Friday Garden Tours - May 20, 2005
Friday Tour—Garden 1: Windmill Island
The tour begins with our first stop at Windmill Island.
Visitors come by the thousands during Holland, Michigan's Tulip Time Festival in May.
The colorful tulips, klompen dancers, and spectacular multi-media show along
with community parades and special events bring tour groups from all over the world.
This 36-acre island of manicured gardens, dikes, canals, and picnic areas
is visited by guests from all over the world and will be most enjoyable.
Friday Tour—Garden 2: Alexander & Hutchinson Gardens
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Hutchinson Garden Gazebo
Photo by T. Greco
(click photo to enlarge) |
From here, it is onto Fennville, MI to the Alexander and Hutchinson gardens.
These two gardens are located across the street from each other.
The Hutchinson property is on over 30 acres. The garden is about four acres and includes a stunning pond and gazebo set amongst fragrant white dogwoods.
This peaceful setting is incredibly beautiful from every point if view--even the lovely photo shown at left by Tony Greco does not do it full justice.
The Alexander property consists of many azaleas and rhododendrons, along with dogwoods and Japanese maples, sitting amongst eastern white pines
which were planted over 20 years ago.
Friday Tour—Garden 3: The Hartsuiker Garden
A short ride to the east side of town takes us to the garden of Pete and Trevah Hartsuiker. They describe their garden as follows:
"The inspiration for our landscaping came from the Flower Show in the Chicago 30 years ago.
We attended the show with friend, pharmacist, and landscape designer, Ross Alexander and his wife, Edna, in 1975.
By the following spring, Ross had prepared a design plan for us. Construction began immediately, with a June deadline for an outdoor graduation party.
We, along with Ross and two of his sons, personally did all the excavating, planting and grooming.
In addition to several mature oaks, the lawn includes numerous azaleas, rhododendrons, ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials.
A special feature of this lawn is a beautiful pond with a fountain, edged with railroad ties.
There are various cedar fences, brick patios, and other seating areas that provide several places to relax and enjoy the beauty o the plantings
and extensive wildlife in this country setting.
It has been a popular spot for several social functions and family portraits."
Friday Tour—Garden 4 & 5: The Hop Garden & Wavecrest Nursery
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Wavecrest Nursery
Photo by C. Hibler
(click photo to enlarge) |
Our lunch stop will be at the home of Bruce and Carol Hop which is located on the shore of Lake Michigan.
We will enjoy a pig roast with all the trimmings. (A substitute box lunch can also be ordered through the hotel for those who don't like pork.)
The Hop garden consists of many magnolias, dogwoods, redbuds, along with 40-year old azaleas and rhododendrons.
Also part of this stop will be a visit to Wavecrest Nursery, (www.wavecrestnursery.com) which is owned by the Carol and Bruce.
When you visit Wavecrest, the experience will be unlike a visit to any other nursery.
We are situated along the shore of Lake Michigan and our Garden Center is nestled into a beautiful woodland setting just across the street from the Lake.
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Barn Owl Shop at Wavecrest
Photo by C. Hibler
(click photo to enlarge) |
We specialize in rare and unusual plants, presently growing over 1,400 different varieties of hardy trees and shrubs
and many of our own hybrid selections. Our Garden Center has an extensive collection of hand carved granite bird baths
with lanterns and benches, fine gardening tools, brass and bronze sundials and water features, cast stone, concrete and
aluminum fountains and statuary, as well as Japanese lanterns, bonsai tools and equipment, and bird watching and feeding supplies.
Unlike most nurseries and garden centers, we propagate and grow nearly everything that we sell and try to focus on
rare and unusual varieties that will add individuality and uniqueness to your garden. Our displays are arranged much
like a fine garden and will suggest many combinations of plants for your consideration.
Friday Tour—Garden 6: The Button Art Gallery
Our next stop will be to the Button Art Gallery, home of Arthur Frederick.
The authentic English garden in Douglas, MI has an aura to it reminiscent of the classic children's novel, The Secret Garden.
Designed and planted 38 years ago by Saugatuck horticulturist and landscape architect Charles Mann.
Commissioned by the Gallery's founder, Russell Button, to create the natural masterpiece, Mann employed accents of rhododendrons,
azaleas, flowering trees, and a multitude of plantings.
Mann said Button chose to have an English garden created because it reminded him of his English heritage.
Frederick said the climate in Saugatuck resembles that of England because the lake effect results in less severe winter temperatures
and cooler spring weather.
Japanese holly, heather, mountain laurel, day and garden lilies, maiden hair ferns, birch, dogwood and numerous flowering
trees fill the garden along with an assortment of other flowers and ground cover plants.
This English garden also has the Oriental influence in such accents as Japanese oaks, pines, maples, and cherries.
Friday Tour—Garden 7: Rosebay Nursery
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Linda Charvat at Rosebay Nursery
Photo by T. Greco
(click photo to enlarge) |
Our final stop will be Rosebay Nursery which was established in 1977 by Linda Charvat and Frank Pluta.
After working at various Saugatuck nurseries, they saw a need for field-grown wholesale rhododendrons and azaleas that would be
acclimated to the Michigan climate. The location was chosen for its sandy soil and mature pine trees. Areas were cleared to grow
the plants between the pines, but soon plants were put in more open areas with good results.
The nursery is on 14 acres and has 24 polyhouses, and 27 nearing frames and test gardens around the house.
Due to Rosebay's varied growing environments, new plants can be tested in a number of conditions to determine their
optimum growing requirements. This research is shared with customers to help them in designing and recommending different varieties.
Over 60 varieties of rhododendrons and 15 deciduous azalea hybrids and 3 pieris are grown at the nursery.
Saturday Garden Tours - May 21, 2005
Today's tour will not have as many stops as yesterday.
Saturday Tour—Garden 8: Veldheer's Tulip Farm
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Veldheer's Tulip Farm
(click photo to visit their website) |
Our first stop is at the Veldheer's Tulip Farm. Enjoy the area's most beautiful flower displays
amid windmills, drawbridges, and canals at Holland's only tulip farm and perennial gardens.
Veldheer's Tulip Gardens was established in 1945 by Verne Veldheer. It started as a hobby with 400 bulbs planted in single rows.
Today we plant over 4 million bulbs each year with 400 kinds of tulips, 120 kinds of daffodils, and 200 kinds of accent bulbs,
along with 400 kinds of perennials.
These top quality products are distributed to all 50 states.
Saturday Tour—Garden 9: The Willis Garden
In 1997, Eric Willis and his wife Deona became owners of a home built in the mid-1940's and since then the
homestead for three other families. One of the original owners still lives next door.
She, her sister, and mother, with the help of a local landscaper, developed the original landscape.
It included boxwoods, yews, junipers, vibernum, dogwoods, Jack in the Pulpit, trillium, snowdrops,
hemlocks, spruce, pine, larch, redbuds, ferns, honeysuckle, rhododendrons, and azaleas.
There were additions to the landscape from time to time over the years, including a water
feature but the landscape had deteriorated. So, in 1997, when the property fell into the hands of
owners with a vision and an obsession, changes really began to occur. Since then, the garden area
has tripled to include almost al the 5-acre property. Additions include several wandering 'alleys'
with beautiful views. Azaleas, rhododendrons, hollies, magnolias, witch hazels, Japanese maples,
pieris, euonymous, ground covers including ivy, pachysandra, myrtle, and ajuga, dogwoods, bamboo,
stewartia, pies, and ornamental grasses have all been added. We welcome you to the west coast of
Michigan and are sure you will enjoy our landscape and the many others that our microclimate has
made possible for garden enthusiasts in this part of the world.
Saturday Tour—Garden 10: The Flower Basket
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The Azalea Path at
Charles Mann's Flower Basket
Photo by T. Greco
(click photo to enlarge) |
Created by Charles and Lorna Mann, this was their home for over 60 years.
The Manns were amoung the first in Saugatuck, MI to successfully grow rhododendrons,
zaleas, and hollies and they are noted for having one of the most beautiful gardens
in the Midwest. Their garden was also as a showcase for prospective customers of The
Flower Basket, Mr. Mann's nursery and landscape business.
A very formal English setting was the style of Charles Mann.
Many flowering trees, shrubs, perennials, azaleas, rhododendrons,
and ground covers were used throughout the property.
The property sits on over six acres with the formal garden being over one acre,
located high on a bluff overlooking the Kalamazoo River. There are
garden rooms and outdoor living areas and spectacular vistas created through the
use of different elevations and by the incorporation of terraces, sunken gardens, and stone walls.
Saturday Tour—Garden 11: The Woodlands
This will be our lunch stop where we will have a BBQ with hotdogs and hamburgers.
(Once again, a substituted box lunch can be ordered through the hotel.) This is the
home of John Migas and it is also used as a nursery. The property sits on over 15 acres with his garden of 6 acres.
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Formal Setting at Woodlands
Photo by T. Greco
(click photo to enlarge) |
Here he has been growing and testing azaleas and rhododendrons throughout the property since 1985.
He began his hybridizing experiments after his visit to the 1997 ASA National Convention,
which was held in Atlanta, GA.
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Towering Red Pines at Woodlands
Photo by T. Greco
(click photo to enlarge) |
Once you have visited it, you'll never forget it. The tall red pines planted in rows over 60
years ago create a natural, cathedral-like affect, sheltering many beautiful azaleas,
rhododendrons, dogwoods, crab apples, viburnums and lilacs from the Lake Michigan winds
that often sing softly in the tree tops. The fragrance of these plants is also memorable,
as you walk along the winding flowerbeds, following the natural undulation of the landscape,
until you come upon the more formal English garden. This setting is edged with boxwood and
yews and an ever-changing set of annuals such as impatiences, petunias, begonias, marigolds, and gladiolas.
Saturday Tour—Garden 12: The Alexander Garden
This will be our final stop of the day, the home of the David Alexander
and his family. David is the son of Ross and Edna Alexander, who are
also on the tour.
This beautiful new home on about two acres in Saugatuck, MI has a lovely young garden
and is an excellent example of the results that can be obtained in only a few short years.
Many azaleas, rhododendrons, and companion plants have been arranged in gracefully curving
raised beds with soils of varying compositions. The garden also sports brick walkways and
patios overlooking a peaceful pond.
David loves to discuss his experiments with plants,
fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides with his fellow gardening enthusiasts.
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