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Gardens
Designed by Edith Weeks, Salisbury House’s formal gardens are a blend of English and French landscape design. While the beds and general layout are structured, the rolling lawn and original blend with the woodland are reminiscent of English design and theories about landscape architecture. The terraces, outlined garden beds, and Greco-Roman statues the family initially decorated the garden with are all in the French tradition.
The Salisbury estate has more than 9,000 square feet of garden beds cared for and maintained by our staff and volunteers. Visit our volunteer page to learn more or sign up for our next garden day.
The Salisbury estate has more than 9,000 square feet of garden beds cared for and maintained by our staff and volunteers. Visit our volunteer page to learn more or sign up for our next garden day.
Woodland
Salisbury House maintains roughly six acres of woodland - the largest private woodland in the Des Moines metro. Due to the size of Salisbury’s woodland and close proximity to two heavily wooded parks, it is not uncommon for guests to see deer or foxes out on the property.
A burn is prescribed most years to rid the forest of dead leaves, tree limbs, and other debris while also returning nutrients to the soil, preserving spring wildflowers and native vegetation, and preventing invasive weeds from spreading. It is always performed by a professional who has obtained the necessary permits, and the process takes roughly three hours.
Salisbury House Foundation will not have a prescribed burn in 2025.
Cottage
The cottage is a five-bedroom, single family home that was originally built so that Weeks family staff members could have a space to live on site. While Hud was enlisted during WWII, his wife Nellie and son Cooper lived in the cottage. It is not currently open to the public.
