1405 Balmoral Drive
Tucked into the heart of Palmer Woods, 1405 Balmoral Drive is more than a historic home—it’s a living landscape of horticultural passion and architectural elegance. Built in 1921, this Dutch Colonial Revival residence is surrounded by gardens and outdoor spaces that reflect over a century of cultivation, restoration, and love of the natural world.
The original owner, Dr. Alexander Sydney Ramage—a brilliant chemist and innovator—commissioned the home with an eye for both cutting-edge technology and timeless beauty. A rare feature for the time, the house included a custom-built Lord & Burnham conservatory, crafted of steel and cypress. Still standing today, the conservatory is a luminous greenhouse that has become a beloved centerpiece of the property.
In 2021, the conservatory underwent a meticulous restoration. The structure was taken down to its foundation, with original components repaired or replicated with care. The updated space now includes a quarry-tile floor in a classic checkerboard pattern and a charming Pewabic-tiled fishpond. The conservatory’s ingenious original guttering system, designed to collect rainwater for plant care, has been preserved, and the current owners plan to reinstall the vintage heating system to extend its seasonal use.
The conservatory’s lore includes a memorable 1971 article in the Detroit Free Press titled “Flower Lover to Lose His Garden,” in which a departing owner announced a city-wide free plant giveaway. The resulting crowd of more than 200 eager plant lovers caused what the paper described the next day as a “riot,” cementing the space’s place in local legend.
Beyond the conservatory, the home’s gardens are a tapestry of historic charm and thoughtful renewal. The front garden, once described in the 1970s as one of Detroit’s most lavish—with over 2,500 tulips, 1,000 daffodils, and prized irises and dahlias “as big as your head”—has been reimagined by the current owners in an Edwardian style. Dense, herbaceous borders blend structure and softness, echoing the symmetry of the house while inviting seasonal drama. The garden’s success was recognized in 2019 when it was featured in the Detroit News as part of its Homestyle Garden Photo Contest.
One of the most distinctive outdoor features is the 60-foot-long pergola, an original 1921 element that was reconstructed during the pandemic lockdown in 2020 using the intact concrete footings as a guide. The shaded walkway now leads to a stone bench and the property’s most recent addition: a stumpery garden. Popular in the 19th century and recently revived at King Charles III’s estate at Highgrove, stumpery gardens celebrate the wild, whimsical textures of upturned tree roots, moss, and ferns.
In every season, the grounds of 1405 Balmoral are alive with beauty, memory, and a deep sense of stewardship. Through preservation and creative planting, the gardens and conservatory form a storybook setting that continues to blossom—rooted in the past, thriving in the present.