Michigan, From Above

Chris Beytes

If you didn’t have time to drive the miles across Michigan to visit the six participants in the annual Michigan Garden Plant Tour, here’s an aerial view of what you missed. From upper left: 1) Raker-Roberta’s; 2) Pell Greenhouses; 3) Four Star Greenhouse; 4) Mast Young Plants; 5) Walters Gardens; and 6) Michigan State University.

This was the 18th edition of the Garden Plant Tour, which is a two-week, four-greenhouse, one-university, self-guided tour of outdoor container, and bed annual and perennial trials. The event stretches across the state, from Carlton in the East (just below Detroit) to Zeeland and Grand Rapids in the west, only about 10 miles from Lake Michigan.

The objective of the tour, according to MSU, which coordinates the event website (www.canr.msu.edu/planttour) is “to educate growers and industry professionals about new and existing plant selections and how they perform in different outdoor settings.”

And that it did! During our three-day trip (which included a stop to see Danziger’s private trials), we saw thousands of varieties of annuals and perennials in the ground, in pots and in baskets growing in the tough Michigan summer conditions.

To read the details, go to https://tinyurl.com/Michigan2021. GT