Gruler Gardens

25/08/2025

What a strange day with the weather changing from moment to moment from sunshine to dark skies with occasional bursts of rain - then back again to sun. The subtle shift in light and temperature foretell the change of seasons as August draws to a close. All day the most magnificent clouds passed overhead. Already there is a feeling of fall in the air. Time to start getting ready for cooler days ahead.

20/08/2025

Summer gets even better in late August. At last, it's time for dahlias! Looking forward to many more of these beauties before the leaves turn.

16/08/2025

Some of the flowers in the gardens are still bent over with the weight of rain from this afternoon's storm, but this pink cosmos remained upright and caught my eye. Sheer perfection!

16/08/2025

From a distance I thought this might be a black swallowtail butterfly, but my Seek app tells me it's a red-spotted admiral. I didn't measure the height of the cup plant it's feeding on, but I'm 5'7" and I was holding my camera way up above my head to film this clip! Lots of bees were buzzing on this plant while I recorded this, especially bumblebees. At one point one was feeding on the same flower with this beauty. Plenty of nectar and pollen here for all!

14/08/2025

Some favorite blooms from the garden. Rose lilies, my mom's favorite pink phlox, snapdragons, and a sprig of dark red amaranth. So much beauty all around!

13/08/2025

This has been a banner year for monarchs here, but this isn't one of them. It's a viceroy butterfly. I stalked it with my cell phone camera for a while and it finally decided to rest on this pink dianthus and pose for me. Despite a damaged wing it is still a beauty and able to fly without difficulty.

09/08/2025

What a week it's been around here for flowers! Dozens of our table arrangements went out the door for parties, picnics, and meetings, and we hit a record high in sales of our new "Hostess Bouquet," a generous selection of the best flowers we have in bloom that can be made into two to three smaller bouquets for display around your home. Starting at just $35 it's a great value!

Order early in the week for easy pickup at our peaceful farm location before the weekend. Avoid the stress of summer crowds and traffic with fresh flowers cut to order from Gruler Gardens! See flowers on our website on the flower gallery page and contact us to order at grulergardens.com or by email [email protected]

07/08/2025

It's almost that time again! Our next native plant sale is coming up this Saturday, August 9 from 9 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Here are a few of the plants that are blooming right now in our gardens! Come see them and get ideas and plants for your own garden or landscaping project. Watch for the signs and turn in by the plant stand at 1298 E Gruler Road in Petoskey. For a full list of the plants we grow, visit our website at grulergardens.com/nativeplants Hope to see you here on Saturday!

06/08/2025

I made a new discovery today, the five-banded thynnid wasp. As in this article from MSU, it was feeding on mountain mint in our garden and I did think it was a yellow jacket. I'm happy to know I was mistaken, and that it is actually a solitary wasp that helps to control Japanese beetles. We could use more of these (the wasps, not the Japanese beetles)! Learn more here https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/michigan-insects-in-the-garden-week-11-five-banded-thynnid-wasp

05/08/2025

Too sweet not to share! I spotted this little guy napping on a zinnia early this morning while I was harvesting flowers. How I love bumblebees (a.k.a. flying teddy bears)! They're my constant companions in the garden from dawn until dusk, when males like this wee one find a place to rest nearby for the night, as they don't go back to the nest. Bumbles (genus Bombus - how cute is that?!) work hard all day and may live less than a month. It makes me happy to know that all of the bees on our property have plenty to eat and a beautiful place to call home during their brief and precious lives.

03/08/2025

News from Gruler Gardens

Greetings, Plant & Flower Friends! Our next native plant sale is coming up on Saturday, August 9 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. We hope you'll visit us and the gorgeous native plants in our gardens, many of which are flowering now. This is the time to see them and choose the best ones for your garde...

02/08/2025

Monarda fistulosa, also known as wild bergamot or bee balm, is one native plant on my must-have list! True to its name, it's a magnet for bees, who feed on its nectar-rich, tubular flowers. The unusual mop-top flowers are a soft lavender color, and as the plant spreads and forms clumps, it creates visual impact while supporting pollinators in the garden. Come and get yours at our next native plant sale on Saturday, August 9 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.