Category: Ada

We’ve compiled a list of Grand Rapids, MI greenhouses to make your shopping — and new discoveries easier.

Grand Rapids greenhouses and garden centers are one of the highlights of my summer. Perhaps that’s because we think Michigan summers are the BEST, and one of our favorite things to do is shopping at and discovering, locally owned Grand Rapids nurseries and garden centers. Sometimes it can be hard to find new places, so we’ve made a list for you, please feel free to post comments with additional suggestions.

As of Friday, April 24, the restrictions on garden stores under Governor Whitmer’s State Executive Order were lifted. While this was exciting for consumers and small business owners alike, it also came as a surprise. We reached out to Grand Rapids area nurseries and garden centers like Flowerland, Ludema’s and Koetsier’s and discovered that they all seemed to have the same message for their beloved and green-thumbed patrons: “We are elated to serve you again, and are back up to speed, please come see us.”

With the surprise reopening, a lot of demand was put on both suppliers and the workforce — greenhouses had limited staff and resources in order to help their business and plants survive during the economic freeze. For those of you with college-kids home, many of these places are still hiring for summer help. 

Thanks to Matt Teliczan of Telidrone for the drone photo of Flowerland on 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids Greenhouses are allowing a set number of people in their garden centers at a time to minimize the possible risk of COVID-19 transmission. In addition, highly trafficked areas are being frequently sanitized for consumer and employee safety. A 6-foot standing distance and proper face-mask usage are also required. Many places also have over-the-phone order placement and payment available for curbside pickup. 

To make your quest to find the best Grand Rapids area nursery and garden center, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorites, along with notes about how they are protecting their employees and customers from COVID-19 (we’ve only made notes for places where we, or someone we know, has experienced the procedures they have in place). One of our favorite summer adventures is shopping for plants. Please leave a note in the comments if you have other places you would recommend and we will add them to our list.,

Flowerland Grand Rapids Locations
616.532.5934 / 765 28thSt., Wyoming, MI 49509
616.784.0542 / 3801 Alpine Ave. NW, Comstock Park, MI 49321
616.942.5321 / 4321 28thSt. SE, Kentwood, MI 49512
COVID-19 NOTES: employees are wearing masks and customers are requested to wear masks too, along with social distancing.
Comments: When I want to make sure that I’m going to find everything I need in one trip, this is my go-to place.

NE Grand Rapids Greenhouse: Knapp Valley Landscaping
616.363.8086,
4100 Knapp St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525

NE Grand Rapids Greenhouse: Romence Gardens & Greenhouses
(616) 451-8214
265 Lakeside Dr NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
COVID-19 NOTES: carts are cleaned after each use, employees are wearing masks and customers are requested to wear masks too, along with social distancing.
Comments: I shopped here today, they have a great variety of annuals and perennials, this place is another of my favorites.

Belmont Greenhouse: SH Greenhouses
616.874.3203
4525 Cannonsburg Rd. NE,
Belmont, MI 49306

NW Grand Rapids Greenhouse: Andy Mast Greenhouses
877.927.1151
1534 Pannell NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

SE Grand Rapids Greenhouse: Bos Greenhouses
616.949.0407
1674 Spaulding SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

SE Grand Rapids Greenhouse: Huizenga Brothers Greenhouse
616.245.7409
3055 Eastern Ave. SE,
Grand Rapids, MI 49508

SE Grand Rapids Greenhouse: Koetsiers Greenhouse
616.949.7299  or 616.956.1526
1601 Spaulding Ave. SE,
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

SE Grand Rapids Greenhouse: Ludema’s Greenhouse
616.452.2961
3408 Eastern Ave. SE,
Grand Rapids, MI 49508
Comments: this is another favorite that I go to with my mom every year. They have wonderful plants that are great quality and quite a few unique options too.

Ada Greenhouse: Thornapple River Nursery
(616) 676-0102
8080 28th St SE
Ada, Michigan 49301
Comments: if you need mulch, they have a wonderful, unique composted leaf mulch. Once you use it, you won’t want anything else.

Middleville Greenhouse: Creekside Growers
(269) 795-7674
10197 W Garbow Rd,
Middleville, Michigan
COVID-19 NOTES: employees are wearing masks and customers are required to wear masks too, along with social distancing, hand sanitizer is also available.
Comments: I shopped here last week and was impressed with the quality, unique plants available.

Middleville Greenhouse Cherry Valley Gardens
(269) 795-8811
6900 N M-37 Hwy
Middleville, Michigan 49333

Lowell Greenhouse: Snow Avenue Greenhouse
616.897.0057
3295 Snow Ave. SE,
Lowell, MI 49331

Hudsonville Greenhouse: JW Succulents
616-422-6767
4545 New Holland Street
Hudsonville, MI 49426
Comments: I’ve not been here yet, but have heard wonderful things about this place.

Hudsonville Greenhouse: WW Greenhouses
(616) 669-0134
4044 Chicago Dr
Hudsonville, Michigan 49426

Allendale Greenhouse: Countryside Greenhouse
616.895.5000
9050 Lake Michigan Dr.,
Allendale, MI 49401
COVID-19 NOTES: employees are wearing masks and customers are required to wear masks too, along with social distancing, hand sanitizer is also available. I’ve heard from quite a few people that they are impressed with how Countryside is keeping their customers safe.
Comments: Countryside is enormous and is known for great pricing and an excellent variety.

NW Grand Rapids Greenhouse: Mottman’s Greenhouses
616.677.1525 
0-2617 River Hill Dr., Grand Rapids, MI 49534
COVID-19 NOTES: I’ve heard from friends that employees and customers have not been wearing masks or social distancing here.

Kalamazoo Greenhouse: River Street Flowerland
269.342.9207
1300 River St., Kalamazoo, MI 49048
Comments: every year my mother and I make the hour long trek to this greenhouse. They have an amazing variety of classics and unique plants.

Caledonia Greenhouse: Apols Water Gardens
616-698-1030
9430 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Caledonia, MI 49316
Comments: this is my go-to place for water gardens. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

ARTICLE BY RHIANNON HUDSON

Looking down into an open silo
A unique view at Roselle Park after the storm blew the top off of one of the silos. Photo courtesy of Matt Teliczan, Telidrone.

This summer straight-line winds did some major damage in West Michigan, wiping out huge old trees and redecorating some of the landscape. One of the places hit particularly hard was Roselle Park, near Grand Rapids. Luckily, Roselle Park is as beautiful as ever. We took a trip there about a week after the storm hit and even though there was still some damage that was evident, clean up crews had been hard at work restoring the park.

This is an aerial view of the Grand River at Roselle Park. Photo courtesy of Matt Teliczan of TeliDrone.

Roselle Park is located at 1010 Grand River Dr NE Ada, MI and features 240 acres with paved trails, an observation deck, playground area with climbing wall, prairie, wetlands, forest, and beautiful river shoreline. For those of you with high school seniors, it’s also a great place to go for senior photos.

The customized workouts are about 30 minutes, because you are able to stay at one workout station. Each member has a “fit key” that plugs into the machine with their customized workout program.
There’s still time to get fit before swimsuit time this summer. But wait, are you like me when it comes to physical fitness? If I can’t have these things, I’m probably not going to be consistent with my workout:

  1. Fast: I want a workout that can be done in 30 minutes or less.
  2. Convenient: workout times need to be flexible and I don’t want to have to schedule anything ahead of time.
  3. Easy to follow workout: I hate having to look up my routine on a card and have to figure out how to do it, and I want to make sure I have good form.
  4. Effective: if I’m going to show up, I want to KNOW that I’m taking the best and quickest route to strong and lean.
  5. Safe: getting hurt doesn’t work so good for me.
  6. Affordable
  7. Evidence of results before I can see them: yep, I know that sounds unreasonable, but it’s true, I’m impatient and I lose motivation when I don’t see an immediate drop in my weight on the scale.

This monitor is attached to the workout pod, it makes it easy to follow along, keep good form and does all the thinking for you. It even helps pace your workout and turns it into a game.
KoKo Uses New Technology for Motivation and to Offer Everything Listed Above KoKo Fit literally addresses all of these potential setbacks for me with unique equipment that makes training fast, convenient, custom-tailored, effective, safe and affordable. As a member, each time I check in, I can track my progress with cool technology that provides a complimentary body analysis. In about a minute, it measures my percentage of muscle mass and fat, this is uploaded to my personal profile so I can track my progress. This is a game changer for me because I can see how I’m doing before it shows in my weight or clothes.

The local KoKo website explains a lot of this better than I can, or better in, stop in or call one of their locations to see for yourself how they are different. The people there are nice, with absolutely no pressure at all.

If you live in the Northeast Grand Rapids area, the Beltine location is close to you: Beltline KoKo Fitclub 2830 East Beltline NE, Grand Rapids, MI  Phone: 616-432-3171

In case you are wondering, no, I’m not getting paid or receiving any other benefit whatsoever to share this info about KoKo Fitclub. I simply like the place that much and want to share it with you. Members tend to stick around. When I first joined, one of the members was lamenting that he had to move to Ohio and there wasn’t a KoKo Fitclub in the area. He was seriously looking into buying a franchise to put near his new home so he could continue with this program that had been so good to him. That’s how much people love this place, and frankly, it’s been a bit of a secret. So, for those of you who check this out, you’re welcome!

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Ada, Michigan has been near and dear to my heart for a very long time. I love Ada for it’s small town feel with some really great places to visit and do business with.

It amazes me that a small village can have so many fabulous places to go out to eat at, with the majority of businesses being local and family owned. Some of my favorite locally owned restaurants in Ada include:

  • Nonna’s Cafe: featuring European cuisine in an intimate, homey atmosphere. My favorites include the quiche, which is the best I’ve ever had, and their latte’s, which are responsible for me staying up half the night way too often. Located at 591 Ada Drive SE, Ada MI
  • Zeytin Turkish Restaurant: featuring a cozy, semi-casual atmosphere and Turkish cuisine. My favorite experience at Zeytin is to score one of their cozy booths with Turkish pillows and chow down on the grilled chicken kabobs. Located at 400 Ada Drive, SE, Ada MI.
  • Schnitz Ada Grill: a deli by day and grill at night, this has been a long time favorite of many. I love to hang out on the outside upper deck in the summer and people watch. Located at 597 Ada Drive, Ada MI
  • Vitale’s Ada: a great sports bar, with best Italian lunch buffet that I’ve ever had.

Downtown Ada is located just a few minutes away from Grand Rapids and well worth the short drive.

If you click on this photo, you can see even more detail.
If you click on this photo, you can see even more detail.

I’m not like most people when it comes to ice storms. Yes, I do hate it when we lose power, but, the resulting photos more than make up for it.

Michigan had an ice storm this week and then, it snowed on top of the ice. Seriously, I had a hard time driving and staying focused with the stunning beauty all around me. I took this photo in the back of a schoolyard in Ada, but it looks like this everywhere right now.

 

 

Fall colors have peaked with autumn leaves at their brilliant best.
Fall colors have peaked, this was taken on the new bike path in Ada on Bailey Drive.

Autumn leaves have turned to the most brilliant colors I have seen in at least 10 years. I’ve heard from reliable sources that the fall foilage is just as spectacular up north and throughout the state. One of my favorite  things about this time of year is the incredible fall colors in Michigan due  to all of the trees we have here. Although I took this HDR photo in Ada on the new bike trail on Bailey, you can travel just about anywhere right now in Michigan and hit the fall color at its peak.

Post and photo by Ann Teliczan.

The sun was shining for just a moment.
The sun was shining for just a moment.

The day I took this, the wind was whipping, the roads were packed snow ice and the clouds were ominous. But then the sun came out for a brief moment and then was gone. Luckily, I had my camera.

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