The Garden Door

The Garden Door is located on the grounds of the Peninsular Agricultural Resource Station north of Sturgeon Bay on Hwy 42.

The Garden Door may be a hidden gem, but it is far from a secret. Located on Hwy 42 just north of the split with 57, the garden is nestled behind the Peninsular Agricultural Research Station where the greenhouses signal you’ve found the right place. Conceptualized in 1995 and opened to the public in 2005, the Garden Door is a place of inspiration and beauty. Designed and maintained by the Door County Master Gardening Association (DCMGA), it is the only free, public garden in Door County. TripAdvisor has noted it as a Top Ten attraction in Sturgeon Bay, where reviewers describe their visit as “delightful and charming,” “a unique, creative oasis,” “ a breathtaking and a must see in Door County.”

The Pond Garden is one of 20 inspirational garden areas.

Each of the 20 distinct garden areas has a DCMGA supervisor who has free reign to choose plants, re-design, and share their vision through texture, color and form creating a portrait with plants. The result is something so awe-inspiring that painters, poets and photographers are frequent visitors, capturing and interpreting the glory of the gardens.

A painting in progress at the Door County Plein Air Festival in The Garden Door.

The Master Gardener volunteers were as busy as the bees this past summer as the garden was showcased by notable organizations. The Door County Plein Air Festival featured the show garden for the 4^th year as artists translated the abundant beauty of the summer blooms onto canvas with paint. The Birch Creek Jazz Ambassadors mingled song with the floral scented air. The Door County House and Garden Walk revealed the charm of The Garden Door while raising funds for the DCMC Behavioral Health program. All this happened in the course of just one week in July.

The Art Speaks program by Write On, Door County, shares writing and poetry inspired by a visit to the DCMGA garden.

Many groups are aware of the allure of the grounds. Over the summer, the Boys and Girls Club enjoyed a guided tour of the gardens interacting with the plants through taste, touch and smell. The Art Speaks program by Write On, Door County visited the gardens for inspiration, translating visual splendor into a written piece. It is not unusual to see birders or tourists with cameras strolling down the paths; workers on their lunch break enjoying a tranquil lunch al fresco; high school seniors looking for perfect backdrop for portraits.

The seasons may change, but there are always new blooms as seen here in the Sedum garden in July

Inspiration and tranquility surrounded by an explosion of color and blooms.

This is a space to be used by anyone and everybody. The garden is open dawn to dusk every day of the year.

The Garden Door is a resource for inspiration, tranquility, and creative conversation. The seasons may change revealing new colors and vistas, but there are always discoveries and ideas to be taken home to your garden. This is a Door County gem but please don’t keep it a secret. Click here to learn more.