Holland Tulips, Fennville Lavender & More Michigan Flowers
Where to Find the Best Gardens Near Saugatuck
Spring arrives a little quietly along the lakeshore. One week, it still feels like winter, and the next, you start noticing color again, with buds on the trees, early blooms in town, and gardens slowly coming back to life.
If you’re planning a spring or summer stay in Saugatuck, it’s one of the best times to be here. Flowers show up in waves throughout the season, and each month brings something new to see. Whether you’re looking for a relaxed walk through a local garden, a scenic afternoon drive to see tulips, or a few photo-worthy spots to build into your weekend, here’s where to find the best blooms in and around Saugatuck.
Early Spring Blooms (April – Early May)
Early spring is all about the first signs of color. It’s not peak bloom yet, but that’s part of the appeal. It feels quieter, more local, and a little more relaxed.
One of our favorite nearby spots is the Back in Time Garden behind the Douglas Union School House at the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center. It’s a small, thoughtfully designed garden that reflects the area’s 1800s heritage, planted with heirloom varieties and period-appropriate flowers. It’s an easy stop if you’re already exploring downtown Douglas, and it adds a bit of historical context to the flowers you’re seeing.
In Saugatuck, the Rose Garden at 190 Butler Street begins to wake up in early spring, with more color filling in as the season goes on. The roses won’t peak until June, but even in late April and early May, there’s still something to see. It’s tucked into a residential area, easy to walk to from downtown, and worth a quick visit if you’re in the neighborhood.
Peak Spring: Tulip Time in Holland (May)
By early May, everything starts to feel fully in bloom, and tulip season takes over West Michigan.
Holland's Tulip Time Festival is one of the most well-known spring events in Michigan. The festival runs for about 10 days in early May, and the town fills with color. Tulips line the streets, fill public parks, and create those photo-worthy rows that people plan trips around. Beyond the flowers, the festival includes Dutch dance performances, street markets, concerts, parades, and tours of historic homes and gardens.
Windmill Island Gardens is the centerpiece of the event and tulip season in general. The gardens cover about 36 acres, with rows of tulips planted around an authentic Dutch windmill imported from the Netherlands in the 1960s.
Veldheer Tulip Gardens has been growing tulips since 1950, when Vern Veldheer planted a few hundred bulbs as a hobby. Today, the farm plants around 5 million tulips each year, creating acres of color in early May. Beyond the tulips, you’ll also find imported flowers and perennials available for purchase, making it easy to bring a bit of Holland’s bloom home with you.
Wildflower Farm in Holland offers a chance to bring home some of the famous Holland tulips with a u-pick experience where you can walk through rows of blooms and cut your own.
Early Summer Blooms (June)
June brings a different kind of color that’s just as beautiful.
Summerhouse Lavender Farm in Fennville peaks in late June and early July, when the fields turn purple, and the scent is strongest. The farm opens in early May, but this is when the lavender is truly worth seeing. You can walk the rows, take photos, and browse the farm shop for lavender products.
Pleasant Hill Poppy Field near Fennville typically blooms in mid-June, with bright red poppies covering several acres of hillside. The field was planted by the owners of Pleasant Hill Blueberry Farm in memory of their late son. The bloom window is short, usually just a week or two, but it’s a stunning sight. The owners just ask that you respect the property and stay off the flowers to prevent any damage.
Back in town, smaller gardens continue to fill in throughout June. The Museum Garden & Learning Stations at Mount Baldhead Park is maintained by the Saugatuck-Douglas History Museum, with native plants, herbs, and flowers labeled for identification. It’s not showy, but if you’re already at Mount Baldhead for the hike or just exploring the area, it’s worth walking through.
The Saugatuck Center for the Arts maintains a garden plaza on its downtown property, planted with seasonal flowers and interspersed with sculptures that make for great photos if you’re there for an event or checking out the gallery.
Summer Gardens & Garden Walks (July – August)
By July, the tulips might be gone, but everything else is fully in bloom. Lavender fields in nearby Fennville reach their peak, the Saugatuck Rose Garden is full and fragrant, and gardens throughout the area are layered with summer perennials.
For a chance to get a closer look at some of the smaller, residential gardens, the Saugatuck-Douglas Garden Club hosts its annual Garden Walk. It’s a self-guided tour of private gardens throughout the area, and it changes every year depending on which homeowners open their properties. The gardens vary from formal landscapes to cottage-style plots, and it’s a chance to see what locals are growing behind their homes. Tickets are available through the garden club’s website, and the walk happens over a single weekend.
Worth the Drive: Frederik Meijer Gardens
If you’re up for a 45-60 minute drive, Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids is one of the best public gardens in the Midwest. It’s open year-round, with indoor conservatories and outdoor gardens that change by season. Spring brings tulips and bulbs, summer has roses and perennials, and the sculpture collection is spread throughout the grounds. The combination of art and horticulture makes it more than just a flower visit.
Hotel Saugatuck as Your Spring & Summer Getaway
After a day visiting tulip gardens in Holland or walking through rows of lavender in Fennville, coming back to our boutique hotel in Saugatuck is the perfect place to relax and reset. Whether that means a quiet evening in your suite, time spent on the porch, or a quick refresh before heading downtown, it's totally up to you.
