4 Garden Michigan Places to Relax This Summer

Michigan gardeners are making the most of this summer’s warm temperatures to create a beautiful garden in Michigan. Their gardens provide a place for relaxation and enjoying Michigan’s picturesque scenery.

A University of Michigan-led study discovered that gardens on Detroit’s Lower Eastside help combat neighborhood blight while improving community health.

DeTour Village Botanical Gardens

DeTour Village Botanical Gardens add a vibrant splash of color to the Upper Peninsula landscape. Boasting various plants and flowers that you can view independently or join one of their guided tours, DeTour Village Botanical Gardens invites visitors to learn about its history and visit historic barns on-site – plus it’s free! Open year-round.

Are You Searching for Relaxation or Exercise? Look No Further. Stroll through the botanical garden or rest comfortably on one of its benches – also available is a children’s play area and butterfly garden!

This gorgeous garden in Michigan’s Thumb region boasts 26 acres of purple lavender, attracting visitors throughout the state. You’ll find soaps and raw honey at their shop – you can also bring fresh lavender home! Perfect for family trips and romantic getaways alike.

Hidden Lake Gardens near Battle Creek is an idyllic outdoor space with activities. As Michigan’s most extensive botanical garden, Hidden Lake Gardens features an array of flowers and trees – from spring lilac gardens to an elaborate hedge maze – as well as hiking trails and even a greenhouse!

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is one of Grand Rapids’s top tourist spots, boasting acres of flowers, trees, and sculptures for visitors to enjoy. It is an excellent place for relaxing or picnicking with friends.

Dow Gardens may not come to mind immediately when considering botanical gardens in Michigan, but this Midland property ranks among the finest. Started by Herbert Dow and featuring pollinating plants, stream walk, herb garden, and color garden areas – not forgetting particular sites dedicated to pollination plants! Discovering it yourself is free; tickets for special events and programs offered within its 110-acre space may be purchased.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens

Matthaei Botanical Gardens at the University of Michigan are an under-appreciated gem in Ann Arbor. Situated just on the edge of city limits and away from major highways and Nichols Arboretum on campus, they’re far less crowded. You’ll likely spot woodland wildflowers and native orchids here, too – making for an exceptional botanical garden experience!

Longwood Gardens has over ten display gardens, miles of trails, natural areas, and three climate conservatories. In addition, there is also a visitor center, gift shop, restrooms, and other amenities, as well as a historic farmhouse from the 1860s that dates back to these gardens. All this for free except a small parking fee applies – students may get a discounted membership for just $15 annually!

At the botanical garden, four nature trails are covering 3.2 miles. These trails are named for the types of landscapes they encompass and feature, such as wetlands with an old farm dam, woodland with oak, maple, hickory, and sassafras trees, and prairie grasses and shrubs – including Sam Graham Trees Trail! There is also an assortment of Michigan native plants such as these, such as Sam Graham Trees Trail!

One of the highlights of the gardens is their Tropical House, which houses an exotic collection that cannot thrive in Michigan’s climate, such as Ananas comosus, bromeliads, Caryota mitis (given to Smith College in 1924), Cocos nucifera, and tree-ferns – including rare species like Cyrtocybe henry.

Gateway Garden of New World Plants, featuring ornamental species native to South and Central America. The garden offers indigenous species and hybridized selections created from hybridization with native species. Alongside plants, you’ll also find birds and insects native to these parts of the world – plus, it is open year-round, though closed during winter.

Nichols Arboretum

Nichols Arboretum is an oasis for University of Michigan students to relax and enjoy its natural beauty during summer break, located near the Medical Center and Central Campus. Ideal for walking, running, picnicking, and reading books alike – you’ll find sections like a children’s garden, herb garden, and rock garden within its walls – not to mention a labyrinth and bonsai collection and museum and historic farmhouse on-site!

The Arboretum is an educational landscape intended to teach visitors about plants and the ecosystems in which they exist. Its design contrasts native forests with plant collections. O. C. Simonds was one of the original architects behind its creation; his philosophy held that viewing plants in their natural environments was the best way to understand them.

Ann Arbor Gardens boasts over 800 species of trees and shrubs worldwide, open from spring through autumn for visitors to explore. Free to visit, this space provides plenty of things to see and do for everyone visiting, making them perfect spots for picnics or photo opportunities!

Nichols Arboretum, commonly called The Arb, is one of the go-to spots for University of Michigan students to relax or socialize. Situated near Central Campus and the Medical Center, its beauty makes it a pleasant and tranquil space where one can walk, read, or unwind. There are various areas within The Arb; one such Main Valley attracts students looking to sunbathe or play frisbee – ideal spots where Ericaceous plants such as Azaleas or Dog-Hobble grow as well as mountain laurel, Hemlock, and Sassafras species!

Notable features of the Arb include Maple Glen, which showcases maples from all around the world; Hillside Oak Grove contains both native and exotic oak trees; multiple entrances can be found around Geddes Avenue; Washington Heights has one near James D. Reader Urban Environmental Education Center near U-M hospitals; as well as several commemorative gates bearing “UM.”

Historic Barns Park

Garden is a village in Delta County, Michigan, located on Garden Peninsula, bordered by Bay de Noc. According to the 2000 census, its population stood at 240 people. Garden Bay State Park provides hiking opportunities while boasting beautiful forests and fields, attracting many campers and fishermen alike.

Historic Barns Park is an incredible community gathering spot. once an agricultural area for Traverse City State Hospital, this 56-acre corner of Grand Traverse Commons has been transformed into an unparalleled regional center for public recreation, agriculture, horticulture, and environmental design. Now home to several community vegetable gardens, trails, and scenic landscapes – as well as Cathedral Barn, an event space offering wedding and event rentals – Historic Barns Park stands alone as a remarkable community resource.

Hiawatha National Forest and Cooks and Garden Plains offer families looking for outdoor activities in a picturesque environment a great spot. There is something here for every level of a hiker: hiking and biking trails offer challenging climbs or strolls through the lush forests; two-track roads can also provide casual exploration. Hiawatha National Forest provides plenty of hiking and biking trails in its diverse environment; informal two-track roads also make exploration convenient. Finding your ideal path with such diverse terrain and landscapes will not be challenging!

Garden offers stunning scenery, numerous restaurants and shops, and historical museums to visit, and is famous for berry farming. Additionally, innumerable festivals occur here each year, including the Garden Festival.

Garden’s vacation homes and cottages allow guests to take full advantage of its natural surroundings, from pet-friendly rentals to non-smoking options. Many vacation homes are situated near hiking and biking trails for you to experience the great outdoors during your getaway.

Garden is a small rural community in northern Michigan with low living costs and an outstanding quality of life. Conveniently situated near Traverse City, there’s plenty to do here!