MUSKEGON, Mich. — A group of gardeners are breathing new life into old lots throughout Muskegon, and now, the community is taking notice.
“It’s just bringing a little bit of beauty to the inner city,” Kathy Kuharevicz, who lives in Muskegon, said. “To see this beautiful flower garden, all the color— right in the middle of an inner city— I think that’s just what brings people. They’re attracted to it.”
Lakeshore Garden Masters is a group of gardeners in West Michigan who established an independent organization, separate from the MSU Extension, “to further the enjoyment and knowledge of gardening in pleasant fellowship,” according to their website.
The group created four “pocket gardens” within a few blocks of each other. The small, public spaces are used for a number of things, including photoshoots, club meetings and even weddings.
“People come here for reflection, they come here for peacefulness,” Jean Baker, a member of Lakeshore Garden Masters, explained. “It’s a great gathering place for people.”
Lakeshore Garden Masters (LGM) started the project 20 years ago with the Monet Garden in downtown Muskegon— at the corner of Clay Avenue and Fifth Street.
“Florence Bright, a local businesswoman who lived in the pink house that is next to the garden, had seen a neglected, weedy lot next door and she always thought there was a purpose for the lot,” Baker said.
After that, a movement bloomed resulting in three more gardens— the Heritage Memorial Garden, the Shakespeare Garden and the Victorian Garden— each one with its own theme.
The upkeep of Muskegon’s pocket gardens is funded solely by donations.
If you’d like to donate, there are several ways to do so:
- Online via the Community Foundation for Muskegon County: Search for “Monet Garden of Muskegon” in the “Give to a Specific Fund” box
- By mail: Community Foundation for Muskegon County— Monet Garden of Muskegon, 425 W. Western Ave., Suite 200, Muskegon, MI 49440
- By phone: 231-722-4538
