13988 Range Line Road
Niles, MI 49120

Phone:
   269/695-6491
or
269/683-8653
(from South Bend-Mishawaka)

Contact us by e-mail

Fernwood is a special place where people, plants, and nature come together. Beautiful gardens surrounded by forest are tucked into a landscape of 105 acres of cultivated and natural areas along the scenic St. Joseph River valley. Miles of trails await, and indoors, visitors may enjoy an art gallery, fern conservatory, nature center, cafe, and gift shop. Fernwood offers many possibilities for learning and enrichment, including classes, workshops, lectures, concerts, trips, exhibits, and special events.

Mission

Fernwood’s mission is to enrich the lives of all people by stimulating the appreciation of nature, exemplifying harmony between people, plants, gardens, and wildlife, and using the distinctive natural and cultivated habitats known as Fernwood.

History

Fernwood began as the country home of Kay and Walter Boydston, who purchased the first 12.5 acres in 1941. During the years that followed, Fernwood became a popular gathering place for those who shared Kay’s love of nature, horticulture, and the craft arts. In 1964 Fernwood became a public place through the efforts of Niles philanthropists Lawrence and Mary Plym. Additional land purchases increased the size to 105 acres, providing space for an arboretum, prairie restoration, and additional gardens. The Nature Center was constructed as an office building in 1973-74 and converted to its present use in 1989. The Mary Plym Visitors Center also opened in 1989.

Things to See and Enjoy

Gardens

From the aconites of early spring through the asters and mums of fall, Fernwood is an ever-changing landscape of blooming plants. In April and May, visitors enjoy drifts of daffodils and primroses, a wonderful variety of flowering trees and shrubs, and Fernwood’s famous blue lawn. Summer brings a rich diversity of shade- and sun-loving perennials, annuals, and herbs, plus many butterflies. Even after the first frosts of autumn, the gardens continue to delight with colorful displays of perennials and ornamental grasses. To learn more, click here.

Nature Preserve

Fernwood’s nature preserve, with its tall trees, tranquil ponds, abundant springs, and carpets of wildflowers, is a magical place that draws people back again and again. Kay and Walter Boydston visited often before they owned the property. They finally decided to purchase Fernwood one spring day, when in Kay’s words, “we heard the liquid call of two wood thrushes in the woods as well as the wild sweet song of a water thrush as we crossed the bridge by the little falls.” Trails provide access to all parts of the preserve, allowing visitors to see a remarkable variety of plants and wildlife.

Conservatory

The Kay Boydston Fern House is named for Fernwood’s founder, who was a skilled grower, propagator, and hybridizer of ferns. Rocky cliffs occupy the center of this 1,000-square foot conservatory, with a waterfall cascading down to a small pond at one end. More than 100 kinds of tropical ferns grow in the rocks and nearby beds, along with a variety of interesting companion plants. Goldfish inhabit the pond and visitors occasionally see frogs in wet hollows among the rocks.

Nature Center

Tucked into a hillside at the edge of the preserve, the Nature Center offers much for the visitor. A great variety of birds visit the outdoor feeding station and can be observed from indoors via picture windows and microphones. Exhibits showcase the many ecosystems of Fernwood, the animals that live in the region, and items of seasonal interest. Visitors can also see live animals including an active beehive and local reptiles and amphibians. Temporary, interactive displays and a small library allow children to have fun while they learn.

Prairie

The tallgrass prairie, once the dominant vegetation in much of the Midwest, is now a rarity. Fernwood’s 5-acre prairie, begun as a bicentennial project in 1976, provides an authentic look at this vanishing part of our natural heritage. Wildflowers bloom throughout the growing season, and by late summer the grasses reach head high. Trails wind through and around the prairie, and in the center, a platform provides the same view as a pioneer on horseback. Half the prairie is burned each year on a Saturday morning in early spring, allowing visitors to see a dramatic and apparently destructive, yet very natural process that maintains this special ecosystem.

Arboretum

Fernwood’s 40-acre arboretum was begun in 1971. Visitors can see trees and shrubs from temperate regions around the world, planted in naturalistic groups surrounded by lawns and meadows. Bluebirds are an added attraction, thanks to nest boxes placed strategically between the groves.

Visual Arts

The arts have always been important at Fernwood. Founder Kay Boydston was a weaver, dyer, silversmith, miniaturist, needleworker, and printmaker. That tradition continues in periodic exhibits of work from Fernwood’s early days and in monthly classes offered by the Niles Handweavers Guild. The Clark Gallery displays art on nature and garden themes in exhibits that change bimonthly. The work of local sculptors is occasionally showcased in the gardens. Even the landscapes at Fernwood are works of art, being carefully designed to complement the natural areas nearby.

Music

Fernwood offers concerts throughout the year. Classical artists perform outdoors on the second Sunday of each month from May through September. Folk and holiday music is offered during the Lights Before Christmas. Acoustic music is played at outdoor festivals, and special chamber concerts are offered from time to time. For a complete schedule, see the Calendar of Events or call Fernwood.

Fernwood employs ten people full-time. We also have a few part-time employees. Turnover is low, especially for full-time positions. We currently have no vacancies.

To inquire about seasonal employment, please click education or gardens and grounds.