The Gardens Experience
The Horticulture Collection
Collections Statement:
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park integrates the experience of great gardens with great art. Our emphasis is on horticultural display(s) showcasing a beautiful array of plants appropriate for the Midwest and specialized plants from regions around the world. Within our indoor tropical conservatory over 500 tropical species from five continents of the world are displayed within a magical setting including waterfalls, steamy streambeds and majestic rockwork. Within our arid garden see plants from North and South America and regions of Africa. Stroll into the Victorian Garden and relax on ornate furniture among plants used in the classic Victorian garden parlors during the turn of the last century. In one of the finest carnivorous plant exhibitions in the country, insect-eating plants are featured. Outdoors, our plant presentation ranges from planned and manicured, such as in the English Perennial and Bulb Garden, to natural and native, such as in the Sculpture Park, Woodland shade gardens, boardwalks and trail areas. Thematic presentations are found in the Children's Garden where plants and garden beds enhance the experiential learning for children. Interaction is encouraged as children are welcome to utilize their senses by smelling and touching specific plants designed for that purpose. Amid the sculptures of lifelike farm animals, the Michigan's Farm Garden focuses on gardening and horticulture as it would have appeared in the 1930's during the Depression era. With heirloom vegetables, flowers and orchards, reminiscent of that time period guests get an understanding of farms when they were truly self-sufficient.
Temporary Horticulture Exhibitions
With our indoor Seasonal Display Greenhouse a changing exhibition occurs each season. Sometimes these exhibitions coordinate with the theme of our temporary sculpture exhibition within the indoor galleries, and sometimes it enhances the experience of another larger horticultural display.
Foremost's Butterflies are Blooming, is our annual event that features hundreds of tropical butterflies from Central and South America and Asia flying free within the tropical Conservatory, the largest tropical conservatory in the state. You can experience butterflies close up and even can see them emerge from their chrysalises right before your eyes. Foremost's Butterflies Are Blooming is the largest temporary butterfly exhibit in the nation and occurs every March and April.
Another annual seasonal event is Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World, a spectacular exhibition that begins in November and runs through the entire month of December and part of January each year. This exhibit includes the display of over 40 trees and traditions from around the world, over 100,000 lights both indoors and outdoors, choirs and horse and carriage rides on special evenings, as well as the Holiday Express Train Exhibit which includes G-Scale model trains running over train track on seven-foot-tall bridges and through a village of buildings made out of plants, representative of the Grand Rapids downtown business district. This exhibit is a crowd pleaser and the level of detail is spectacular!