Nominated by The Friendly Garden Club of Traverse City District V Club #69
Approved by Gardening Consultant Erie Heermann September 2004
Sunset Gardens, located on the beautiful Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City, is an informal cottage-style garden full of pleasant perennials displays in keeping with the garden’s character. Sunset Gardens is forever changing without any particular pattern or design.
The main perennial garden contains a mixture of old-fashion country flowers. Hardy and drought-resistant, these minimum-care plants thrive and flower in full sun, endure the area’s summer heat, bloom for a long time, and are disease free. In short, they are easy to grow so the gardener can enjoy the sunrise and sunsets.
The garden is full of beauty throughout the owing season. Most visitors would recognize the popular perennials such as lobelia, daylilies, Asiatic lilies, daisies, asters, poppies, cosmos, liatris, coneflowers, spiderwort, meadow rue, artemisia, catmint, foxglove, globe thistle, coreopsis, gaillardia, cardinal flowers, monarda, Joe Pye weed, nicotina, delphiniums, rose campion, salvia, campanula, sedum, evening primrose, yarrow, cleome, phlox, bellflowers, oxeye or false sunflowers, bluebells and lavender.
A stone walkway lined by flower beds leads to an inviting water feature surrounded with plants and ornamental grasses to attract songbirds and wildlife.
Many fruit bearing trees, shrubs, native plants, hostas, conifers, nesting boxes and garden sculptures throughout the premises are an open invitation to the enjoy the views and vistas at Sunset Gardens.