Hidden Lake Gardens
Our mission | To maintain and improve Hidden Lake Gardens for the benefit and education of the public.To instill an appreciation of plants, gardens, landscapes and the natural environment for students, educators, the public, and to professionals of various disciplines. |
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Opportunities |
Gardeners, Grounds, and Conservatory HelpersWork with staff and other volunteers to help maintain plant collections, demonstration gardens, greenhouse displays, and hiking trails.
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About us | Hidden Lake Gardens was donated to Michigan State University (then Michigan State College) in 1945 by Harry A. Fee, an Adrian businessman. He had always dreamed of owning a lake, and, upon his retirement in 1926, he purchased Hidden Lake along with 200 acres of land surrounding it. He repaired and refurbished the old farmhouse, built a greenhouse, and began farming. He soon realized that the land was not suitable for conventional farming or raising livestock, and so he began to grow nursery stock. Not wanting to compete with local nurseries during the depression, he planted the stock on his own land in an effort to create a “series of pictures,” a philosophy that we continue to strive for today. Mr. Fee described Hidden Lake Gardens as a “dream as you go development”. He built a road in from Hwy. 50 and landscaped it with a shrub and perennial border. The lake was cleaned out, and a small pond and rock garden were constructed. |
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