A Winding Path

A WINDING PATH

It’s difficult to imagine the contrast between what can be experienced at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park today, and what would have been experienced when Meijer Gardens opened in April of 1995. Starting out at just over 70 acres, Meijer Gardens has grown, driven by a complementary formula of art and horticulture, mixed with a commitment to education and guest experience. What was once a mix of abandoned orchard, rolling pasture, woods and wetlands has grown and transformed to now encompass 158 acres of diverse gardens and natural spaces. That transformation continues. This spring saw the opening of the Stuart and Barbara Padnos Rooftop Sculpture Garden, and new garden spaces will continue to be reimagined, planted and unveiled as the historic Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love campaign continues to unfold. In the last 24 years, the growth and change at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has been, and will continue to be, a winding path of change.

These transformative changes can be immediately apparent in the opening of a new garden. Other times these changes have happened slowly, being almost unperceived in the short term. The maturing of a tree, the filling-in of a hedgerow, or the deepening shade of a wooded space happen when a garden ages and matures over time. The Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden is one of these very places. The beautiful and resilient plants and animals found in the woodland understory of Michigan inspired Gwen Frostic, and this garden honors her love of nature.

A Michigan native, Gwen Frostic was an author, lecturer and artist whose gift made the Woodland Shade Garden possible. She was a lover of indigenous plants and animals and wanted the garden to look a little wild. Gwen was present at the opening of the Woodland Shade Garden on June 23, 1998.

The Woodland Shade Garden is just around the corner, just down the path, just out of the way enough to surprise those that come upon it. It’s a place that offers a bit of solitude and a bit of shade. It sounds different and smells different. A winding path meanders through a mixed tapestry of trees, some of which are the oldest on the property. American beech, sugar maple, and shagbark hickory are just a few to be experienced here, and the nuts and seeds are consistently enjoyed by wildlife. Curved trunks, overarching branches, and moss-covered logs punctuate the garden plantings. Dappled sunlight, the sounds of birds and the wind in the canopy slows the pace here.

The layered plantings in the Woodland Shade Garden include native perennials as well as shade-loving plants from around the world. Rhododendrons, azaleas, redbud, foam flower, bloodroot, Jack-in-the-pulpit, wild ginger and wood asters are just a few of the plants you’ll find here, along with abundant ferns and waves of hosta. Seldom are lines straight in nature, so the garden ambles along a winding path with curving, organic lines. Benches offer a place to rest and appreciate the diversity of the space.

Autumn is a brilliant time of year that enhances the Woodland Shade Garden experience. There is a magic in the changing of seasons that reveals itself here with a crescendo of color, texture, and fragrance, speaking in tones of red, purple and gold. Fall in this garden is bright, clear, and evident, with a richness in the detail. It’s the ripening of seeds and the crunch of leaves.

The experience at Meijer Gardens is consistent in its change. Always Growing, Always Beautiful, Always New. The Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden offers a different perspective on this change. It’s slow in the moment, persistent and impactful over time. It’s a winding path with a destination that invites sampling again and again.

Essay by Steve LaWarre, Director of Horticulture

A sugar maple located in the Gwen Frostic Woodland Shade Garden in autumn.

Photo by William J. Herbert.