Every summer, we return to Bliss, my dad’s cottage in Lewiston, Michigan–a tiny town in the northeastern corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula, home to 1,392 full-time residents (not counting the summer lake cottage “trunk slammers”) and a handful of picturesque lakes (nearly a third of Lewiston’s geography is water).
My dad and Gary live in Lewiston for half the year (Florida during the rest) and have expanded a 670 square foot cottage there to include a 192 square foot bunk house (where we usually stay) and half an acre of outdoor living space, the “garden living room” where we spend most of our time during the day.
The outdoor space includes a chicken coop, a butterfly house, a fish pond, a bonfire area, a hot tub and numerous landscaped paths and gardens.
Gary’s family’s cabin is one door down from Bliss, and they graciously extend their space when it’s available which provides a few more beds when more family visits. Together, this little corner of Michigan holds so many memories for us and has become the setting in which my kids write their summer stories every year.
My photos and Instagram stories have prompted so many questions about the property and gardens, I thought it would be fun to do a full Bliss tour here on the blog with input from my dad and Gary on how they created this space and the inspiration behind it.
Gary is a horticulturist with years of experience in landscaping design and nurseries, so he plans most of the outside space while my dad is behind most of the inspiration inside (they redesigned the inside of the little cabin to fit two full bathrooms and a laundry space!).
It’s cozy and efficient and works really well, especially considering most everyone spends their time outside all day (but, Lord have mercy, how cozy it is watching movies in this sweet little space when it rains!).
The kitchen has just the right amount of counter space for a grandkid to sit during a chocolate milk making session.
And I love this little gift on their fireplace from a friend of theirs–two Dutch boys kissing.
The bunk house (Bit o’ Bliss) is actually an insulated shed, built onsite and constructed taller than the usual shed to make room for the upper loft. It’s so perfect and cozy, efficiently furnished so that our entire family made it our home without any problems (no bathroom, but just a few steps from my dad’s cabin if we needed one). An armoir and a cedar trunk at the end of the bed hold all of our clothes, a small refrigerator keeps drinks and snacks, and I love the wall wine rack which stores bottles and glasses for a cozy evening.
The ladder leads to the hideaway loft which is just big enough for two twin beds and a small night stand.
Now for the best part, the gardens. One of my favorite things about Bliss is that the outdoor space was created with others’ enjoyment in mind. There’s a sign in front of the welcome arch that says, “You are welcome to walk around our gardens. They were made for everyone’s enjoyment,” and it is not unusual for other lake residents to stop by for a morning walk through them, bringing food scraps for the chickens or baked goods for my dad and Gary.
I asked my dad and Gary some questions about their inspiration behind the design and some of our favorite things about Bliss.
What are all the plants that make up Bliss?
The plants are all shade-loving varieties of hosta, astilbe, ferns, coral bells, bleeding hearts, hydrangeas with bright begonias and impatiens planted to add color. Gary wanted varieties that echoed the natural woodland vibe going here. The hosta provide a variety of texture and hue with rippled, rubbed and smooth leaf, some large and broad and some, like the variety “Curly Fries,” long and slender.
What’s your advice to someone who has the land space and dreams of Bliss gardens but doesn’t know where to start?
Dad: Our gardens didn’t begin with a master plan. Every year we added more path which defined new garden beds. Gary always plants in threes and fives. Single plants end up looking like specimens and disrupt the cohesive flow of a vibrant garden.
Gary: Start with an irrigation system so you can spend time planting an maintaining and not watering.
What in Bliss was the biggest project?
Gary: The gravel pathways.
Dad: The Butterfly House was probably the biggest, but self energizing as it fueled, in its development, our desire to see it finished. Our goal was that it appeared melded into the gardens and not an obtuse structure sitting there. We think we achieved that.
How did you build the butterfly house and how do you get the butterflies there?
We chose the size we wanted. We did 8 feet x 24 feet, 8 feet tall. We buit the framework, stained it all black. Gary ordered an 8 ft. wide roll of screening–we calked sides and roof and added a screen door. I hauled a boat load of dirt to make the floor level, and we put bark mulch down. We planted things that support the butterfly life cycle. I added a water feature and a small pond nestled into plants and rocks to appear natural. Every fall, we remove the screen from the roof and replace it in the spring to avoid damage by snow weight.caterpillars to get it started. As far as the butterflies themselves, it’s really a self-contained cycle. We have a friend who starts us off by giving us caterpillars every summer. We give them milkweed and search for eggs every day. We bring the eggs inside and store them in a small netted butterfly cage to protect them from predators, and that’s where they form their chrysalis. Once the butterfly hatches, we release them in the big house outside where they have everything they need.
Speaking of winter, what do you have to do every year to get Bliss back to what it looks like now?
We pay to have all the leaves raked, blown and carried away, before the gardens awaken. We put pieces back that were stored away. We fertilize, and I plant more annuals for color. I put the Fairy Garden back in place, refill the fish pond and get new fish. Gary gets our chickens (we sell the chickens to an area farmer when we head to Florida). We power wash the deck and put the outside furniture back in place. We turn the bird bath bowls upright and fill them. We then sit back and watch the daily theatre of plants opening and growing right before our eyes.
What are your favorite things at Bliss?
I love the whimsy of the Fairy Garden and all the hardscape elements of benches and bird baths and statuary to find (there are 14 cement bunnies, 9 frogs and 5 angels, and the kids love making people search for them).
The fairy garden is my favorite too.
What was most important to you as you created Bliss?
Dad: I wanted it to connect–the cottages to the gardens, the gardens to the surroundings. I wanted to maintain the integrity of northern woods. Too many people buy property, then clear it to resemble their subdivision life downstate. We didn’t want that.
Gary: Creating a garden that others as well as ourselves would enjoy.
(these wine bottle paths though!)
This though…this is the best corner of Bliss.
This is where all the stories are told and the marshmallows are roasted and the memories are made. Until next year!
Kari says
What a beautiful space. I love the thoughtful planning that went into creating this – it reminds me of some of my favorite campsites.
Margot says
So lovely and inspiring! Thanks for the tour. Love and best wishes to your Dad and Gary for sharing their beautiful Bit O’ Bliss with us all. xo
Lisa says
So pretty! Thank you for sharing it with us! It looks so dreamy.
jennifer Reil says
Wowzers! That is a summer home out of my dreams :).
Lisa Thomas says
The pictures are so beautiful and the descriptions so inviting. It certainly worth visiting if you’re ever in the area!!!
kristine quick says
Gorgeous!! Have they figured out how to manage mosquitos while you are out enjoying the evenings? We live in Nova Scotia in similar surroundings and mosquitos continue to interrupt our evening outings 🙂
Laurie says
I wondered this too! We are in N. MN and mosquitoes are everywhere..especially in our wooded settings!
jane says
Just wanted to say ‘hi Kristine!” from another girl in NS. 🙂
Jenn S says
It’s such a beautiful inviting space! I love reading your stories and looking at the pictures. So peaceful.
Kathy says
Kelle thank you so much for this information and pictures! You are an unbelievably talented, loving and inspirational woman! All are blessed to know you! God bless you and your beautiful family!
Cindy says
How do you deal with the mosquitos??? Michigan is notorious for them….
aLLISON says
This place is absolutely stunning! I totally understand why you, and your family enjoy this every year!
Lisa W Elliott says
This is such a lovely space!! No wonder you love to visit.
Reenie says
Gosh, I love that place. So beautiful…. so cozy.
Gary ~ please come to Kansas and help me in my yard. 🙂
Laura Ortiz says
What a beautiful Summer getaway, the paths, the plants, the fairy garden, yes, a bliss!
I understand why you feel sad when you have to go back, your dad and Gary’s place is a dream.
Monique says
I love following when you go there..it’s a magical place..Kudos to your dad and Gary!My fairie area pales in comparison….:)
Renae davis says
I am mesmerized by the Beautiful Bliss gardens! Thank you for sharing them
Lisa Cryderman says
Missed seeing you all up there this year! Maybe next time!
Heidi says
Mosquitoes?
Jeanie says
I love it all! Everything is simply divine!!
Lori P says
If you ever in Lewiston make Bliss part of your outing. These wonderful gentlemen are amazing. Their enthusiasm and creativity has sparked enthusiasm for other villagers in this little town that has been lying dormant for decades. I’m privileged to have a connection to them and it. The best is yet to happen.
Sharron Farish says
How lovely, how naturally inviting. Thank you fir sharing.
jane macdonald says
Poppa and Gary, your home is absolutely gorgeous!! I love your pics from Michigan every year, Kelle. 🙂
Gretchen Braunstein says
Thank you so much for this post. I have been dying to know how the magic happens and what they do when they leave for Florida in the winter. Also, thanks for taking your followers/readers along with you each summer. If it weren’t for finding you and following you, my family would have never discovered the beauty of Michigan and planned an entire summer vacation around your posts. Although, while in Georgia last month, my family put a hard pass on visiting Baby Land Hospital. I was so bummed. Thank you again!
Shelley says
This is dreamy! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Sue Magnant says
I’m so inspired by the gardens and outdoor features. Thank you for sharing.
Amy chaman says
I love it. We also have a small cottage in lewiston on co. Rd. 491. Where is bliss located? Your family has done a wonderful job.
Sandra Harris says
Everyone needs a “Bit of Bliss” in their lives. Thanks for sharing yours.
Karen says
Beautiful…and so is your family…would you consider adopting me?
Love from Wisconsin
Julie says
I love the wine bottle paths. Did they bury full size bottles or did they cut them down and then bury them?
Kelle says
Full bottles. Ha–I asked the same question.
Susan says
It just takes my breath away! So beautiful!
Jane says
I wanna go there and wander those garden paths! So enchanting. Thank you for sharing it in more depth!
Emily of The Three Bite Rule says
I love that you shared this post! I’ve see it via instagram/stories/other posts but LOVE the post dedicated to the space. It is really interesting to also hear about the winterizing/etc. Thanks!
Amanda hampshire says
Thank you for sharing all these photos and details of Bliss. It certainly seems to be a magical place. A beautiful part of the world.
Patt Kocis says
Thank you for the tour. Without this I may never experience the beauty of Bliss!
Sheri says
This is so wonderful! I live nearby in Harbor Springs and have visions of a woodland garden like this for my yard. It’s slow going but I’ll get there someday! I have an A-Frame so I want it to look magical! Would love to see this space. Great post and photos!
Hollie says
Just wandering through your older Michigan posts and have to comment how much I love this. The love and care that went into planning Bliss, the sweetness of sharing it… it’s GORGEOUS.