Hidden Lake Gardens

In 1945 local businessman Harry A. Fee donated 200 acres of land to Michigan State University with the idea of sharing his scenic pictures with the public. In a joint venture with MSU, the Garden Club of Michigan won the Founders Fund Award to develop an area called The Kettle Hole with new varieties of low maintenance trees adaptable for road side plantings.

This 30-acre bowl shaped depression features slopes with a great variety of soil conditions which benefit planting experiments. After establishment, the plants were allowed to develop without the application of pesticides or pruning to be evaluated. By 1978 over 240 new varieties had been carefully placed in the glacial pothole and the trees became an ideal study area for researchers to observe songbirds’ preferences for food and resting sites. Evaluations on the trees are being done every 5 years.

The Gardens have grown from the original 200 acres to 755 acres and serves the public with educational opportunities, inspiration and enjoyment.