Dahlia Hill facts for kids
Dahlia Hill Society logo
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| Founder(s) | Charles Breed, Bill Fisher |
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| Type | Educational |
| Tax ID No. | 38-3417612 |
| Founded | January 1, 1998 |
| Headquarters | 2809 Orchard Drive, Midland, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 43°37′27″N 84°15′27″W / 43.6243°N 84.2574°W |
| Key people | Peggy Kernstock, Executive Director |
| Area served | Tri-Cities (Michigan) |
| Endowment | $80,000+ |
| Volunteers | 70 |
| Employees | 1 |
| References: | |
Location within the state of Michigan
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| Location | Midland County, Michigan, USA |
| Area | 1.41 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Established | June 1992 |
| Visitors | 5,000 (in 2012) |
| Governing body | Dahlia Hill Society of Midland |
Dahlia Hill is a special garden in Midland, Michigan. It's also a non-profit group that takes care of the garden. This beautiful place has terraced gardens covering about 1.4 acres. Every year, more than 3,000 colorful dahlia flowers grow here! It's a protected area in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
Contents
How Dahlia Hill Started
Artist and teacher Charles Breed and his wife Ester moved to Midland in 1950. They were inspired by the amazing buildings designed by Alden B. Dow. Charles Breed became very interested in dahlias in 1966. This happened when his daughter, Crisann, gave his wife Ester some dahlia tubers for Mother's Day.
Twenty-five years later, Charles Breed had collected 1,700 dahlia tubers. His design studio was next to an empty lot on West Main Street. In 1968, a man named Bill Fisher bought that empty land. He planned to build apartments there. Charles Breed didn't want to sell his property. He remembered Alden Dow saying that the only hill in Midland should be used for something special.
Planting the First Dahlias
In 1992, Charles Breed got permission from Bill Fisher to plant dahlias on the empty hillside. Fisher Contracting helped by bringing in a lot of good soil. Charles then started planting his dahlia tubers, and that's how Dahlia Hill began!
In 1997, Charles built a new studio and art gallery next to the garden. This new building had space to work and store the dahlia tubers. Bill Fisher also helped by adding a watering system and making the planting area bigger.
Creating the Society
The Dahlia Hill Society of Midland was officially started in 1998. This group began raising money to buy the land where the garden was located. A lawyer named John Riecker helped for free to set up the non-profit group. In August 2000, the land was bought for $175,000. John's wife, Ranny, even helped cover a small part of the cost.
In 2002, a group of volunteers was chosen to lead the society. They also hired someone to manage the garden. In the mid-2000s, heavy rains caused some problems with the soil washing away. So, in 2006, a new fundraising effort began to fix these issues.
Building the Terraces
Large stone slabs were brought from a quarry in Escanaba, Michigan. In 2007, eight strong stone terraces were built on the hill. This project cost $290,000. The beautiful terraced garden was officially opened in 2008.
At the same time, four special sculptures were added. These sculptures were made of metal and represented the four seasons of the year. They were a gift from Charles Breed. Three stone stairways now go up the hill. At the very top, there are two large raised garden areas. One is a "Memorial Circle" where people can have the ashes of loved ones mixed with soil to become part of the dahlias. The other is a "Donor Circle" with plaques honoring people who have given money to the garden.
Charles Breed said that Dahlia Hill is dedicated to Alden B. Dow. This is because Dow's talent and ideas helped make Midland a unique city.
Dahlia Hill Today
Every May, the garden is planted with a new design. It has more than 250 different kinds of dahlias, with over 3,000 plants in total.
You don't have to pay money to be a member of the Dahlia Hill Society. However, members promise to work at least 15 hours in the garden each year. They also attend meetings twice a year. New members can ask for a mentor to help them learn how to care for the plants. Members get ten dahlia tubers in the spring. They can also pick a few dahlia flowers when they are blooming the most.
The dahlias are watered automatically. But members work hard to remove weeds, support the plants, and trim dead flowers. About two weeks after the first frost, usually in late September, the dahlia tubers are dug up. They are then cleaned, divided, labeled, and stored in a special cool place until spring.
What Makes Dahlia Hill Special
Dahlia Hill is different from many other flower groups. They don't grow flowers for contests or shows. Their main goal is to teach people about dahlias. They want to show how beautiful dahlias look in a garden setting.
There is no fee to visit the garden. Also, members don't pay yearly dues. This means the society depends on donations and special events to pay for everything. Dahlia tubers grow and multiply during the season. So, any extra tubers are sold in late May after all the planting is done.
Businesses or individuals can also "sponsor" a row of dahlias. They can do this to honor or remember friends, family, or special events.
The Memorial Circle at the top of the hill is a special place. It's for the ashes of loved ones, along with a memorial plaque. The society also keeps a "Book of Memory." This book tells the life stories of those remembered at the garden.
Helping Dahlia Hill Grow
To make sure the society can keep going in the future, people are asked to think about donating to the endowment fund. This fund helps support the garden for a long time. The Midland Area Community Foundation manages the Dahlia Hill Society Endowment Fund.
In 2011, Charles Breed put his vacation home into a special trust. This home was sold the next year. After he and his wife pass away, the money from this trust will go to Dahlia Hill. This will help make sure the garden can always be free for everyone to visit.
Awards and Recognition
Dahlia Hill has received two awards from the City of Midland for making the city more beautiful. In 2010, the Keep Michigan Beautiful organization gave Dahlia Hill the President's Plaque.
The PBS television show, “Destination Michigan,” told its viewers to visit Dahlia Hill. The Detroit Free Press newspaper also recommended it. “The American Gardener” magazine even had a six-page article about Dahlia Hill in 2012. In 2013, the American Dahlia Society gave a President's Award to the organization and its founder, Charles Breed.
