By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

For the past five years John Altstetter, of Dearborn, has been doing a very important job—he’s been the unofficial caretaker of one of the city’s most historic landmarks: Henry Ford Birthplace Park.

Located at the intersection of Ford and Greenfield Roads, in Dearborn, the park sits on land owned by Henry Ford Village. Altstetter lives at the retirement community with his wife Josephine, and though the job is time consuming, he says he doesn’t mind.

Labor of love
“I’ve always had a love for gardening. When I was growing up my mother had a large garden, and I guess I was drafted into pulling weeds,” he says.

It proved to be good practice for pulling weeds and “deadheads,” flowers that have finished blooming, approximately 15 hours a week at the park.

“Over time you get to learn about crabgrass and dandelions,” he says. “If you don’t keep pulling them out, they’ll just take over.”

Flower garden
That’s not all he does, though. The park features many fragrant and colorful varieties of flowers, including daisies, iris columbine, black-eyed susans,  foxgloves, canterbury bells, forget-me-nots, peonies, chrysanthemums, roses, day lilies, and primrose. Altstetter’s personal favorites are the delphiniums, which are dark and light blue and come up in tall spikes, he says.

Before winter hits, he cuts down most of the plants so they are only a few inches high.

“I also spread mulch in the garden; it seems to improve it quite a bit,” he says.

A presentation of history
Altstetter’s handy gardening compliments the man-made aspects of the park—those that celebrate Henry Ford and the history of the spot. “There’s a fountain and 12 plaques depicting different phases in Henry Ford’s life,” says Altstetter.