The annual Great Lakes Great Plants Symposium is the highlight of the year for many landscape and nursery professionals in the Midwest.  The unique trio of great lectures, inspiring landscapes, and the beauty of northern Michigan has attracted colleagues and garden enthusiasts from across the region for the past three years.  The event is hosted at The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, located in Traverse City, and is offered in partnership with the Botanic Garden and the NMNLA (Northern Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association).  This year Ed Lyon, the former Executive Director of Reiman Gardens and noted author, presented an overview of the changing styles of the Midwest Landscape.  Adriana Quinones, the Executive Director of San Antonio Arboretum, shared tips and techniques for how best to integrate Art and Sculpture in the Landscape.  Katrina Quint, Vice President of Horticulture at Lincoln Park Zoo, shared tips on Designing Wild.  “The Academy Award of Plants” presented by Brian Zimmerman, owner of Four Season Nursery, and Matthew Ross, Executive Director of The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, closed out the lectures for the day.

 

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Throughout the day, attendees had a chance to check out the new EZ Landscape Program and talk about new plants with Josh Roggenbuck of Walter’s Gardens, tour the 27-acre botanic garden, and explore the nearly 40 lots of rare and unusual plants as part of the auction.  The event was a great way for attendees to help the Botanic Garden grow its collection as each planted donated to the auction had a twin that entered into the permanent collection.  The evening was full of surprises with auctioneer Dick Angell of Todd’s Services at the helm and a great turnout by the NMNLA Board Members and colleagues from across the Midwest vying for their chance to take home some of the rarest plants in Michigan.  Throughout the year, I had the pleasure of seeking out unusual Ginkgo from Shinn Arboretum in Wall, New Jersey; rare conifers from renowned plantsman Bill Barger in Ohio and from a plethora of local growers including Pine Hill, Wild Juniper, Four Season Nursery, Birdsfoot Botanical, Vidosh North, and Black Capp Farms.  It was a joy to put together unusual groupings of some very unusual plants.  Some of the rarest included a purple leaved sumac (Rhus copallina ‘Lanham Purple’) from Pleasant Run Nursery, a deer tolerant Japanese arborvitae (Thujiopsis) that was wild- collected in Japan from Pollyhill Arboretum, and a collection of native woody plants found only at Black Cap Nursery in Onekema.  For guests, it was the chance to try something new while helping support the Gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second day of the symposium began with a tour of the native landscape surrounding the Mitchell Creek preserve, headquarters of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.  This is the third time we have visited the location and each time it is encouraging to see the growth of their facility, the establishment of their demonstration plantings, and the passion of their team. Our next location was a formal landscape built in harmony with the picturesque views of the Manitou Island, designed by Jack Barnwell.  The intent was to create a space that utilized swaths of drought tolerant ground covers rather than mulch to create a rich oasis on the sandy bluff. Adding to the impact of the site visit was the sharing of traditional knowledge by Tera John, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, who shared the importance of the sacred land that we were exploring.   

 

Our third stop was the private garden of Dick Angell, where his combination of talents in the landscape industry and  background as an architect is apparent. From intentional passageways cut through 30-year-old cedars to romantic trails through the surrounding natural areas, it was a thrilling spot to traverse.  Attendees reveled in the balance that he has created through site lines and structures and spotted some very impressive specimen trees, too.

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Onward along our trail of Leelanau County we found ourselves fortunate enough to see the private bonsai collection of Matt Spinniken of Spinniken Irrigation.  His yamadori style of collecting and training trees harvested from nature is life-changing to witness in person.  Everyone was overwhelmed with the time and energy he puts into caring for over 50 specimens, each with their own identity and drool-worthy appeal. We rounded out the tour with a walk through the Botanic Garden, witnessing the dramatic development of the Barbara Ann Lemcool Garden and the Children’s Sensory Garden – projects of MSU Horticulture Student Interns Cailyn Kerner and Sage Day, respectively.  Each of these new garden spaces have innovative strategies to limit the need for maintenance once established, and include a wide array of unusual plant materials that even a seasoned horticulturist will want to add to their botanical bucket list.

 

The field botany experience was the perfect way to start our Saturday programs, with deep fog lifting through the canopy and unveiling a carpet of aster and goldenrods along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan.  Those in attendance climbed through the beech-sugar maple forests to the top of Empire Bluff.  Debates ensued over which of the 22 species of native goldenrod we were witnessing, and the awe of finding rare sedges on a parabolic dune perched 600 ft above sea level mixed with laughs and smiles as we walked nearly 3 miles in the morning.  A quick trip to enjoy locally-made Fudgsicles at Grocer’s Daughter while seeing the newly established native plant garden surrounding the iconic Sleeping Bear gift shop was a welcome respite before heading out to Brian Zimmerman and his team at Four Season Nursery.  An afternoon openhouse full of snacks, refreshments, and an abundance of incredibly grown plant material was next on the agenda.  Brian reveled in the chance to show how he, his wife Renee, and their talented team of colleagues have transformed a 40-acre parcel into a top notch nursery and a haven for pollinators. 

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The speakers had one last grand adventure – a sail across the beautiful turquoise shores and deep blue waters of West Grand Traverse Bay.  It was the perfect way to kick back and relax with Two Brothers Sailing before everyone headed home.

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On behalf of the Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, our board, the NMNLA, and our industry partners in Northern Michigan, we want to thank everyone that took the time to join us for The Great Lakes Great Plants Symposium and hope to have you all join us again in 2026.