Category Archives: LANDSCAPING & GARDEN CENTERS

Meijer Gardens once again recognized as top sculpture park in the nation

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Going Local, Kent County, LANDSCAPING & GARDEN CENTERS, West Michigan, , ,

By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is thrilled to announce its recent recognition as one of the nation’s top sculpture parks as part of USA Today’s Readers’ Choice 10Best awards!

This recognition serves as a testament to the park’s commitment to showcasing exceptional art and horticulture and providing a captivating experience for guests.

Highlighting outstanding parks

USA Today’s 10Best Sculpture Parks is an annual ranking that highlights outstanding parks across the United States. Meijer Gardens has been selected as a finalist based on its remarkable collection of world-class sculptures, picturesque landscapes, and immersive visitor experiences.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Supplied/by Johnny Quirin)

Nominees for the USA Today’s Readers’ Choice 10Best awards are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day.

How to vote

After winning the title of the nation’s Best Sculpture Park in 2023, USA Today invites the community to rally together and help Meijer Gardens retain this prestigious award by voting daily at bit.ly/FMG10Best24.

(Courtesy of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park)

Voting is now open and will continue until Monday, Feb. 19 at 12 p.m. ET. Winners will be announced on Friday, March 1st at 12 p.m. EST.

By voting daily, community members can help raise awareness about this incredible destination and showcase the vibrant arts and culture scene within West Michigan.

About Frederik Meijer Gardens

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a destination for art enthusiasts, nature lovers, and families alike. The park’s dedication to engaging exhibitions, educational programs, concerts and community events has made it an integral part of our region’s cultural fabric since first opening in 1995.

Draft of Five-Year Master Plan for Wyoming parks available for review

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Kent County, LANDSCAPING & GARDEN CENTERS, Our Cities, Recreation, West Michigan, , , , , ,
View a draft of the Wyoming parks master plan and share your thoughts (Courtesy, pxhere.com)



By WKTV Staff

deborah@wktv.org


The City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council recognized a need to improve the community’s parks and recreation options and promote the City as a quality sustainable place to live and play.


As part of this effort, they have chosen to develop a new Five-Year Parks & Recreation Master Plan. This document is intended to serve as a planning tool over the next five years for the Commission and City Officials to make decisions related to future park and recreation amenities and improvements. 


After seeking community input, a draft of the Five-Year Master Plan was created and can be reviewed on the City’s website here.


(Courtesy, Wyoming Parks and Recreation)

The Master Plan draft recommendation highlights include:

  • Improved ADA accessibility
  • Marquette Park redevelopment
  • Improving and expanding current park and recreation programs
    • Pickleball courts
    • Playground improvements
    • Walking trails/pathways
    • Pavilions
  • Restroom facility improvements
  • Focus on maintaining exist parks and new facility development
  • Safety improvements

Please share your opinion

Your opinion on the park priorities matters. Please let us know what you think of the plan, all feedback is requested by Dec. 21.

Click here to leave the Parks & Recreation office a note.
Call the Parks & Recreation office at (616) 530-3164.
Email the Parks & Recreation office at Parks_info@wyomingmi.gov.
Give feedback in person at:

  • Planning Commission Meeting November 21, 7 p.m. City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW
  • City Council Work Session December 11, 5:30 p.m. City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW  
  • Parks Commission December 13, 7 p.m. City Hall,  1155 28th St. SW

Frederik Meijer Gardens plants the seed for their 25th annual chrysanthemum exhibition

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, design, Kent County, LANDSCAPING & GARDEN CENTERS, West Michigan, , ,
Chrysanthemums & More! showcases thousands of blossoms in an artful Autumn Tapestry (Courtesy, Johnny Quirin)

By Lauren Konsdorf

WKTV Contributor

Chrysanthemums & More! is underway with its 25th annual exhibition (Courtesy, Frederik Meijer Gardens)

Thousands of blossoms span 158 acres at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park during their 25th annual chrysanthemum exhibition.

Blossoming flowers and phenomenal sculptures may seem like all there is to see at Frederik Meijer Gardens, but their annual Chrysanthemums & More! event is now underway displaying thousands of blossoms in artful tapestry.

“View artfully manipulated patterns of chrysanthemums and enjoy a multitude of textures provided by ornamental cabbage, kale, pumpkins, grasses, gourds, and more,” said Steve LaWarre, Vice President of Horticulture.

A mum column stretches high in a multi-colored display (Courtesy, Peter McDaniel)

From Sept. 15 through Oct. 30, florists and civilians from all over Michigan can enjoy the fall air and take part in the largest exhibition of its kind showcasing chrysanthemums, fall foliage and family-friendly activities.

At home in art and nature, many florists in attendance are showing off their skills while weaving a floral tapestry entitled Autumn Tapestry throughout the Gardens.

Amy Gorman, floral manager and wedding coordinator at Horrocks Market located in Kentwood, participates yearly in the event.

“It’s free advertisement,” Gorman said. “We make a beautiful arrangement for them to display throughout the week.”

Gorman’s involvement in floral design first began in high school, and she has worked in floral ever since. For Gorman, it was more than just taking a class.

Gorman’s Chrysanthemums & More! design consists of many different colors; rose, peach, orange, burgundy, and black.

The Glow Garden is a fun evening event for visitors (Courtesy, Frederik Meijer Gardens)

Designs for this event are inspired by geometric patterns, uncommon color combinations, and the repetition of formal garden styles. Each flower has been hand-picked to create the tapestry.

The Grand Entry Garden, Welcome Center, and Gunberg and BISSELL Corridors showcase the tapestry and plantings among the horticulture staff and florists.

Exhibition programs include Fashion and Nature, Sept. 24 from 2-3 p.m.; Weaving with Nature, Oct. 1 from 2-3 p.m.; Fall Family Day, Oct. 7 from 1-4 p.m.; Hallowee-ones, Oct. 20 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; and much more.

Enjoy the crisp fall air outdoors and attend the must-see exhibition Fredrik Meijer Gardens has to offer!



Lauren is a senior at Central Michigan University and is studying Broadcast and Cinematic Arts with double minors in Journalism and Communications. She is a radio host for a specialty show on 101.1 The Beat, and is Promotions Video Editor for WCMU Public Media. She loves animals, community service, being on camera, and hopes to become a lifestyle reporter or host after college.

“Garden Guru” Alysia Babcock to teach modern conservation, natural beauty with native plants Sept. 16

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Environment, Kent County, LANDSCAPING & GARDEN CENTERS, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , , ,
Native plants flourish in Andrea Belden’s urban garden (Courtesy, Andrea Belden)

By Deborah Reed

deborah@wktv.org

Native plants not only beautify yards and natural habitats, they increase safe havens for pollinators and decrease effects of climate change.

A trillium flower flourishes in its natural habitat (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com, Nicholas A. Tonelli)

Friends of Buck Creek and Alysia Babcock, “The Garden Guru,” are hosting a free public event to teach the “hows” and “whys” of inhabiting land without damaging it.

“Gardens with native plants provide habitat for many organisms such as pollinators, birds, and small animals,” states Babcock on The Garden Guru Kzoo website. “These pocket gardens are safe havens that help reverse the effects of climate change. We need pollinators for our food crops, birds to distribute seeds, and small animals to keep garden pests at bay resulting in healthy viable plants.”

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, Babcock will give an hour-long presentation titled “Cleaning Our Watershed and Beautifying Your Property with Native Plants” at Grandville Kent District Library. This presentation will teach how to beautify personal properties while cleaning stormwater and providing food and shelter for pollinators.

“I have always been an advocate for nature and find nature’s beauty everyday,” said Babcock on her website.

Native plants and flowers provide a natural habitat for many organisms (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)

An Advanced Master Gardener, Conservation Steward and Master Naturalist, Babcock also has a Master’s Degree in Education, and is part of a newly formed Strike Team with the Rockford Sustainability Committee. Babcock is also the owner of The Garden Guru Kzoo LLC, a company dedicated to designing and implementing garden makeovers that specialize in native plants.

“I’d say [that] using native perennials in a landscape is a win-win-win-win,” said Martha Stout Vermeulen, founder and former President of Friends of Buck Creek-Michigan (FOBC). “Less money, less work, more beauty, healthier habitat.”

Vermeulen went on to explain that in the first year, native plants “sleep,” growing deep, water-cleansing roots. The second year they “creep,” beginning to beautify, and the third year they “leap” to their full glory.

Daisies come in several shapes, sizes, and colors (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)

“Since caterpillars are a primary food source for our dwindling bird population, nibbled leaves mean the garden is doing its job,” said Vermeulen.

Native plants will be available for purchase after Babcock’s presentation.

Parking is available on the south side of the KDL Grandville Branch. The building is wheelchair accessible.

For more information or questions, contact Martha Stout Vermeulen at seasister8@gmail.com.

Fall predicted to be hotter, dryer than normal this year

3-bottom, Great Lakes, Hard News, LANDSCAPING & GARDEN CENTERS, Recreation, , ,

By Genevieve Fox
Capital News Service

The National Weather Service predicts this year’s fall season will be 40% warmer compared to average mid-Michigan temperatures of 50 degrees from September through November. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

The National Weather Service predicts there’s a 40% chance the temperatures will average above normal this fall in mid-Michigan.

Meteorologist William Marino said warming fall temperatures have become more common in recent years.

That’s largely due to an ongoing La Niña, according to Marino, who is based in Grand Rapids.

 

That phenomenon allows for warm air to pass through the cool Pacific sea surface temperatures and enter North America.

Along with warmer fall temperatures predicted, low precipitation is also expected.

Jeffrey Andresen is the state climatologist for Michigan. He said roughly 30% of the state is experiencing some form of dryness, or even moderate drought.

With abnormal dryness, fall crops will reach maturity faster, lowering the quality of the crop, said Andresen, who is also a professor of meteorology/climatology in the Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University.

“It’s good to have warm soils and so forth for that crop to germinate, but we do need moisture,” Andresen said.

To combat warming temperatures, Andresen said people should keep their eyes on long-term trends and plan as needed.

“We have to adapt to these changing long-term patterns,” Andresen said. 

Genevieve Fox reports for WKAR in partnership with Great Lakes Echo and Capital News Service.