$100,000 Raised for Piet’s Garden
We hope this note on this last day of June finds you looking forward to the 4th of July holiday.
Gardens have a rich history in our relatively young country and in Detroit, we have the opportunity to leave a lovely and lasting legacy while making garden history with a Piet Oudolf garden on Belle Isle. As Sarah Earley, Chair of the Board for the Belle Isle Conservancy put it, “One hundred years from now the Oudolf garden will still be here.” That’s an exciting and promising prospect!
We are thrilled to announce we are two-thirds of the way to our $150,000 goal. This past month we have been busy raising money to secure Piet’s commission for the design phase of the project. To date, we have donations and pledges totaling nearly $100,000.
Please donate today! Make checks payable to GCM Oudolf Garden and send to:
Muffy Milligan
546 Lakeland St
Grosse Pointe, MI 48230
Wouldn’t it be great if we ended July having exceeded the goal? It will help build momentum and bring us ever closer to making this amazing garden vision a reality. Any funds over and above what is needed for the design phase will be applied toward the installation phase.
As you know there is great buzz and excitement about bringing a Piet Oudolf garden to Detroit. Here’s what Scott Stewart, Ph.D., Executive Director, Millennium Park Foundation that oversees funding for Piet’s work at the Lurie Garden and the new garden in Humboldt Park says…
“Piet Oudolf, perennial plant designer of the iconic Lurie Garden, is the premier garden designer for public landscapes today. His designs are both artistic and ecological, connecting the history of the site with aspirations for the future of the community in which he is designing. Piet designs gardens that attract attention from gardeners and non-gardeners, alike, with relatable but yet complex plant arrangements that evoke the natural history of prairies, meadows, and woodlands while still being highly artistic. Piet’s gardens are more than just artistry, they attract numerous wildlife—birds, insects, and animals—for the enjoyment of all in the garden.”
Thank you, one and all for believing in this. I also want to give heartfelt thanks to Jean Hudson, Joe Hudson, Richard Thomas, Candy Sweeny, Duncan Campbell and Muffy Milligan for their inspiring and tireless support for this effort. On a recent visit to his in-laws in Maryland, Richard drove to the brand new botanical gardens in Delaware to learn about Piet’s work there and came back with new friends and a treasure-trove of information.
There is something about Piet that brings us all together!
Happy 4th of July everyone!
– Maura Campbell and Piet’s Merry Band of Detroit Fans