PIET OUDOLF

After nearly six years of planning, fundraising and work, the Oudolf Garden Detroit on Belle Isle finally opened to the public.

The Oudolf Garden Detroit on Belle Isle is a 2.5-acre perennial garden featuring 32,000 “hearty perennials and grasses,” in front of the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon. Volunteers raised $4.7 million to install and endow it, overcoming record flooding in 2019 and working through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oudolf Garden Detroit on Belle Isle is a 2.5-acre perennial garden featuring 32,000 “hearty perennials and grasses,” in front of the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon. It’s good for the body and the soul.”The Oudolf Garden Detroit on Belle Isle is a 2.5-acre perennial garden featuring 32,000 “hearty perennials and grasses,” in front of the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon. Oudolf redesigned the garden while volunteers raised more money to elevate the garden site by three feet, protecting it from future flooding.

Several years ago, Grosse Pointe Farms resident Maura Campbell, then-president of the Garden Club of Michigan, tasked members to come up with a dream project —

DETROIT Work began on Thursday on a new garden on Belle Isle. It isnt just any garden, but it is considered a living piece of art. The art was created by designer Piet Oudolf. Oudolf has gardens in Chicago and New York. READ: More community news coverageWatch the video above for the full report

Construction has begun on major renovations that will bring $4.9 million in upgrades to the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle. The Detroit Historical Society, which runs the museum, has raised $1.9 million of the necessary funds. The museum, which will be open during construction, says its already booking weddings for 2020. The Dossin Great Lakes Museum opened in 1960 to showcase the regions maritime history. According to the museum, attendance has doubled over the last five years, necessitating the upgrades.