Botanical Park is open to public Friday-Tuesday
There’s still plenty of time to enjoy the fragrant beauty of lilacs at Sunny Fields Botanical Park in Emmett.
EMMETT — There’s still time to enjoy the fragrant beauty of lilacs as the spring season rolls toward summer at Sunny Fields Botanical Park.
Though early blooming lilacs are fading, park director Bill Horman says late blooming bushes are exploding with color.
Along with a wide variety of lilacs, the 1,400 acre park’s plant and flower collections feature more than 850 different kinds of woody plant specimens.
“We specialize in collecting and displaying lilacs, ornamental crabapples, narcissi (including daffodils), evergreens, and daylilies,” Horman says. “Our crabapple collection ranks as the region’s most diverse assortment, and the lilac collection is the most diverse in Michigan—offering six weeks of blooms annually.”
Sunny Fields Botanical Park is open Friday through Tuesday from 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. through October 31. Each season offers unique discoveries, Horman adds, and though visitors are allowed to walk the trails without a guide, it is recommend that first-time visitors receive a tour before venturing out on their own. Currently, there is no charge for the tours, however donations are accepted and appreciated.
Tours are available by appointment only; 810-387-2765 to arrange a tour. Typical tour hours are 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Volunteers are always needed to help with upkeep at the park, and tax-deductible donations are encouraged and appreciated to help defray costs in keeping the center open and available to the public.
Sunny Fields Botanical Park is located at 5444 Welch Rd. in Emmett. For more information go to visitsunnyfields.org or call 810-387-2765.
Catherine Minolli is Managing Editor of the Tri-City Times. She began as a freelance writer with the Times in 1994. She enjoys the country life, including raising ducks and chickens.
