Hidden Lake GardensBotanical Gardens and

Arboretum

6214 Monroe Rd. (M-50)Tipton, Michigan 49287

517-431-2060

www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDONSTED, MI

PERMIT NO 16

Calendar of Events

❁ Bonsai Study Clinic and Mini Show .......Second Sunday of each month, May through October ❁ The Folklore of Trees .........................................................Tuesday, June 24❁ Children’s Garden Day ....................................................... Saturday, July 12❁ Star Gazing ........................................................................ Saturday, July 12 ❁ Gardening Up and Over with Vines and Groundcovers .................................................... Tuesday, July 15❁ Underutilized Trees and Shrubs for the Home Landscape ..................................................Thursday, July 17❁ Jurassic Jungle Planter .......................................................Friday, August 8 ❁ Flower Power For Preschoolers .................................... Tuesday, August 19❁ Owl Prowl ..................................................................... Tuesday, August 26

*Pre-registration is required. Please call us at 517-431-2060 to reserve your spot!

In This IssueA Message from the Manager ............................................................. Page 2

Commemorative Bricks Sales Support the Gardens ........................... Page 2 Hosta Hillside To Be Recognized At 2009 National Meeting .......... Page 3

Plant Sale A Success! ................................................................... Page 3

Bonsai Study ............................................................................... Page 3

Summer Classes at Hidden Lake Gardens ............................ Page 4-5

Calendar of Events ................................................................. Page 6

a view from the gardens

Randy Skinner Receives Award

I’d like to introduce you to the man who “keeps the Gardens working”, Hidden Lake Gardens Grounds Equipment Mechanic, Randy Skinner. Randy recently received the 2008 Jack Breslin Distinguished Staff Award at Michigan State University. He is only the third off campus MSU employee to receive the award. The recipient of this award is evaluated in four different areas:

During his 36+ years on the job, Randy has shown, time and time again, the dedication and love he has for the Gardens. Randy does a whole lot more at HLG than fix equipment - although that is a very important part of his job! If you’ve ever visited the Gardens in the winter after a fresh snowfall, you can thank Randy for clearing the roadway. Have you been on a wagon ride at one of the many HLG festivals? Randy just may have been your tractor driver! He also maintains all of the buildings - heating/cooling/lighting/alarm systems, mows after hours or on weekends if the weather doesn’t cooperate during the week, picks up plants for the HLG Plant Sale (and runs a cash register too!). As you can see, Randy does many things, for many people - and we truly appreciate everything he does!

Congratulations Randy! – Cheryl Rittenhouse

1. Excellence in overall job performance above and beyond what is expected.2. Outstanding interpersonal skills and working relationships.3. Contributions to the department that lead to efficiency, effectiveness or other improvements.4. Contributions to the University (such as committees, outreach, projects or other efforts.

Published for the Friends of Hidden Lake Gardens Summer 2008

Scout tours available for more information call Karen Gentry at

517-431-2060 or email gentryka@msu.edu

Flower PowerFor PreschoolersTuesday, August 1910:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.Join us in the demonstration garden with your preschooler to create a floral design masterpiece. There are lots of ways to put fun, smelly and bright flowers together (not to mention the simple joy of picking pretty flowers!)

Cost $8

Children’s Garden DaySaturday, July 1210:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. This annual event is full of fun-filled activities that teach children about nature and gardening. Children learn from hands-on activities and demonstrations about wildlife, nature, and plants. Take a wagon ride out to the arboretum, visit the pond life exhibit, and farm animals on display. There are also stories, music, and craft activities. Come dressed to express your creative side by painting on a giant mural wall or keeping cool on our sprin-kler hill. Food will be available.

Cost $3 Free to Members

Star GazingSaturday, July 129:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.The Amateur Astronomy Club of Jackson will bring their love of celestial observation to Hidden Lake Gardens. The gardens’ location, away from city lights provides a wonderful setting for night-time star gazing. The astronomy club will provide a short lecture on astronomy. Telescopes will be set up and knowledgeable members will guide you in observation of the summer sky.

Cost $8

Jurassic Jungle Planter Friday, August 8 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Ages 5-9Did you ever think you could have a jungle in your room! Kids will use plants, sticks, rocks and toy animals to create their very own miniature dinosaur habitat to take home and care for. We will have a roaring good time!!

All supplies included in the fee. $14

Adopt A Highway Dates at Hidden Lake Gardens

Saturday, July 19 8:45 a.m. – to view video • 9:00 a.m. to start collection

Thursday, September 18 5:45 p.m. – to view video • 6:00 p.m. to start collection

Kid's Summer Fun Activities at the Gardens

Summer 2008 5

Summer has arrived at the Gardens no matter what date is on the calendar. The annual flowers are planted, the perennials are putting on a show and the crabapples have come and gone in their spectacular way.

Thank you for supporting Hidden Lake Gardens through your membership. During this time of economic uncertainty and high gas prices, Hidden Lake Gardens offers a destination right here in Lenawee County that is hard to match anywhere in the country. The three nationally recognized displays of conifers, hosta, and bonsai are spectacular during this time of the year. The hiking trails are full of wildlife and the exhilarating wilderness. The fish in Hidden Lake are protecting their nest of the future inhabitants of the

lake and the swans have ultimate control over the flying inhabitants in the area.All these things allow a family to come to the Gardens and spend a day in nature.

I invite you to try it!!! Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it on the lawn anywhere, or in the picnic area at the tables, bring a water bottle to keep hydrated while hiking the trails, bring your bicycle to ride on the 6 miles of paved roads, or just come to enjoy the landscape beauty of the Gardens.

You will notice two major changes at the entrance to the Gardens, the landscape is being planted as I am writing and the new Gatehouse is being prepared to take customers in the very near future. Keep watching for new things and new plants in the Gardens. We are planting something almost everyday. This could not be accomplished without the dedicated staff I am very fortunate to have working here and the volunteers that have made a great effort to help with whatever projects we ask them to do. THANK YOU!!!!

Commemorative Bricks Sales Support the GardensAs some of you may already know, we have a great opportunity to honor, remember or thank someone or some event that has been or is special in your life. Buy a brick and have it placed in the Gazebo in the Demonstration Gardens. The bricks can have three lines of text with fifteen characters per line. You can remember an important day like a wedding day, an important person like your Grandma who liked to work in the garden or your children. The commemorative bricks are 4” x 8”. Imagine you were married in the Gazebo and you wanted to remember the date by having a brick placed in the garden you were married. You can do this. This is a great opportunity to have a special remembrance and support Hidden Lake Gardens as well. Brick order forms are available on our website at hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu or by calling the office at 517-431-2060.

If a brick is not your desire, call and we can discuss other programs like adding a tree to our collection or adding to one of our very important endowments that help the garden grow every year.

A Message from the Manager

2 A View from the Gardens

Hidden Lake GardensBotanical Gardens

and Arboretum

6214 Monroe Rd.Tipton, Michigan 49287

(Located on M-50 eight miles west

of Tecumseh)

755 acres of Gardens and Natural Areas

Flower GardensPlant Conservatory

Hosta HillsideDwarf Conifers

Hiking TrailsBiking

Picnic AreaLake

Educational ClassesWeddingsGift Shop

Open Daily (except winter holidays)

October thru April 8:00 am – dusk

November thru March 8:00 am– 4:00 pm

Admission $3.00 per person

517-431-2060

www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu

Steven Courtney

Hosta Hillside To Be Recognized At 2009 National MeetingThe members of the Michigan Hosta Society have been hard at work getting Hidden Lake Gardens' Hosta Hillside ready to shine (or shade) for the American Hosta Society National meeting in 2009. The Society members have been mapping, labeling, and weeding this nationally recognized collection so that the approximately 500 “Hosta Holics” that will attend the conference

will be blown away by this collection. The Ralph and Dorothy Benedict Hosta Hillside is overseen by Clarence Owens who puts his heart and soul into this collection and has done so since its inception in the 1980’s. There will be another work day on August 24 if you are interested in volunteering.

Hosta Hillside is one of the finest collections of Hosta in North America right here at Hidden Lake Gardens.

Plant Sale A Success!Thank you to all our members, guests and volunteers that help support Hidden Lake Gardens by attending our annual plant sale.

Friday, May 9th we had 185 members join us for the plant sale preview and Saturday we had 799 visitors. All proceeds from the plant sale help benefit Hidden Lake Gardens. This revenue is used to help us purchase new plants for our gardens; improve plant labeling and other garden amenities. We always have a great selection of choice plants to select from. These plants come from a variety of sources including several high quality nurseries in Michigan and Ohio. Some of the plants are grown at Hidden Lake Gardens, propagated by our staff, or grown from divisions of plants within our gardens. For the two-day sale we have over 80 Michigan Master Gardeners, HLG Volunteers and staff on hand, to help answer your plant and gardening questions. We could not put on this size of an event without the time and talents of our volunteers, so thank you! – Karen Gentry

Summer 2008 3

If you have you ever dreamed of having an outdoor wedding, let Hidden Lake Gardens make your dreams come true! We offer

several different garden settings depending on the number of guests you are anticipating. Charges for a wedding include a reservation charge, security deposit, advance entry fees, as well as entry fees for a rehearsal (if desired).

Please call 517-431-2060 for further information.

Bonsai StudyClinic and Mini Show – Second Sunday of each month, May through October

Beginning at 1 pm in the Hidden Lake Gardens Bonsai Studio

• Bring your own bonsai to display• Interact with other bonsai growers• Bring your bonsai or material for hands on consultation focused on your tree and your questions (no charge for consultation but

donations to Bonsai fund are accepted)

Observers welcome (bring your own seating). General admission to the Gardens will be charged. This event is hosted by Hidden Lake Gardens’ Bonsai Curator, Jack Wikle, and some of his bonsai growing friends.

The Folklore of TreesTuesday, June 246:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Many trees were used by Native Americans and early settlers not only for wood but also as a source of food and medicinal products. Join Karen Gentry, Education Coordinator and horticulturist, and Robert Gentry, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry for the City of Adrian, on a walking tour of some of Hidden Lake Gardens’ finest trees to learn about their mythology and folklore. Present and past uses of trees, identification techniques, and plant nomenclature (latin and common names) will be discussed. Meet in the parking lot of the Visitor Center. Please come dressed for the weather.

Cost $16/$14 For Friends of HLG

Gardening Up and Over with Vines and GroundcoversTuesday, July 156:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Could your garden use a vertical or horizontal facelift? There are many types of perennials and annual vines that can be used to add vertical accents to your landscape. Using ground covers will add color and textural interest while tying together plantings in your garden. This program will give you

lots of ideas for easy to grow plants to use in sunny spots or shady beds. Your instructor will be Ellyn Meyers, horticulturist and instructor at Lansing Community College.

Cost$16/$14 for Friends of HLG

Underutilized Trees and Shrubs for the Home LandscapeThursday, July 176:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Karen Gentry, Hidden Lake Gardens Education Coordinator and horticulturist will share her top pick of underutilized trees and shrubs for the home landscape. Factors that will be considered are trees that grow 15-25’ tall, showy flowers and fruit, attractive bark and branching patterns. Small ornamental trees can be combined with shrubs, perennials and ground covers to create a pleasing planting for any suburban home.

Cost $16/$14 for Friends of HLG

Owl ProwlTuesday, August 267:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Carl Harsh, Tecumseh High School biology teacher, will lead a twilight walk in search of screech owls. You will learn about the life and habitats of these incredible nocturnal birds of pray, and see how screech owls respond to calls. This is an enjoyable class for the family (although not suitable for very young children.) Bring a flashlight and insect repellant. An adult must accompany children.

Cost $9 adults/$6 children$7 adults/$5 children Friends of HLG

Summer Classes at Hidden Lake Gardens

4 A View from the Gardens