Grower Field Days

If you’ve longed to visit Provence and the iconic lavender fields, but don’t have time or money, the next best thing can be found in Niles, Michigan at Lavender Hill Farm. Owner, Martha Wilczynski’s farm boasts the perfect soil for lavender. They offer pre-cut bundles or pick your own during the season. The season for lavender in the Midwest varies like the region’s temperatures. It’s a must to check the status before getting in the car!

Many growers offer field days during the bloom season so that we can visit, and see in person, what a flower looks like before choosing to plant it in our own gardens. Early in the summer, you can find displays of peonies and iris (Hostas are at their peak during this time as well). Mid-summer brings on daylilies, Dahlias, Lavender and roses.

Gardens

1. Roses, peonies and irises can be seen in a garden setting at Cooley Gardens, 213 West Main Street at Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI, (517)483-4332 or 483-4277.
2. Dahlia Hill, 2809 Orchard Drive, Midland, MI 48640 (989)631-0100.
3. Iris Warehouse is a working nursery that displays more than 1,000 varieties of iris. Call before visiting, 1903 Culver Hill Drive, Williamston, MI 48895, (517) 655-9222.
4. The Display Garden on Suncrest is a small yet colorful garden adjacent to the Lapeer County Medical Care Facility. It might not be worth a detour, but it’s nice to know it’s there, it is handicap accessible, is open daily dawn to dusk, and contains small collections of Hostas, Heucheras and Hydrangeas . 1455 Suncrest Drive, Lapeer, MI.
5. Hidden Lake Gardens features a huge Hosta collection, all labeled so that you can decide which of the 800+ varieties to plant in your home garden. 6214 Monroe Road (M50) Tipton, Michigan 49287, (517) 431-2060
6. The Peony Garden at University of Michigan has the largest peony collection in the country. The garden is located within Nichols Arboretum, 1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (734)647-7600.
7. Veldheer Tulip Farm 12755 Quincy Street, Holland, MI 49424 (616) 399-1900.
8. Windmill Island Gardens, 1 Lincoln Avenue, Holland MI 49423, (888) 535-5792

All America Selections Gardens offer an overview of the latest annual flowers and vegetables. Two public gardens in Michigan are great places to see these annual plants:

• Dow Gardens, 1809 Eastman Avenue, Midland, MI 48640
• Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing MI 48824, (517) 355-5191 Ext 1359. A map of the gardens is available.

I really enjoy visiting these gardens and growers’ fields. How did I find them? A Google search is my first foray into the hidden world of plants. I’ve made lists of “must see” spots around a vacation destination, and I visit Michigan several times each year.