Michigan
Gardens - An Historical Vignette
One hundred and fifty years
ago an early historian of Kalamazoo wrote:
" The soil is a dark brown loam. In mid-summer the
reader may imagine a fringe of dark foliage far away.
The ground is dotted all over with single stems and clusters
of gorgeous flowering shrubs and plants. Upon them there
is an infinity of buds and blooming flowers. They are
endless in variety and tinted with every shade of hue
and color. There is a brilliancy and gorgeousness and
glory in that bewildering bloom."
In 1847, Dutch settlers arrived in Holland, Michigan and
brought tulip bulbs.
Seventeenth century Holland was at the height of its prosperity.
Money was abundant, and it became fashionable to have
stunning tulip gardens.
Although the "Tulip Mania" was once a transitory
fad that swept the country, the citizens of Holland, Michigan
continue to cherish the tulip. Now, the Tulip Festival
has grown to such proportions that Holland's Tulip Time
festival is one of the largest flower festivals in the
United States
Bibliography
and Acknowledgments
Shown: Apple Blossom ( Pyrus
coronaria )
