Preview: Great Gardens of Michigan

Here is some background about the state we'll be visiting this week on our virtual garden tour: Michigan.

Michigan's state motto ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.") is especially true for gardeners. The climate in Michigan is ideal for growing a wide variety of ornamental and edible plants, and the glacially deposited soil is very fertile. In general, the climate of Michigan is classified as moist, temperate, continental. The four Great Lakes that surround the state have a tremendous effect on the climate, causing lake effect snow, cool moist springs, and diverse microclimates, especially along the coastlines. Summers in Michigan are hot and humid.

The growing season can last anywhere from 70 to 170 days depending where in Michigan you're located. The state is mostly classified as USDA Zone 5, but several areas (including the southern west coast and the Detroit area) are classified as Zone 6, and a few places in the northern part of the state are a frigid Zone 3.

Thanks to its temperate climate, the west coast of the state is home to many productive farms, orchards, and vineyards. Michigan is also home to several wholesale nurseries, and is the nation's largest supplier of flowering hanging baskets and the third-largest supplier of bedding plants (annuals). Ferry-Morse Seed Company got its start in Michigan under founder Dexter Ferry, right in the city of Detroit.

It should come as no surprise that a state so perfectly suited to growing has a treasure trove of public and botanic gardens. This week, we'll be taking a look at the great gardens of Michigan.