A sign introucing visitors to where the garden show starts. /Allen Wegener
A view of plants arranged at one home. /Allen Wegener
Beauty can be found every where in Heritage Hill. /Allen Wegener
It was a beautiful sunny day for the sixth annual Garden Show sponsord by the Heritage Hill Neighborhood Association. The Garden Show 2013 included 10 homes that were open to the public who bought tickets for the event.
"The garden show was Tom Truesdales idea who owns his own home in Heritage Hill and has a beautiful garden himself," says Jim Payne, President of the Heiritage HIll Neighborhood Association.
Heritage HIll Neighborhood Association takes alternating turns at sponsoring this event. One year the North side will sponsor it and the next year the South side will sponsor the event.
"Last year we had a couple hundred of people attend the event," Laura Martin, a hostess of the event says. "I've gardened all my life and the garden show lets people see other peoples' ideas and it could spark an idea for other gardeners also."
One such person taking the walking tour and getting ideas for herself was Jeanne Stoddard. She is a Grand Rapids resident who was getting some ideas for her own garden.
"I've lived in Rockford for 25 years near the lake and now I live here in Grand Rapids. It's so peaceful and private to have your own garden," Stoddard says. "It's hard to believe one could own their own garden here in town and be only a couple of minutes from downtown."
There were many gardens on display with water ponds and cobblestone walks. One of the more popular places to visit was a set wall used in the film "Road to Perdition," starring Tom Hanks.
"My husband didn't like to mow the lawn, so I came up with the garden idea instead," says Kristine Jacobson, the owner of the set wall.
"My husband and I were renting a cottage near the lakeshore and were three cottages down from where they were filming the movie called "Road to Perdition," Jacobson says. "I saw these two men in a boat off shore who sailed up to the cottage where the film was being done and after the film was finished they started taking down the wall that was used in the film. I suggested to my husband that we get some of the pieces of the wall for my garden and we went to get some of the wall as well. They were done with the set and were going to throw it away anyway."
"And no, Tom Hanks did not come to our house to do any scene on film," Jacobson laughs.
The Rapidian, a program of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Community Media Center, relies on the community’s support to help cover the cost of training reporters and publishing content.
We need your help.
If each of our readers and content creators who values this community platform help support its creation and maintenance, The Rapidian can continue to educate and facilitate a conversation around issues for years to come.
Please support The Rapidian and make a contribution today.