare and unusual conifers display a variety of colors, textures, and shapes in the Conifer Garden. These plants are increasingly popular in landscapes throughout the United States due to their lasting color and their resilience to changing climates. don't be perplexed by the long scientific names of these specimens; each conifer is labeled with a common name that's easy to remember.