Ladew Topiary Gardens Honors Executive Director Emily Wehr Emerick with Namesake Garden Fund

MONKTON, MD (February 11, 2026) Ladew Topiary Gardens is proud to announce the establishment of The Emily Wehr Emerick Garden Fund, a new endowed initiative honoring 25 years of visionary leadership by Executive Director Emily Wehr Emerick. The new fund, created by the Ladew Topiary Gardens Board of Trustees, will ensure the long-term cultivation, preservation, and enhancement of Ladew’s historic 15 garden rooms and elevate the overall visitor experience for generations to come. The Fund’s goal is to raise more than $2 million by 2029.

For more than two decades, Emily Wehr Emerick has guided Ladew Gardens with passion, expertise, and a deep commitment to horticultural excellence. As a way to honor and recognize her enduring impact, Ladew Gardens’ Board established this fund as a dedicated resource to support critical garden maintenance with attention to historically sensitive restoration efforts, as well as strategic improvements to sustain Ladew’s international reputation for garden artistry. Funds will also strengthen the overall visitor experience and support staffing expertise.

“We are so grateful for Emily’s visionary leadership of the past two decades, and are proud to establish this fund in her name,” said Sarah Griswold-Johnson, Chair of the Ladew Gardens Board of Trustees. “Emily’s extraordinary leadership and passion for horticulture have inspired staff and visitors alike, and this fund will ensure Ladew Gardens continues to flourish at the highest standard of garden stewardship.”

“I am so thankful and honored by the creation of this fund,” added Emerick. “Ladew Gardens has been such a special part of my personal and professional life, and it means so much to know that this beautiful, historic place will continue to be thoughtfully preserved and nurtured for the future. I am overjoyed to see this commitment to Ladew’s lasting care and legacy.”

Contributions to The Emily Wehr Emerick Garden Fund may include annual gifts, multi-year pledges, and planned gifts designed to align with donors’ philanthropic and financial goals. Those interested in making a gift online, please see The Emily Wehr Emerick Garden Fund. If you are interested in learning more about the Fund, please contact Neala Lancellotti, Director of Development, at nlancellotti@ladewgardens.com or 410-557-9570 ext. 229.

About Ladew Topiary Gardens: Ladew Topiary Gardens has received the prestigious “Top Five North American Gardens Worth Traveling For” award from the Canadian Garden Tourism Council and was deemed “the Most Outstanding Topiary Garden in America” by the Garden Club of America. Ladew was featured as one of “10 Incredible Topiary Gardens around the World” by Architectural Digest.

Ladew is located on Jarrettsville Pike (MD 146), 14 miles north of the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), exit 27B (Dulaney Valley Road North). Ladew Topiary Gardens is a nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is “to maintain and promote the Gardens, House and facilities in keeping with the creative spirit of Harvey S. Ladew for the public benefit and for educational, scientific and cultural pursuits.”

Both the House and Gardens are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.