Welcome to my zone 9 garden. My roots are deeply planted in the sandy soil of sub-tropical central Florida, where the summers are long and hot, but the rest of the year is paradise!

Friday, August 17, 2012

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.

16 comments:

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Dear Susan ~ Thank you for this delightful, refreshing and colorful tour. I can almost feel being there. I think the flower that you didn't know what it was is, Queen Anne's Lace. I love those white lacy looking blooms. I love the hydrangeas against the stone walls of what looks like a church. That was wonderful.

We've just had a thunderstorm, giving us more rain and some T & L too, of course.

Hugs ~ FlowerLady

Anonymous said...

Wow - what an absolutely beautiful place. And for those of us who aren't able to travel anytime soon . . . a special treat (blog-traveling).

Mackinac Island looks like pure perfection.

Leslie Kimel said...

Thanks for letting me live vicariously. What a gorgeous place! Everything is so lush yet so tidy! My favorite is the pink-purple-white garden.

Sheri - Creative Spaces Landscaping said...

What an incredible place...I have never seen so many flowering plants!!! I
bet it was overwhelming sensory overload, lol. Thank you for sharing your
trip to flora & fauna wonderland :)

Happy Gardening & best wishes,

Sheri
www.pompanobeachgardening.blogspot.com

Roslyn said...

Those gardens are amazing. I can only imagine the work that goes on to have them looking so perfect. I never even knew you could get a climbing hydrangea. Now I want one. Thanks for taking us with you around all these wonderful gardens.

Susan said...

Hi Flowerlady...Thanks for the I.D. on the Queen Anne's lace. I've heard of that plant but have never seen it. It's beautiful!

Hi Eli...It definitely is pure perfection. So much beauty everywhere.

Hi Leslie...It would be hard to pick a favorite but mine would have to be that border leading down the pathway. I kept studying it because it was so beautiful.

Hi Sheri...I'm always glad to find another Florida gardener. Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to visiting your blog.

Hi Missy...One thing about most of these gardens is that they're small so it's probably a little easier to maintain, but they definitely do go all out.

Floridagirl said...

What a fabulous, charming place! My husband visited the island often as a kid and has bragged about its idyllic beauty a lot. You were lucky to have been able to visit it. The hydrangeas and dahlias and all that cleome really make me miss my old garden.

David said...

My dream place to visit! Your photo essay is stupendous and enchanting.
Will you be able to come home?
I could never leave a place like that...until it starts to snow.
David/:0)

Ami said...

Hi, Susan: What a beautiful garden you have shared, thanks!!! I especially love that garden walkway, just gorgeous. Looking forward to seeing some more close-up pictures in your future post!

Susan said...

Hi FloridaGirl...Your husband is absolutely right...it is idyllic.

Hi David...I'm still thinking about it and dreaming about spending the summer in such a quaint and charming place.

Hi Ami...Yes, that walkway was exceptional. I'll be posting on it soon.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful place!I love the gate with the circular opening!Brother
and SIL live in Michigan and visit there every summer

gardenmom said...

Beautiful, notthing else to say. simply beautiful

Rusty in Miami said...

Wow, if we could only grow flowers like that in Florida. Thanks for the tour

Unknown said...

Definitely Queen Anne's lace. Unfortunately, it is an invasive species

Unknown said...

Meant to ask, besides the gardens at the Grand Hotel, are there other large gardens to explore on the island or even in the area on the main land? We will be visiting this area in about a week.

Thanks in advance!

Susan said...

Greg, There aren't any other large gardens on the island, but the whole island feels like one big and beautiful garden because there are so many beautiful yards.

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