Martha Stewart is sharing her love for Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, after the home and garden icon spent a day strolling through the gardens earlier this month.

Ladew was recognized as the Most Outstanding Topiary Garden in America by the Garden Club of America and one of the 10 incredible topiary gardens around the world by Architectural Digest.

Stewart was one of hundreds of attendees at Ladew’s 17th annual Garden Festival May 2-3, during which visitors can shop for specialty plants, garden ornaments, and antiques from 40 vendors from across the region.

On Stewart’s personal blog and Instagram page, she shared photos from her time at Ladew Gardens, posting photos of flowers, shrubbery and some landscapes of Harvey Ladew’s manor.

“I always try to make the most of business trips by visiting beautiful and interesting places in between scheduled commitments,” she wrote of her May 2 visit to Ladew.

In one photo Stewart posted, she is pictured with Hellebores expert David Culp as well as Garden Festival co-chairs Lynn Janney, Stiles Colwill, Dudley Mason, and Ladew’s Executive Director Emily Emerick.

“If you’re ever in the area, I encourage you to visit Ladew Topiary Gardens,” Stewart wrote in the caption.

Emerick said she hopes to welcome Stewart back to the garden soon.

“It was a true privilege to host such an icon,” Emerick said in a news release.

Proceeds from the annual festival are used to preserve the 22-acre historic topiary gardens, the property’s Manor House and Butterfly House, the Children’s Environmental Education Program that serves nearly 4,000 children each year, and garden events and educational programming, according to a news release.

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com.