Adrian Garden Club opens monthly honors to nearby townships; begins 2024 awards season

Brad Heineman, The Daily Telegram

ADRIAN — With nicer spring weather here and summer on its way, the Adrian Garden Club is once again looking to congratulate and put on display those well-tended gardens throughout the community.

As part of its 2024 Garden of the Month awards season, the Adrian Garden Club — organized in 1926 and celebrating its 98th year of existence this year — has enacted a new policy, one that allows the awarding of Garden of the Month in some communities outside of the city of Adrian.

The new policy opens the Garden of Month awards to residents of Adrian, Madison and Raisin townships, according to Cheryl Lynch, vice president for the Adrian Garden Club, which is a charter member of the Michigan Garden Clubs and the National Garden Clubs.

The gardens of Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell, who live at 443 N. McKenzie St. in Adrian, have been named the April 2024 Garden of the Month by the Adrian Garden Club. Pictured is the walkway of tulips leading to the front door.
The gardens of Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell, who live at 443 N. McKenzie St. in Adrian, have been named the April 2024 Garden of the Month by the Adrian Garden Club. Pictured is the walkway of tulips leading to the front door.

Also new this year, the club will be looking to highlight at least one locally owned business — not a franchise — or a kid’s garden that is maintained by a child/teen who is 10 to 18 years old.

Gardens must be visible from the road and not maintained professionally, Lynch said in an announcement to The Daily Telegram.

“We’re now touching these townships surrounding Adrian,” Lynch said, talking about the garden club's expansion. “And we need to get kids involved with the love of gardening.”

Small, white picket fences can be seen at the corners of the front yard of Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell's residence at 443 N. McKenzie St. in Adrian. Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are among the flowers.
Small, white picket fences can be seen at the corners of the front yard of Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell's residence at 443 N. McKenzie St. in Adrian. Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are among the flowers.

Those who would like to nominate their garden or someone else’s garden for Garden of the Month may contact Lynch at 419-262-4227.

McKenzie Street residence named April Garden of the Month

The first Garden of the Month for 2024 was awarded in April to Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell at 443 N. McKenzie St. in Adrian.

This is the first year for tulips to bloom at the Adrian residence of Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell on North McKenzie Street. The tulips are in an array of colors including pink, white, red and purple. Some of the names of the tulips are Lemonade, Purple Prince and Majestic Yellow.
This is the first year for tulips to bloom at the Adrian residence of Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell on North McKenzie Street. The tulips are in an array of colors including pink, white, red and purple. Some of the names of the tulips are Lemonade, Purple Prince and Majestic Yellow.

Rasmussen is relatively new to gardening, Lynch said, but comes from a family of gardeners. Her father has a degree in agriculture from Purdue University, and her mom’s side of the family did vegetable gardening.

“The gardening bug really hit her during the (COVID-19) pandemic,” Lynch said. “She found gardening therapeutic and very calming during a time when the world was not. It was an escape from the chaos and a way of developing a healthy habit. She finds it very satisfying and encourages more people to garden.”

The front yard has a view of tulips leading up to the front door, Lynch said. Besides tulips, there are daffodils and hyacinths in the front corners of the yard highlighted with small, white picket fences.

Daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are featured in the front corners of Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell's yard on North McKenzie Street in Adrian.
Daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are featured in the front corners of Katie Rasmussen and Stephen Mitchell's yard on North McKenzie Street in Adrian.

Rasmussen planned the design and planted the tulips last fall, Lynch said.

“This is the first year for the flowers to bloom,” she said. “The tulips are in an array of colors from pink, white, red and purple. Some of the names of the tulips are Lemonade, Purple Prince and Majestic Yellow.”

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Rasmussen also has 10 rose bushes planted in the front yard in the colors of white, yellow, peach purple, pink and peace rose yellow. Along the side of the house are double bloom rose bushes.

“The backyard, once a bare spot, now has two vegetable gardens, a shade garden, peony bushes and day lilies,” Lynch said.

— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: www.twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian Garden Club expanding; begins 2024 awards season

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