Historic Barns Park and Botanic Gardens open for tours - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

by Jeffray N. Kessler
Contributing Writer

Jazz and local fare in the majestically-restored
Cathedral Barn added to the welcoming atmosphere at last week’s open
house for the new park. Photo by Jeff Kessler.

TRAVERSE CITY – Veritable throngs of people turned out last Sunday to explore progress that has taken place at the Historic Barns Park and Botanic Gardens, and they were not disappointed.

What began as an exploratory survey in 1999 to determine the area’s interest in a botanic garden on 56 acres of former state hospital grounds culminated in a celebration of collaboration and determination by citizens, local governments, state government, education institutions, businesses, volunteers and philanthropists who all had a hand in making this dream a reality.

The grounds were offered up for review by a corps of volunteer docents and tour guides during Sunday’s open house. Those who attended the event found themselves led on an exploration of progress.


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Historic Barns Park and Botanic Gardens open for tours - Grand Traverse Insider - Morning Star Publishing

Botanic gardens continue to grow

Traverse City Record Eagle
Posted: Sunday, December 28, 2014 8:30 am

BY SARAH ELMS selms@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park will be blooming come spring, thanks to recent grant awards.

Board Chair Karen Matte Schmidt said officials and volunteers spent the last three years building the infrastructure at the garden near the Grand Traverse Commons so they can turn their focus toward planting in 2015.

"This is going to be a major year for the garden," Schmidt said.

The largest project will be planting a 4,000-square-foot walled garden at the site of a 115-year-old horse barn. The barn was torn down in 1957, but the 9-feet-high walls remained.

"This past summer we had those stone walls restored," Schmidt said. "This will be the year when we bring in the topsoil and plant that garden, and that's really exciting."

A $16,800 grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust will allow the garden's board to hire a part-time horticultural specialist to oversee their planting plans.

Officials plan to finish landscaping around the new visitor center and create new rain gardens in addition to completing the walled garden project.

"We knew we would need a horticulturalist to work with us at that time," Schmidt said.

A $6,000 grant from the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation will help pay for three rain gardens in low areas along the garden's trails to help filter rain water and prevent erosion.

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