A Big Day is Planned for the Annual Rochester Garden Walk on June 15

Rochester Garden Walk Strolling Along for 18 Years

From town to country, the 18th annual Rochester Garden Walk co-sponsored by the Rochester Garden Club and The Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm shows off many unique and private gardens in the greater Rochester area. This year’s event takes place Thursday, June 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In addition to strolling in the private gardens, guests can also tour the Children’s Garden on the Rochester Hills Museum grounds, as well as the award winning Calf Barn, Dairy Barn and historic plantings surrounding the 1840 Van Hoosen Farmhouse.

An open air market featuring Michigan artisans will be held at the Museum from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on walk day. Shoppers will find unique creations in metal fabrication, garden art, pottery, plants for the garden, fabric work and vintage finds. The wares will be offered inside and around the 1927 Calf Barn, which has been completely restored to enable its usage as a rental facility for weddings, receptions and meetings. Rochester Garden Club members Ethel Stepnitz and Pat Hambleton will present “From Pots to Plates” at 11:00 a.m., in the Calf Barn. This program will feature ideas for successfully growing your vegetables in containers, followed with tastings and recipes to help you use your own garden bounty. Door prizes will be awarded during the program, which are free to Garden Walk ticket holders.

Featured gardens include traditional elegance, as well as modern elements, one having been in the making for thirty years and boasting as a five time winner in the Detroit News Homestyle Garden Photo Contest. Two of the gardens will give you a peak at our local waterways, one offering an exciting surprise view of Stoney Creek, while another is a relaxing sanctuary by Paint Creek. On your travels, you will visit a sensory garden that was a winner of the Keep Michigan Beautiful Award in 2011, and a few stops that nicely tie vegetable gardens, waterfalls and sculptures into their expansive grounds. All of these homeowners have one thing in common, and that is the love of gardening, as well as making sure these beautiful destinations are ready for all to enjoy on this annual event.

Garden walk participants can also explore the museum’s award-winning Children’s Garden, which boasts hands-on activities such as patchwork checkers and hopscotch. They join other popular features such as the sundial, pizza, ABC and butterfly gardens. Strollers can learn about the important role of native bees and insects in gardens at the newly installed habitat structure recently donated by a club member. While you here, be sure to stop by the Dairy Barn to browse our new Rochester Bicentennial exhibit and celebrate 200 years of Rochester’s history. In addition, there are several touch screen computers and a variety of local history videos available for viewing. The Museum Store has a wide array of unique gifts for every age.

Advance tickets are available on the museum website, rochesterhills.org/musprograms as well as at Bordines Nursery and Lytle Pharmacy. Cost is $12 in advance or $16 on the day of the event. Tickets will be ready for pick up at the Rochester Hills Museum, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills 48306, June 12-14, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and all day on June 15. For more information, visit www.RochesterGardenClub.org or call 248-656-4663.