A Self-Guided Tour through the Horticultural Creations

of Ottawa Hills

Saturday, June 24, 2017 9 a.m.—1 p.m.

OTTAWA HILLSGARDEN TOUR

24TH ANNUAL

Presented by the Ottawa Hills Neighborhood Association,

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Title Sponsors: Jeffrey Lake, Farmers Insurance & Tom Deur, Keller Williams

Grand Rapids East

Ottawa Hills was plotted out as a residential area in the early 1900s on what was then the Grand Rapids Golf Club. The first houses were build in 1922 and homes continued to be constructed until the 1950s. The winding roads are said to follow the paths of the former fairways.

In the 1970s, the neighborhood association was established to preserve the neighborhood’s unique features and prevent the decline that many other local neighborhoods were experiencing. Over the past 45+ years, the neighborhood association has evolved and now sponsors many events, including an annual garden tour, ice cream social, new neighbor party, neighborhood-wide garage sale and neighborhood clean-up. Ottawa Hills is also the site of the Hollyhock Lane Parade, Michigan’s longest-running Independence Day parade, of which the association is a sponsor. The strength of the neighborhood association comes from a group of committed residents working together.

Since the first Garden Tour in 1994, thousands of visitors have enjoyed the tour. We hope you enjoy it as well.

MUSICThank you to Noel Webley & His Jazz Friends for contributing your talents to the Ottawa Hills Garden Tour.

THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTORSThe Ottawa Hills Garden Tour is free to all thanks to the support of the businesses and organizations featured in this brochure. Please consider supporting them in return.

Your kind donations are also appreciated.

–The Ottawa Hills Garden Tour Committee

ABOUT THE OTTAWA HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD

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Tour Start (parking & information)

Restrooms

Food Vendors

Live Music 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

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SEMINOLE

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A 1050 Iroquois Grand Rapids Christian Elementary

We invite our friends to explore the beautiful grounds of Grand Rapids Christian Elementary School in the historic Ottawa Hills neighborhood! Stroll through our “Fruit of the Spirit Garden” and the “Rainbow Garden.” The “Fruit of the Spirit Garden” reflects our passion to inspire children to be “Effective Servants of Christ in Contemporary Society.” You will find plants named in the Bible, benches with a different fruit of the Spirit written on each one, and a path that reminds us of the River Jordan and that leads us to the cross. There is a place for quiet worship at the foot of the cross and an amphitheater where whole classes can meet. The “Rainbow Garden” reminds us that God is faithful through the years. It is a perennial garden that shares beautiful color for the whole summer. The “Rainbow Garden” is overlooked by a beautiful etched glass window. The window remembers the journey of Grand Rapids Christian Schools to this home and tells of God’s sovereignty in all school subjects. The gardens at Grand Rapids Christian Elementary School were designed and built by Romence Gardens.

Noel Webley & His Jazz Friends 11 a.m - 1 p.m. B 1157 Iroquois Kevin Toler

I moved into the 1920s foursquare colonial at 1157 Iroquois and was eager to further develop a yard where kids could be kids. Huge kudos to Tom Rooks and Teri Thompson for their keen design sense and able crew. With their thoughtful suggestions, the yard is a big hit with the kids and a peaceful, gracious spot to host friends and family. Taking inspiration from the charming boxwoods dotting pitches and balconies all over Kensington, the front yard hedge helps form a year-round border, expressing the clean, straight lines often found in traditional English gardens. The former winding front walk was replaced with a sweeping, direct concrete walk, color matched to the castle gray retaining wall stone. Two black urns welcome guests with seasonal plan rings year round at the top of the stairs. Foundation plantings in the front include pachysandra as a ground cover, transplanted azaleas from the original yard and holly bushes. Just past the old cherry tree, to the south (sunny!) side of the house there is the start of a cutting garden to supply fresh summer and fall arrangements. Knock Out roses, irises, and lilies are a few of the flowering plants that grow under the shade of a Honey Crisp apple tree kept in the yard for first floor privacy. On the other side of the driveway, the boxwood and English rose idea continues in front of a natural privacy screen of stately juniper trees. The backyard was designed to encourage play and interaction. The intentional straight lines of the backyard

allow for everything from badminton to mini soccer. The plants were selected to be tough enough to withstand the accidental bouncing ball and multiple repeating plant idea is forgiving in case we have the errant “lost soldier.” Hydrangeas, butterfly bushes and an arborvitae privacy screen, along with more boxwoods and some shade-loving ground plants (bergenia, astilbe, hosta, anemone) are included. The backyard leads into a small patio for entertainment and the hot tub. On the newly built screened in porch, Lucinda with City Meadows did an amazing job of designing “thrill, spill, fill” window boxes and pots to add color while creating corner lot privacy on the porch. Thank you for visiting and I hope you’ll stop by again to say hello!

C 1121 West Chippewa Richard & Nancy Court

Ater 20 years, the gardens at 1121 West Chippewa continue to be a work in progress. A sun garden planted with cast offs from other flower beds in the neighborhood has replaced a tree removed from the east parkway. Late spring and early bloomers take up the northeast corner of the front lawn. Plants that tolerate shade to partial shade enjoy the north side of the property. The south side patio and secret garden are sheltered by an oak tree. Hosta and other shade plants are accented by garden art and pots of bright flowers. The south parkway supports a variety of day lilies.

D 1111 West Chippewa Jamie & Becky Kuiper

This is a family garden. Over the six years we have lived here, we have gradually landscaped with low-maintenance perennials around a patio for outdoor meals. There are two raised beds for vegetables and a wooden walkway to the sandbox and shed which houses the bikes and tools. 

E 1040 Cadillac Ross & Terry Glass

We are celebrating 40 years of dividing perennials, transplanting, adding, removing, watering and weeding. We love attracting birds with shrubs, growing a few vegetables, and keeping many 40’s and 50’s style farmhouse lilacs, bells, forsythia, tiger lilies, and peonies across a large corner yard.

F 1532 Pontiac Chris & Abbe Peterson

Welcome to our  garden! We are passionate about native  plants and organic  chemical-free  gardening  for the health of our family, neighborhood, and environment. Our family loves the wildlife attracted by native plantings—birds, butterflies, and pollinators. The backyard lawn is a special blend of dwarf grass, yarrow, clover, and English daisy. We love working in the garden and watching it evolve and grow.One new surprise this year is fruit on the paw paw trees.

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G 1556 Pontiac Larry & Marion Burns

On the berm this year you will find more perennial plants, flowering bushes and evergreens, with annuals tucked between them for a splash of color. Along a semi-circular walkway there is a variety of shade plants. A quieting peace greets you as you enter the backyard: soothing water, a canopy of trees, a rock garden and plantings that follow the outline of the pool. A serene seating area offers a place to relax and enjoy.

H 1564 Pontiac Josh and Emily Van Vels

Welcome to 1564 Pontiac! The central theme of our yard and garden is water - in that the center of it is literally water. We believe the pool was a 53rd birthday present to our home based largely on the testimony of a random stranger that pulled into our driveway, told us they’d lived here most of their life, refused a tour, and then yelled “you’ve got a pool now?! that wasn’t here in ‘79” while driving away. Either way, the pool and surrounding concrete was redone last fall, so we are proudly displaying it today as part of our attempt to get our money out of it. Much of the front yard is exactly as we inherited it when we moved in two years ago, so a big tip of the cap to whomever the prior owners were. We’ve added a little here and there, with the biggest addition being the solar uplighting to illuminate the house through the night. We mix our time in the backyard between nurturing the new plantings in the beds and fighting off the jungle coming over the fence which appears to be trying to reclaim its territory. We love the natural barrier and the privacy that jungle brings though, and the backyard to us feels like a private oasis for city dwellers like us. We hope you like what you see. Cheers!

I 839 Cadillac Darryl & Connie Rabon

Welcome to 839 Cadillac!  Our gardens are an extension of our house and personalities. While trying to incorporate many different colors and varieties of plants, we also attempted to make the gardens as low maintenance as possible. Other than a little weeding, some mulch and LOTS of water, our gardens are fairly maintenance-free. Our front perennial beds feature roses, hollyhocks, day lilies, black eyed susans, phlox, japanese lilies, verbena and other hardy sun-loving perennials, as well as hydrangeas and a butterfly bush.  Our side garden will keep us with a fresh supply of tomatoes and peppers as well as multiple herbs for our pizza sauce.  Our back garden area is really an extension of our living area complete with a stone fireplace and pizza oven.  The perennial beds include more hollyhocks, lupines, roses and verbena.  Our urns are overflowing with colorful annuals including wave petunias, asters and thunbergia.   We have begun a larger perennial

garden installation in the far back and this will be complete for the garden tour 2018!   We hope you enjoy your day strolling through the many wonderful and beautiful gardens that make this neighborhood such a special place to live!

J 817 Cadillac Richard & Diane Wood

Welcome to our garden! The front and back yards were installed five years ago.  The front yard is flanked with a Dogwood tree, a Canadian Hemlock, and a White Spire Birch tree. There is also a mix of Hydrangea. The back yard also has a variety of structure including, three River Birch trees, a Patio Peach and a Bosnian Pine tree. There is a mix of Annabelle and Endless Summer Hydrangea. For perennials we planted Astilbe, Goats Beard and Ferns. Our splash of color is in the window boxes and containers. Enjoy!!

K 1526 Franklin John & Anne Soddy

This garden began as a labor of love and a desire to produce more natural foods for our four children.  There are no chemical fertilizers or pest control method employed.  We grow a variety of fruits, flowers, and vegetables, and every year we seem to add just one more spot for growing.  Also of note are the backyard chickens: smart and productive, they provide the household with eggs for the family and fertilizer for the garden. 

L 1504 Franklin Randy & Roxanne Wilda

Our backyard has been transformed. Three years ago we had overgrown landscaping and limited success maintaining a lawn with clay soils, abundant shade and an active dog. The new design features a pergola on a raised concrete pad with lounge and dining areas. Bluestone pavers with a creeping mazus infill lead to a circular gathering area with a central fire pit. An island to the side allows for grilling and firewood storage. Cedar screens wrap the seating areas and provide a degree of enclosure. Wall wash lighting bathes the cedar in light in the evening while lanterns create a soft glow in the pergola area. Plantings are young and consist primarily of sedges, hakonechloa and decorative grasses. Hollies will eventually grow into a privacy border while a Juneberry is placed behind the circular gathering area.

M 818 Iroquois Tom & Robin Deur

Ater removing everything from the overgrown property two years ago, we added the trees in the fall of 2015 along with the smaller shrubs. Since then we installed the bluestone for the walk in front and the patio in back. In the fall of 2016 a small pond was installed. This year the rear porch has been enclosed with French doors, and a small waterfall was added

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to the pond which was trimmed with bluestone. We now have a very serene yard to enjoy. We hope you will too!

N 1515 Pontiac Fred & Michelle Davison

Last summer glass artist Craig Mitchell Smith installed a field of sunflowers and two displays of poppies in our garden. This display was intended to show his work for the Garden Tour. However, we became so attached to the vibrant colors and organic shapes we couldn’t imagine the garden without his beautiful glass artwork. The nice thing is these flowers require no fertilizer, watering or deadheading. For this year’s tour we have added several additional pieces in our water feature; come and see for yourself!

O 1504 Pontiac Jared & Elizabeth Van Vels

Welcome to 1504 Pontiac! We are thrilled to be a part of the Garden Tour again this year and to share our garden with you. We recently updated the front landscaping to help showcase this 1920s Tudor while keeping the landscaping simple and sophisticated. The front porch is the most peaceful spot to sit and look out over the neighborhood, whether it’s keeping an eye on the kids or enjoying a drink with neighbors. As you find your way to the back of the home you’ll find a private patio. We were able to transform the back yard into a beautiful patio perfect for entertaining and outdoor living. This space has quickly become one of our family’s new favorite gathering places. The private patio features a natural cedar fence, boxwood hedges and plenty of blushing hydrangea that help frame in the beautiful Montauk Blue Stone pavers. Thank you for taking time to visit our home.

P 901 Iroquois Brent Nevin & Ann Stacey

Welcome! Our front garden is a happy mix of Viburnum, Moonshine yarrow, Stella D’Oro day lily, hydrangea, Obsidian coral bells, variegated grasses and other perennials that we have added over the years. In our side and back gardens, you will also discover a variety of hosta, fern and pops of pink and other colors from our potted annuals. Enjoy the Tour through our lovely neighborhood!

Q 1421 Alexander Tim & Michelle Zych

When we purchased this house in 2014 it was completely covered in ivy vines and overgrown trees. The home and lawn were so covered, many of our neighbors had never actually seen “The House.” Circa 2017 … we have landscaped, added a pergola and updated composite decking and a vinyl fence to complement the stained and stamped concrete walkway. Enjoy the transformation!

TITLE SPONSORS

Your Ottawa Hills Farmers Insurance Agent

Jeffrey Lake1136 Wealthy Street SE

(616) 726-2475Jlake@farmersagent.com

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THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS

Police Officers, Firefighters, and Municipal Workers

Who Help Keep Our Neighborhood

Safe and Beautiful

Thank You for Your Dedicated Service to Our Community

IN HONOR OF

Serving customers in the Contract Office Furniture, Health Care, Packaging, Point-Of-Purchase/Retail

Display and Industrial Products markets.

4374 Donker Ct. SE Kentwood, Michigan, 49512

616-974-0055

thermoformsinc.com

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740 Gladstone Dr. SE • East Grand Rapids, MI 49506 (616) 243-8998 x206 • schooloffice@ststephenparish.com

www.ststephenschoolgr.com

• Preschool 3’s, 4’s, & Young 5’s • Half & Full Day Kindergarten

St. Stephen Catholic School

Preschool through 8th Grade + Child Care

1 1 3 4 W e a l t h y S t r e e t

6 1 6 . 3 0 1 . 1 9 1 1

w w w . h y p e r - o p t i k . c o m

HyperOptik

To all the neighbors who volunteered to have their gardens featured on the

2017 OHNA Garden Tour!

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YOU CAN TRUST THIS ROOF

POINTRoofing Co.

CONFIDENCE COMES WITH EVERY SHINGLE

(616) 622-6343

SummitPointRoofi ng.com

We’re proud Ottawa Hills residents!

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Romence Gardens is first and foremost a retail greenhouse. That means the plants we sell here, we grow here. And that’s why our slogan says: great plants – we know they’re healthy and vigorous; great varieties – we grow the prettiest and most dependable assortment of plant material we can find; and great values – we do both the growing and selling to save you money and still guarantee the best quality available. Romence Gardens is family owned and operated. For three generations, members of our Romence family have worked in this Grand Rapids business – they are the major reason for its success. Our friendly service and efficient expertise in giving good answers to gardening questions is the reason so many generations of customers

continue to visit this independent garden center.

• Annuals • Hanging Baskets & Combination Pots • Perennials, Trees & Shrubs • Groundcovers • Water Plants • Herbs & Vegetables • Seasonal plants • Indoor Houseplants

(616) 241-2655

Grower direct for over 85 years!

1500 Kalamazoo Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507

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1133 West Chippewa Dr SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506

616-965-6704

sogoodlawncare.weebly.com sogoodlawncare@gmail.com

342 Market Ave SW | Grand Rapids, MI 49503

616-454-7710

We hope you enjoyed the Garden Tour and will visit us again next year, on our 25th anniversary!

for stopping by!

(616) 451-0724

1234 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

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THE OLD GOAT

THE ELECTRIC CHEETAH

UNCLE CHEETAH'S SOUP SHOP

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