The Metro area is abloom with eye-popping landscapes this month, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy them all summer long, from garden-club tours featuring private home gardens to public facilities offering everything from Mother’s Day feasts to plant sales.
Of course, garden events are nothing new. Just ask Mary Schwark, a steering committee member for the Troy Garden Walk, who is excited to welcome flower and plant lovers to the group’s 50th annual walk, or Sue Welcome, president of the Franklin Garden Club, who is counting the days to her club’s 40th annual walk. The club rolls out the welcome mat on June 18 at several private gardens in Beverly Hills, West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, and Bloomfield Township.
Here are some gardens and events we recommend checking out this spring and summer:
Private Garden Walks
Ann Arbor Garden Walk
Tour two side-by-side gardens located in the Old West Side, a historic home and garden, a ranch-style home with an updated garden, and a midcentury modern home’s
urban farm. June 14. annarborfarmandgarden.org.
Franklin Garden Walk
Botanical buffs can start or end their tour at the artisan market, which is located next to the Franklin Community Park and open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 18.
franklingardenclub.org.
Rochester Garden Club and Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm Garden Walk
Besides the gardens, the day also includes a 10:30 a.m. presentation, a cookie room, a native plant sale, and access to museum exhibits. June 19. rochestergardenclub.org/public-events.
Grosse Pointe Garden Center’s Garden Tour
See seven gardens, artists painting in the gardens, an MSU Extension Master Gardener Program information table, a garden shop, and more. June 20-21. gpgardencenter.org.
Trailwood Garden Club’s Flowers Are Forever Garden Walk
Explore several gardens in the Plymouth area, plus visit a perennial sale and garden-treasures boutique. June 24. trailwoodgardenclub.com.
Country Garden Club of Northville Garden Walk
Find artisans, plant sales, and more, plus vendors who offer unique garden-related treasures and plant material. July 9. cgcnv.org/garden-walk.
Troy Garden Club Garden Walk
July 9. The 50th anniversary walk has a “Garden Stories” theme. Visit the Mid-summer Arts & Crafts Boutique, watch plein air painters, and more. July 9. troygardenclubmi.com.
Clarkston Farm & Garden Club Garden Walk
The event includes an artisan market and a special program that features coupons for lunch discounts at local restaurants. July 16. clarkstongardenclub.org.
Public Gardens
Detroit Abloom Farm & Wellness Garden, Detroit
It’s a 2-acre urban garden in the middle of a residential neighborhood that was transformed from blighted land to beautiful oasis. detroitabloom.com.
Lafayette Greens, Detroit
A green space and urban garden next door to the famous Coney Island features public art, and its focus is on flowering plants and pollinator education. Open Mon.-Fri. greeningofdetroit.com/greenspaces.
Oudolf Garden Belle Isle, Detroit
Renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf turned 3 acres into a Main Garden, a Rain Garden, Piet’s Bird Border, and the Meadows. The nearby Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory reopened last December after a $10 million renovation. oudolfgardendetroit.org; belleisleconservancy.org.
Meadow Brook Hall, Rochester
Features include the Breakfast Garden, the Pegasus Fountain, a rose garden, a rock layout, a teahouse, and English walled flower beds. An early Mother’s Day tea (Friday, May 9) brimming with sweets and savories includes a self-guided tour of the mansion and grounds. meadowbrookhall.org.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
This destination includes 11 outdoor gardens, an indoor conservatory, trails, and many varieties of peonies (in June). The Spring Plant Sale runs May 10-11, while the Peony Sale runs May 31-June 1. mbgna.umich.edu.
Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores
Here, you’ll find lush gardens and sweeping lawns, plus scenic paths overlooking Lake St. Clair. Two seatings for a Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday, May 11, are scheduled in the Lake Shore Room. Decadent offerings from scones and omelets to fluffy pancakes await. fordhouse.org.
Cranbrook House & Gardens, Bloomfield Hills
More than 20 gardens with trees, statuary, lakes, and more surround Cranbrook House. Don’t miss the May 16-17 native plant sale. housegardens.cranbrook.edu.
This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on May 5.
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