Midland — Tucked into the center of the city, Dow Gardens is where locals—and tourists—go to slow down. There, visitors find themselves surrounded by tall trees as they wander among the ever-changing natural scenery.
The gardens are a legacy of natural beauty. Growing for over 125 years, there are now 50,000 annuals and perennials that change with the seasons to ensure no two visits ever look or feel quite the same.
Dow Gardens feels handmade, because in a way, it is. Back in 1899, Herbert H. Dow, founder of the Dow Chemical Company, moved into his house, known as The Pines, on a 10-acre property.
Herbert immediately began cultivating the grounds. He wasn’t following a blueprint so much as following curiosity, testing what could grow in the sandy soil of mid-Michigan. Yet, what began as an experiment has grown into much more.
Over time, the estate grew into 110 acres of natural beauty and man-made art. After Herbert died, his family carried on his vision, especially his wife, Grace A. Dow. Now managed by the couple’s foundation, the park welcomes over 250,000 guests every year.
As visitors explore the property, they are able to move from open lawns into shaded groves. The Stream Walk murmurs through the center of it all, and if they follow the sound of water long enough, they’ll find Mirror Pond.
Throughout the gardens, there are a number of different bridges, many inspired by a trip that Herbert took to Japan in the 1920s. The Dow home, The Pines, still stands on the property and is open during tours. Outside the home, the beautifully manicured Estate Garden is reminiscent of European castle gardens.
Deep in the park, the Canopy Walk towers amid Whiting Forest, the longest in the country. It stretches more than 1,000 feet through the treetops, lifting explorers 40 feet above the forest floor. The walk gives a wonderful view of the park—golden in autumn, snow-covered in winter, and colorful in summer.
With three miles of accessible hard-surface pathways, the gardens are perfect for those with disabilities or with young children in need of a stroller. Children can also explore the award-winning Children’s Garden.
While flowers and butterflies are at their peak in the spring and summer months, the Dow Gardens offers year-round fun with many Christmas holiday events.
More than a century after Herbert H. Dow planted his first trees, the gardens still carry the family’s spirit of curiosity and creativity. That’s what Herbert hoped for when he first began cultivating the Dow Gardens.
“If someone were to ask me why I am growing apples, potatoes, and flowers, I think I would explain it this way,” Herbert wrote in 1912. “A man who has money enough can go out and within one year build a very magnificent house, but he cannot build beautiful trees.”
“A house grows old and out-of-date every year. A tree becomes more beautiful and valuable with age. There are beautiful houses wherever men congregate,” Herbert wrote. “Beautiful trees, flowers, and grounds are less common and consequently more appreciated.”
Elyse Apel is a reporter for The Center Square, covering Colorado and Michigan. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Elyse’s writing has been published in a wide variety of national publications, including the Washington Examiner, The American Spectator, and The Daily Wire.
