Archive for the detroit tag

Belle Isle conservatory temporarily closed for major renovations

December 14, 2022 • Leave a Comment

**The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is undergoing $10 million in renovations, which required the closure of the conservatory and grounds in mid-November 2022.**

The Belle Isle Conservatory is undergoing $10 million in renovations, which required the closure of the conservatory and grounds in mid-November 2022. The work completes the final phase of a comprehensive plan to revitalize the upper 60 feet of the 80-foot-tall conservatory dome in one of the nation’s oldest turn-of-the-century glass houses still in existence.

The project starts with inspection of the original steel trusses to see which need repair or replacement, the removal of lead-based paint in the upper 60 feet of the conservatory dome (also known as the Palm House), reglazing the upper dome, and updating the conservatory’s ventilation system. In addition to unique horticultural collections, the building itself is a draw for architecture and history buffs; it was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s most celebrated architects.

**In addition to unique horticultural collections, the building itself is a draw for architecture and history buffs; it was designed by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s most celebrated architects.**

The first phase of this comprehensive renovation project, completed in 2019, included the replacement of all 20 original steel trusses. “Major renovations are needed to stabilize the building to keep the conservatory open for the next century,” said Amanda Treadwell, urban field planner for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “The scope of work is critical to the structural integrity of the dome, public safety and improved conditions for the plant collection.” Treadwell said such capital improvements have been long overdue. “Besides the recent renovations in 2019, there has not been a major capital investment to the conservatory since the 1950s,” she said.

The outdoor gardens will reopen in May 2023, while the conservatory is scheduled to reopen in May 2024. Throughout November and December, scaffolding and a second floor will be erected to contain the abatement work and ensure minimal temperatures are maintained for the plant collection. Similarly, an envelope wrap will surround the exterior of the dome for the duration of the work.

For more information, visit Michigan.gov/StateParksProgress.

North American Japanese Gardens Association presents event at Cranbrook

April 13, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Cranbrook Japanese garden. (Photo: Eric Franchy)

The North American Japanese Gardens Association (NAJGA) is holding a regional event at Cranbrook Gardens in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan on May 17-19, 2018. This event—”Creation & Rejuvenation: Six Japanese-Style Gardens in Michigan”—brings together garden professionals and hobbyists to explore the challenges and benefits of Japanese gardens in the Midwest using six case studies. Garden tours include the Cranbrook Japanese Garden, Freer House, McGregor Reflecting Pool and Sculpture Gardens, Kathleen and Milton Muelder Japanese Garden, Shigematsu Memorial Garden, The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, and Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. Click here for more information.

This Week: Documentary about renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf plays at DIA

December 31, 2017 • Leave a Comment

Piet Oudolf

On Thursday, January 4, 7:00 p.m., the Garden Club of Michigan and Friends of Detroit Film Theatre co-host a special screening of “FIVE SEASONS: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf,” a new documentary about the internationally renowned Dutch garden designer and plantsman Piet Oudolf.

Oudolf’s projects include The High Line (New York) and the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park (Chicago), as well as many others throughout the world. At the invitation of the Garden Club of Michigan, Oudolf has committed to design a garden in Detroit on Belle Isle. Piet Oudolf and filmmaker Thomas Piper will be present at the screening to discuss the Belle Isle garden proposal with audience members.

For more information, click here.
For tickets, click here.

DNR hosting public open houses to obtain feedback on proposed Belle Isle garden

November 6, 2017 • Leave a Comment

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Garden Club of Michigan will host two public meetings November 14 and November 28 to gather public input on a proposed garden in Detroit’s Belle Isle Park. The garden will be designed by internationally renowned garden designer Piet Oudolf.

Oudolf’s acclaimed gardens include the Lurie Garden in Chicago and the Highline in New York City, among scores of gardens around the world. He is one of today’s premier garden designers for public landscapes and is a leading figure of the “New Perennial” movement that is characterized by utilizing herbaceous perennials and grasses. His garden designs are artistic, ecologically inspired, accessible, welcoming, and enjoyed year-round.

After touring Detroit with the Garden Club of Michigan this past spring, Oudolf selected Belle Isle Park as the proposed site for one of his acclaimed garden designs. The site, located near the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon Tower between the Remick Band Shell and the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, will be a connector in the cultural heart of the park. It also will help revitalize the island and attract garden lovers from near and far. The proposed garden will be paid for through donations and fundraising that will cover all the design, installation and maintenance costs.

Oudolf described the proposed Belle Isle site as a connector for people and activities on the island and “an opportunity to reinvigorate the adjacent structures and facilities.”

Open house dates & details

At the open houses, participants will view a short video of Oudolf discussing his vision for the garden and providing insight into the preferred site location. He also will respond to a few questions submitted by the public ahead of time. Both open houses will take place at the Flynn Pavilion (4435 Muse Road, Belle Isle Park, Detroit).

First open house: Tuesday, November 14, 6 to 8 p.m.
Second open house: Tuesday, November 28, 3 to 5 p.m. Will address questions that arise from the first open house.

“It is vital that the community has an opportunity to weigh in on the proposal,” said Scott Pratt, chief of Southern Field Operations for the DNR. “It is equally important that the DNR and the garden club ensure that the garden will be financially sustainable and has the support of state and city agencies.”

Detroit’s Bandhu Gardens sells harvest and shares Bangladeshi food culture

March 18, 2017 • Leave a Comment

Bandhu Gardens recently cooked bitter melon (pictured) in a recent cooking class. (Photo: https://www.instagram.com/bandhu_gardens/) — Bandhu Gardens recently cooked bitter melon (pictured) in a recent cooking class. (Photo courtesy: @bandhu_gardens)

NPR:

One hundred seeds: That’s the number Minara Begum needs to plant in her Detroit backyard in order to grow enough vegetables such as squash, taro root and amaranth greens to feed her family for the year.

She learned to cook and garden at a young age in Bangladesh. In the two years since she moved to the U.S., she’s grown traditional South Asian crops to feed her family — and whoever visits — on any given day. There’s always a pot, or several, on the stove.

For Begum, this is a way of life. But through Bandhu Gardens, in Detroit, Begum and her neighbors are able to leverage their culinary skills into an entrepreneurial venture.

Bandhu Gardens sells surplus vegetables that are grown in the backyards of about six families to a handful of popular area restaurants. Last year they sold 120 pounds of greens, beans and peppers and 25 pounds of squash to restaurant accounts.

Read the rest of the story…

Vacant Detroit buildings breed indoor farms

August 16, 2016 • Leave a Comment

The Detroit News:

Entrepreneurs are taking advantage of inexpensive former warehouses and factories in Detroit and transforming them for agricultural use to produce local foods.

There’s a growing movement of using vacant buildings and spaces to produce lettuce, basil and kale, and even experiment with fish farming — year-round.

And the city is considering regulations that could expand indoor agriculture even more.

“Fifteen, 20 years from now, we want people to say, ‘Of course they grow kale in that building,’ ” said Ron Reynolds, co-founder of Green Collar Foods Ltd. It built its first indoor-farming research hub in Eastern Market’s Shed 5 in 2015.

Read the rest of the article…

Television personality Jamie Durie comes to Metro Detroit

July 21, 2015 • Leave a Comment

On Saturday, July 25 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., award-winning landscape designer Jamie Durie is appearing at the English Gardens store in Royal Oak, Michigan (4901 Coolidge Highway). Durie will share tips on creating a beautiful outdoor living space, answer questions and sign two of his books: “Edible Garden Designs” and “The Outdoor Room,” available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited. Register in-store or online at www.EnglishGardens.com to reserve your seat.

An exclusive event will be held on Friday, July 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for English Gardens Garden Club members. Customers can sign up for the Garden Club in-store or online to attend the exclusive event.

The author of ten best-selling books, Jamie Durie has hosted over 50 prime time design television shows, airing in over 30 countries. Durie was introduced to America by Oprah Winfrey in 2006 and since then has starred in “The Outdoor Room” on HGTV, hosted “The Victory Garden” (the longest-running gardening program on PBS), and won numerous awards for his television work. Today, he continues to work on design TV projects with the A&E Network on the FYI channel.

Cherry trees planted on Belle Isle, marking first phase of replanting project

November 24, 2014 • 2 Comments

Volunteers helped replant 120 flowering cherry trees around Belle Isle’s Scott Memorial Fountain in mid-November. Overseen by the Department of Natural Resources, the project was organized by The Greening of Detroit, a nonprofit organization established to guide and inspire the reforestation of the city.

“We are very excited to contribute to the ongoing beautification of Belle Isle park with the cherry tree planting,” said Rebecca Salminen Witt, president of The Greening of Detroit. “We have planted hundreds of trees there in recognition of the important role it plays in enhancing the quality of life in our city.”

In 1994, Toyota (Detroit’s sister city from Japan) donated flowering cherry trees to the city. Many were planted on Belle Isle near Sunset Point and around the Scott Memorial Fountain. Due to disease and damage from insects, many of these trees have since died or had to be removed because of poor condition. “The tree replantings of a disease-resistant species will serve to further beautify Belle Isle by filling these gaps,” said Kevin Sayers, coordinator of the DNR’s Urban Forestry program.

“This planting was the first phase in a multiphase project to replant trees in maintained (and other high-use) areas of the park.” Sayers also noted that the multiphase plan may be implemented over several years, with the next phase starting next spring. The cherry tree replanting project was funded as part of a $150,000 U.S. Forest Service grant. This grant is also funding hazard-tree removal and creation of a tree inventory and management plan for Belle Isle.

Since December 2013, the DNR has worked to rid the island of hazard trees in heavily used areas that posed a risk to public safety. DNR staff first inspected the trees. The majority of trees marked and felled showed obvious signs of hazard conditions. More than 200 hazard trees were felled, with additional trees lost during summer and early fall storms.

“(This cherry tree project) was a great start to replanting some of the trees lost on the island to storms, disease and human activity, and those just coming to the end of their natural life cycle,” Sayers said. “We had a successful volunteer turnout and fantastic cooperation between multiple agencies, and I look forward to continuing this momentum into the spring.”

Detroit compost company wins award

October 21, 2014 • Leave a Comment

The Detroit News:

Pashon Murray is in a dirty business — and it’s paying off.

Murray, co-founder of Detroit Dirt, which converts manure and food scraps into compost, won $10,000 as the winner in the food category of Martha Stewart’s 2014 American Made contest.

Detroit Dirt beat out more than 220 other food finalists to win the contest’s food category in agriculture and sustainability. The contest rewards entrepreneurs and artisans across the country for innovativeness, creativity and workmanship in four main categories — food, design, craft and design — and several subcategories.

Read the rest of the story here…

Detroit students learn to grow and prepare healthy meals

August 3, 2013 • Leave a Comment

Detroit Merit Charter Academy learn in a Teaching Garden sponsored by Health Alliance Plan and the American Heart Association.

This summer, children at Detroit Merit Charter Academy are eating the crops they sowed in the spring, thanks to a Teaching Garden sponsored by Health Alliance Plan (HAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA). Students planted mint, cilantro, spearmint, dill, basil, lettuce, collard greens and other fruits and vegetables. Now they are enjoying the opportunity to cook with the same foods they planted months ago with HAP’s Ready, Set Cook! Program, a hands-on cooking and lifestyle program for children ages 8-14 that focuses on addressing childhood obesity. This program teaches children to cook and prepare healthy, simple meals and empowers children to make healthier food choices on a daily basis, which ties into the goals of the AHA Teaching Garden Program.

The AHA Teaching Garden program is a national school-based program to help children become healthy and also help combat childhood obesity specifically in elementary school-aged children. It is also designed to provide hands-on learning experiences with the planting and growing process. The teaching gardens are one of the AHA’s many ways of meeting their goal to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% by the year 2020.

Detroit Merit Charter Academy is the second school in Michigan to participate in the AHA Teaching Garden program. The students will be maintaining the garden year-round; they will use their fruits and vegetables in recipes for healthy meals including soups, salads, salsas, and other foods available at the school.

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