The Gardens of Mackinac Island

We recently enjoyed a visit to Mackinac Island in Michigan. One of the most enjoyable parts for me were all the beautiful flowers and gardens.

The weather was perfect....highs in the low 70's and lows in the mid 60's. Do I hear a bunch of sighs out there? Yes, those temps were a nice break from our endless summer in Florida.

 This particular garden walkway was fabulous. I'll share more up close photos of this garden in another post as it was absolutely picture-perfect!

Don't you love these flower boxes? Breathtaking!

Here's a close-up shot.

To a Florida gardener the dahlias are X-tra special and X-tra large.

Striking color!

There were many containers overflowing with pretty color combinations.

I felt like I was walking through a garden magazine. So much beauty everywhere.

This gardener used only 3 colors...pink, purple and white.

Here's a another view of the same garden.

 This gardener filled the front bed with zinnias only. Love how the colors blend nicely with the house color. 

This was a particularly pretty garden area with a great view.

This is another shot of the garden above.

And, there's nothing like looking through a circular opening in a garden gate to grab your attention. The vine is a climbing hydrangea. 

Hydrangeas appear to be a signature plant on the island as most people have them in their garden.

Really nice color combinations.

Isn't this place adorable? So colorful and welcoming. So much candy for the eyes.

The butterfly house was landscaped very nicely and they had a nice array of butterflies, too.

Slopes like this one on the fort were landscaped with mostly wildflowers (yes, that's goldenrod). This particular one included some hollyhocks, too. 

 So much color everywhere. I feel like I've died and gone to heaven.

Love the cat hidden amongst the flowers.

And, how about this...they even know how to make a garbage can look pretty.

More of the beautiful hydrangeas in the landscape.

The Grand Hotel had tons of colorful flowers.

And a long border filled with zinnias and sunflowers.

Lots of wildflowers were blooming on the island.

Here's a pretty collection on the beach.

Not sure what this large bud is...but it's pretty cool looking.
Added Note: Thanks Flowerlady over at Flowerlady's Musings for identifying this plant. She said it looks like Queen Anne's Lace.

Here's what the flower looks like when it's fully opened. 

Goldenrod tucked in between the large white rocks that are common throughout the island.

And, I'd be remiss if I didn't include a photo of the Mackinac Bridge . . . a fantastic sight, too. 

If you ever get the chance to visit Mackinac Island...you won't be disappointed. It's a wonderful place to meander around...relax...ride bikes...and tour by horse carriage. 

There's lots of fresh air, clean water and beautiful gardens. Definitely one of my favorite trips.