WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY

I don’t usually do back-to-back posts but, as I kept adding paragraphs and photos, yesterday’s post begged to be divided … so I did.

When part one of this seemingly endless walk concluded yesterday, I had already trekked through the woods, explored U of M’s Environmental Interpretive Center and weighed my options of cutting through another woodsy area to see where I would end up versus simply retracing my route along the roadway that is parallel to the Estate.

It was warmish and I admit I was a bit weary but I pondered this old saying:

“There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy. And its only reward is that it’s easy.” (Author unknown)

So yes, I opted to go the extra mile, walk past the fringe of woods and explore that vast grassy area, which I later realized was architect Jens Jergen’s Meadow. The bonus was I discovered the long-gone, now-in-ruins, original Rose Garden and Reflecting Pool/Pond. Even though I had read info and studied a map prior to ever visiting this venue, I never knew I could approach the Estate via the woods, so I was clueless about this area.

There were ruins to roam around and a trail garden.

First I saw a wall of rocks. Hmm – was that some secret tunnel?

Then, in the distance, there was a group of children and several adults.

I quickly realized it must be a field trip.

An animated guide had the youngsters’ rapt attention as he dipped a large net into the above-pictured pond and there were squeals of delight when the net revealed wiggling frogs who began trying to hop out of it, so the guide lowered the net and the frogs were released back into the pond.

I listened in as the guide gave the group a quick history lesson. We learned that even though architect Jens Jensen was instrumental in working with Henry Ford to create a natural environment around the dam and creating the Meadow and bird sanctuary, in the late 1920s Clara Ford insisted on creating a 2.5-acre rose garden, ripple waterfall and pond, reflecting pool, garden structure (“The Summer House”) and pergola in the middle of the area known as the Meadow. Jens Jergens disagreed with that idea, so Clara Ford promptly secured another architect, Herbert Kellaway, to create these amenities and commissioned horticulturist/rosarian Harriet Foote, an expert in rose cultivation to create a “keyhole rose garden” all which are mere ruins now. Below is the frame, all that remains of the Summer House/Pergola.

The water looked murky as two geese paddled side by side, their reflections barely visible.

The two posed nicely.

As if on cue and not to be outdone by the frogs and the first pair of geese, a Canada Goose, with goslings in tow, waddled around the pond which delighted the visitors, young and old alike. Phones were whipped out of pockets and purses and pictures taken. Of course Your Roving Reporter grabbed some shots too as they waddled around the pond away from the crowd. Note the goslings checking out a few people who were taking photos of them. One gosling in the foreground is hissing. 🙂

Someone got too close to the family and some wing flapping ensued.

I left the field trip activities and headed though the Meadow and the midday sun was making me hot. I checked my pedometer and I’d walked over five miles already, with a way to go yet. (I really think I ended up walking seven miles altogether, not six.)

I saw this sign for the Trail Garden …

… so off I went along still another path. This sign told me I was nearing the Estate grounds.

The paths were sometimes rustic, sometimes mulched …

… and occasionally lined with wildflowers.

I stopped to take photos of the informational sign with a vintage pic and here I learned about the many Summer perennials watered by an early, state-of-the-art sprinkler system.

Several benches appeared along the trail and I wondered if these were once occupied by the Fords as they took a break from their hikes or walks through the Trail Garden? I have learned in my research about Fair Lane Manor that the Fords enjoyed hiking the vast and varied landscape that comprised their property.

Finally, I was back at Fair Lane Manor …

… with another mile and a half along the Rouge Gateway Trail and through the neighborhood until I could plunk down in the car and turn on the A/C. Whew! Thank you for reading if you are still here and a bonus thank you if you read all four posts about this May 12th meander!

… as you stop to smell the Lilacs.

Yes, this sentence is a twist from the usual phrase “Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses” and a worthy reminder from Walter Hagen. In the two months since I visited the Ford Estate, the Lilacs are long gone and the roses in the massive Rose Garden, which once boasted 10,000 rosebushes, likely have their sweet scent diminished by the shroud of smoke from the 500 active Canadian wildfires.

It has been incredible to listen to weather reports stating that at times here in Southeast Michigan we were rated second in not only the nation, but the world, for poor air quality, so much so that even healthy residents were encouraged to don an N95 mask before going outside.

This trek on that lovely Spring day encompassed three venues: a path with woodsy vibes along the Rouge Gateway Trail, then off to meander around Henry and Clara Ford’s Estate and finally my first visit to the University of Michigan’s Environmental Interpretive Center, only to retrace my steps to head back to the car. I logged six miles and took a slew of photos that day. I’ve already written about the Environmental Interpretive Center and next week I’ll focus on the Ford Estate, but today ….

It is all about the Lilacs.

The primary reason for going to the Ford Estate was because I knew it was “peak week” for the lovely Lilacs. Clara Ford (Henry’s wife) had a huge Lilac garden and flagstone walkway. I spoke to a gardener who told me the Lilacs had their best blooming year since 2018, seemingly having overcome the disease called “Oystershell Scale” which, in 2020, nearly decimated 38 of the 150 Persian Lilac Bushes.

I entered the courtyard …

… and Lilacs lined the perimeter from the Tea House to the Fords’ residence where a Potentilla had burst into bright-yellow blooms.

Standing in the courtyard and walking along the flagstone path, the sight was exquisite and the scent was heavenly. Lilacs were cascading down …

… protruding around corners and …

… forming lovely arches along that fragrant flagstone path.

You may recall from prior posts that the lovely wrought-iron gate that graces the courtyard area was a gift from Henry Ford to his beloved Clara, after a 1930 visit to England whereby Clara admired the gate and asked Henry if he thought that estate’s owner would sell it to them for her garden. Henry said it was unlikely they would part with it, so Clara forgot about it, until two weeks later when they returned from their trip abroad, only to see that very same gate rising majestically parallel to her courtyard garden. Almost a century later, it is still a showpiece.

This year I contacted the administrator of the Ford Estate’s Facebook page to pinpoint when the peak blooming time would be since I was too early last time and missed a lot of the beauty.

I was alone in the Lilac gardens for a while until a group of young people showed up, all volunteers who were there to pull weeds, while this observer stood like a lady of leisure languishing among the showy blooms.

This Spring I missed seeing and smelling my Lilac tree and Miss Kim Lilac bush, lost in the downed wire fire on December 2, 2022 which burned my back garden and I lost everything. The Lilac tree was planted in the late 1960s and the rest of the garden I planted when I redid the landscaping in 1985. While I was sad to see my garden reduced to charred mulch and burned trees and bushes, I remain grateful that the downed wire and resulting large fire, a mere 25 feet from where I slept, did not damage my home and I was safe as well.

Next week, a hop, step and jump, er … jaunt through the rest of the Ford Estate which was aglow with Redbud trees and Spring flowers. I was excited to explore a new area of this massive properly I’d never known about!

Until then, I hope you enjoyed this peaceful post. Wouldn’t you like to while away an afternoon reading on this bench?