winter 2015-2016 volume v issue iii - michigan garden...

Michigan Garden Clubs Inc. 1 December, January, February 2015-16

Winter 2015-2016 Volume V Issue III

The official publication of Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.

Member of Central Region and National Garden Clubs, Inc. Copy of a painting by Barbara Best of

DeWitt Millennium Garden Club


Thru the

Garden Gate MGC, Inc.

Our mission is to provide leadership in education,

resources and networking opportunities for our members

to promote the love of gardening, floral design,

landscaping design, and civic and environmental

responsibility.

Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.

Official publication

A 501(c)3 Organization

Thru the Garden Gate Bernadine Bennett,

Graphic Designer/Layout Catherine Ware, Publisher/Editor/

Business Manager [email protected]

Website

michigangardenclubs.com

Charlie Bohland, Webmaster

[email protected]

Calendar Events

Use Submit Event button on website calendar

Marilyn McIntosh

Executive Board President

“Blooming in the Arts of Our

Mission and Membership”

231-546-3152

[email protected]

Carol Sue Brodbeck

1st Vice President

734-434-3795

[email protected]

Susan Kropschot, 2nd Vice President

Janet Hickman, 3rd Vice President

Karen Gentile, 4th Vice President

Peggy Hartman, Recording Secretary

Jenny Bond, Corresponding Secretary

Janice Thelen, Treasurer

Deannie Picciotti

Advisor/Nominating

[email protected]

Database

Karen Motawi, Database Manager

Mary Pulick, Processing

[email protected]

Sandra H. Robinson

President, NGC, Inc.

“Leap Into Action”

[email protected]

Judy Newman

Central Region Director

“Cultivating Connections”

Contents

President’s Page 3 Birds, Bees, and Butterflies 3 MGC Life Membership 4 World Gardening 4 Youth Gardening 4 Conventions 5 Scholarships 6 Memorial Dedication 7 Visiting Michigan Gardens 7 New Improved Website 8 Environment `` 9 Aboriculture 9 Seedums Cookbook 10 New Club 10 MAAJ News 11 CR 2015 Awards 11 Blue Star News 12 Kroger Rewards 12 Loda Lake 13 District V News 13 District IIB News 14 Red Cedar GC Birthday 15 District IV 15 Calendar of Events

Male Black Swallowtail


Blooming in the Arts of our Mission and Membership

How do we make a choice that will affect a group forev-er? When the National Gar-den Club asked about Michigan Garden Club’s

club butterfly, we knew it was time to select one. The first criteria was to find a butterfly that was in at least one county in each MGC dis-trict in Michigan, with three districts on the west side, two on the east side, three in the middle, one at the Mackinaw Bridge and one in the UP. To do that, the verified butterfly sightings on the BAMONA data base were referenced.

Other criteria considered were: Does it in-clude the name of other countries, states or other well-known groups? Is it easily seen & recognized? What does it use for food and where is it located? Is it a butterfly not com-monly adopted by other clubs and/or states? The (eastern) Black Swallowtail Papilio po-lyxenes was an excellent choice. It is the only butterfly found in all ten counties. It is easy to spot since it is 3-4” in size, is black with yel-low and blue markings with a red dot, and is seen on garden plants vs tall trees. And, it

utilizes milkweed, thus helping with the mon-arch situation. The cat-erpillar has black and yellow stripes with yel-low dots and has no antenna and is often

seen on native wild carrot,

Golden Alexander, cow parsnip, dill, fennel, and parsley. Also, it overwinters in Michigan as a pupa. The Black Swallowtail Butterfly was unanimously adopted by the MGC board 11/5/15 as the Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. club butterfly.

MGC Adopts Club Butterfly Chris Lapinski, Chair, Birds, Bees and Butterflies

Female Black Swallowtail

Male Black Swallowtail caterpillar

When I attended the national board meeting this fall, I was privileged to tour the National Garden Clubs, Inc. headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri and attend the dedication of the new doors. There is an old custom to “Open the front door and let the New Year in.” In 2016, Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. will be opening our doors both locally and internationally. Your dues qualify you to be part of a global community of gardeners where new friendships bloom. Between 500 and 700 attendees are expected May 2-6, 2016 as we host the National Garden Club Convention in Grand Rapids. Our attorney attended our recent state board meeting to share information on IRS rules

and regulations for non-profits as well as incorporation and liability. It was decided to pursue obtaining a group umbrella 501(c)(3) non-profit designation. This will allow a club to obtain 501(c)(3) status under the umbrella without as much time and money invested as doing it individually. Club presidents will receive information on how to enroll in the 501(c)(3) group exemption after January 1, 2016. A workshop will be held at the State Convention for presidents, their boards, and members by the MGC Finance Committee and Rose Houk, Attorney, MGC 501(c)(3)Chair, and member of the DeWitt Millennium Garden Club. Also, at our recent board meeting, we adopted the Black Swallowtail as our official club butterfly. This beautiful butterfly is found in every district of the Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. If you would be interested in joining our state board of sixty members, we have several chairmanships available and would love to have you participate. Please contact me for more information at [email protected]

Make a resolution to register for the nation convention and these events:

85th State Convention, “The Artful Garten” in Frankenmuth, June 7-8, 2016

District Conferences and Seminars in our seven regions Study Schools which go beyond gardening. Courses lead to becoming Landscape, Gardening, and Environmental Consultants and Flower Show Judges in Horticulture and Floral Design.

Information is on our improved website,

www.michigangardenclubs.org .

Remember – you don’t have to take courses in order. You can start

at any time.

National Garden Clubs Headquarters

Marilyn McIntosh

Male Black Swallowtail

http://www.michigangardenclubs.org


MGC Life Membership VIRGINIA FROEHLICH, CHAIR

I have received several Life Membership questions and would like to share the answers with you. Q: We sent in an application for a Life Membership a while ago

and haven’t received it. How do we know if it was approved? A: There is no “approval” process - - every application received

gets a Life Membership. They are processed so you receive them in time for the presentation date, but not so early that they may be misplaced. Please note the presentation date clearly on the application, as we do keep a detailed record of every LM.

Q: How do I know if someone is a Life Member? A: Many people have devoted many hours to updating the LM

files and ensuring they are accurate. The new MGC website now includes a wonderful listing of all current Michigan Life Members. To view the listing, go to the MGC website, click on “Join” and select “Life Membership” from the drop-down menu. By the way, if you or someone you know should be on this list and isn’t, please let me know so we can verify and revise the listing.

Q: Do Life Members still pay dues if they belong to a club? Yes, they are required to pay dues and hopefully will continue to be active in their clubs. A Life Membership is a way to honor someone and the money goes to help support scholarships.

Q: Can I buy my own Life Membership?

A: Absolutely!

Please Join Me in Congratulating These New Life

Members:

Joyce Herbert Charlevoix Area Garden Club Mary Langley Chemical City Garden Club Inge Mesik Chula Vista Garden Club Shanda Jacobi Chula Vista Garden Club Barbara Krueger Chula Vista Garden Club Marie Horton Juniper Garden Club Carol Lauffer Mt. Pleasant Garden Club Sue Loney The Friendly Garden Club Ann Nichols The Friendly Garden Club Zadie Jackson Westwood Garden Club Sharon Robbins Westwood Garden Club

I can’t think of a more rewarding way to start the garden club year than for each club to organize and sponsor a YOUTH GARDEN CLUB. There are many opportunities for

children of all ages. The young people we educate today will be future leaders with greater respect and knowledge for the environment. Through these opportunities the young people also learn and develop leadership skills, self confidence, awareness of the environment, and skills that will benefit them the rest of their lives. Although there are many venues for locating young people, the easiest is probably through the schools. Start today by contacting the principal or a teacher who might be willing to work with you as co-leaders. Only 5 members and 5 meetings per year are required to get start-ed. Varied programs for all ages are available. Youth Clubs must be registered with MGC annually, pay a $10.00 fee, and in turn, they will be registered nationally. At the 2016 NGC Convention in Grand Rapids I would like nothing better than to announce that Michigan has Youth Clubs in each district. Let’s “LEAP INTO AC-TION” and get started today. Contact Ann Campbell at [email protected] for further information.

Youth Gardening Ann Campbell, Chair

Our $3,330 check sent to the National 4-H Youth Development Center in Belize has funded eighteen scholarships for the young people to continue their education for another year. Helping these students to complete their high school education will have a huge impact on their future. They and the Center’s staff are very grateful for our ongoing support.

Thank you to the following clubs and individuals that have contributed to World Gardening between July 15 and October 15, 2015.

By-the-Bay Garden Club of Suttons Bay Caro Garden Club, honorar ium to Kit Gunn Farmington Garden Club Grosse Ile Garden Club

Grow and Show Garden Club Juniper Garden Club Livonia Garden Club Michiana Landscape Study Club Pleasant Ridge Garden Club Rockford Garden Club Sunshine Arrangers Guild Tri-Cities Garden Club, memorial for Doris Patton-Johnson Jan Tigertt Margaret Halls Margaret Makulaski Please mail your donation checks made out to Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. to Kit Gunn, 4584 Boxwood Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. If you are interested in a presentation for your club about our World Gardening Project in Belize, please contact Kit at (734) 994-7455 or [email protected].

World Gardening Kit Gunn, Chair

mailto:[email protected]


Come to the 2016 MGC State Convention! Nancy Higgins, Co-Chair

Michigan will host their 85th State Convention at the Bavari-an Inn Lodge & Conference Center in Frankenmuth, Michi-gan June 7 and 8, 2016. Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. District VI gardeners welcome you to explore and experience springtime in beautiful Frank-enmuth. The events being planned will tease your senses for

landscape design, home gardening, floral design, and even some cooking thrown in for good measure. We begin our experience with a Blue Star Dedication on Monday, June 6th at the Franken-muth Military and Space Museum located near Bronner’s Christmas Store. June 6th is the anniversary of D-Day across our nation. If you expect German flair in dining, join us for the Heidelberg luncheon and Danube din-ner on June 7th followed by the Edelweiss breakfast and Bavarian luncheon on June 8th. We will offer part-time registration for June 7th or June 8th but come and enjoy the entire con-vention where we will hand out all the club awards on the morning of June 8th. That even-ing will be a mystery design presentation by our expert flower show judges and designers. Let's all celebrate and honor our members’ participation at the May National Convention in Grand Rapids. Our State Convention in Frankenmuth will be fun and relaxing for all. We’ll see you there! Auf Wiedersehen

Hopefully you know by now

that Michigan Garden Clubs is hosting the 2016 National Garden Clubs Inc. 87th Annual convention at the Amway Grand in Grand Rapids May 2-6. Your Convention Planning Committee has been working for the past year on the schedule, budgeting for many exciting programs, and making a multitude of arrangements. The committee, chaired by Marge McGoff and her co-

chairs Sharon Yantis and Carol Brodbeck, has assembled a tremendous force of Garden Club leaders from across Michigan. There is always a need for additional volunteers and yes, there are opportunities for you. Find out how you can volunteer and experience this national convention here in your home state. Discuss opportunities for yourself by talking with your club president, your District Director, or any member of the Convention Planning Committee and they will relay your interest to the proper person on the Convention Planning team. Most of the events are firmed up including special convention events, workshops and seminars. We are excited about our top notch speakers and dynamic facilitators and leaders. This list of special learning events provides something for everyone including you. Oh yes, there will be special tours in and around Grand Rapids and West Michigan from the Holland Tulip Festival, the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Michigan State University Botanical Gardens, and Mackinac Island with in-route stops, including Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Members who have attended a NGC national convention in the past have shared their reasons for participating. Among the top ten are:

1) Great learning experience on gardening tips, topics and topsoil.

2) Developing deep friendships with members cross the country and internationally.

3) The food, fellowship, and shopping with our vendors.

4) The opportunity to tour gardens and take home ideas for your own landscaping.

5) Enjoying the experience of helping your club and/or friend celebrate awards and recognition. Now you can add your own reasons . . .

The committee has made multiple presentations to the NGC Executive Committee and NGC Board of Directors plus during the recent Central Region’s Board meeting. The excitement for this event is exhilarating. It is reassuring that a tremendous number of verbal commitments for attending and participating in the planned events have been received. The Winter 2016 issue of The NGC Gardener features this convention with a complete schedule of the events and activities; speakers and seminars, plus banquets and tours. And of course, there will be a registration form for you to use in making your convention plans. You can also visit the National Garden Club website at www.gardenclub.org for further information. Note: the registration form will also be available from various sources including the MGC newsletter, Thru the Garden Gate. The deadline for receiving your convention registration is April 1, 2016. And that is not an April-Fools day joke!

Marge McGoff and Sharon Yantis review schedule of

speakers, seminars, and events tours for the 2016

National Garden Clubs 87th

National Garden Clubs 2016 National Convention

Reported by the Convention Planning Committee


MGC Scholarships Sue Wittick Chair

The MGC Scholarship Program has been in place for 59 years. This tradition of investing in the education of young adults is dependent upon MGC members and clubs who donate individually to honor friends and family members who have a special place in their hearts or in memory of those who have died. Many clubs include a line item in their budgets each year for the Scholarship Funds but their also make donations as honorariums, memorials, or after a successful money raising project. MGC grants about a dozen scholarships each year to students at public universities in Michigan who are studying in areas compatible with the goals of MGC such as biological and environmental sciences, landscape design, horticulture, and forestry. I’m pleased to report that donations received between June 1 and October 19, 2015 total $10,004. These were the contributors: (Other donors were reported in the Fall 2015 Garden Gate.) District I Clubs and Individuals Garden Club of Dearborn (two donations, one in memory of Marilyn Gancer) The Garden Club of Dearborn (in memory of Betty Heitman, Shirley Wever, Kristalia Mericas, RoseMary Nehra, and Nina Kaufman) Grosse Ile Garden Club (in memory of Aprye Lynn Whitman) Hill & Dale Garden Club (honor ing Sally Ouellette, Gretchen Pugsley, Lois Rose, and Lisa Steinkopf) Livonia Garden Club Anonymous donations from District I Gretchen Pugsley (in memory of June Pheil), Lynda Bancroft, Cecilia Barr, Diane Bergendahl, Judy Bishop, Gerry Brady, Chris Britts, Karen Bromley, Sue Brown, Carrie Colomene, Carol Chazastek, Mary Lynn Cook, Priscilla Davis, Mindy Delano, Sherry Diebolt, Joyce Green, Laurine Griffin, Joan Hinkle, Mary Lenart-Kirchoff, Diane Kansier, Mary Lou Kotzier, Linda Luoto, Don & Patti Mack, Janet Malcomson, Ann McMinn, Beth McNiely, Ginny Newman-Kinnaird, Linda Orman, Doreene Payette, Judy Prodin, Gretchen Pugsley, Mary Seaman, Meredith Scharf, Nancy Smith, Stacey Stutcher, Theresa Welling, Rose Wiggle District IIA Clubs and Individuals Anonymous donations from District IIA Margaret Mecha, Sandra Miller-Milan, Sandi Rabie In memory of Barbara Donahue: Carol Brodbeck, Mary Pulick District IIB Clubs and Individuals District IIB (honor ing flower show judges) Honoring Barbara Benner: DeWitt Millennium Garden Club, Green Thumb Garden Club, Looking Glass Garden The Garden Club of Greater Lansing (in memory of John Walters) Thornapple Garden Club Williamston Red Cedar Garden Club (two donations, one in memory of Barbara Donahue) Anonymous donations from District IIB Lillian VanHouten In memory of Barbara Donahue:Cristy Bennett, Jenny Bond, Ann Campbell, Richard and Janis Crum, Kathi Dominguez, Bernadette Hagon, Sue Kropschot (two donations), John & Roberta Jacobowitz, Lois Snover-Hanson , W.J. Somerville, Sue Wittick

District III Clubs and Individuals Chula Vista (honor ing Linda Chervat) Grow & Show Garden Club Kalamazoo Garden Club (two donations, one in memory of Judy White and Marcella Martin) Landscapers Garden Club Michiana Landscape Study Club Karen Gentile District IV Clubs and Individuals Canadian Lakes Garden Club Garden Club of Pentwater Honoring flower show judges: Holland Garden Club, Kent Garden Club, Muskegon County Garden Club Muskegon County Garden Club (honor ing Dale Kwelel) District V Clubs and Individuals The Friendly Garden Club of Traverse City (in memory of Mary Ann Pobuda) Juniper Garden Club Mason County Garden Club (honor ing flower show judges) Sweetwater Evening Garden Club Marilyn McIntosh (Distr ict V) (in memory of Barbara Donahue) District VI Clubs and Individuals Mt. Pleasant Federated Garden Club (2 donations, one in memory of Ruth Felter) Rainbow Lakes Garden Club (2 donations, one honoring Page Filice, Amber Neils, Charles Krasnow, and Carol Brodbeck) Kathleen Mosher (in memory of Helene Roggers Skora) Charles Stewart Mott Foundation In memory of Barbara Donahue: Kathy Clary, Bill & Judy Hudson, Josh & Lucy Evans, Mark & Susan Zimmerman, Christopher & Kelly Pierce, William & Shannon Hudson, Wilbur and Ruth White Charitable Fund Apology: In the Fall Garden Gate Scholarship Report, I omitted listing two clubs who were important contributors to the Scholarship Fund. The Charlevoix Evening Garden Club and the By-the-Bay Garden Club were omitted from the list of clubs who created lovely gift baskets that were sold in a silent auction at the June convention. We are grateful to all those clubs and for the $1,919 raised by the auction. A volunteer agent serves as the MGC Scholarship Program representative to individual state universities. They are as follows: Marilyn Deromedi (CMU), Rita Crawley (EMU), Maxine Sayre (FSU), Alyce Doss (GVSU), Jenny Bond (MSU), Mary Pulick (MTU), Marge McGoff (NMU), Sue Leahy (U of M), Patti Mack (WSU), and Lynn Dinvald (WMU). A big THANK YOU is due to them and to everyone else who donated to or assisted with the MGC Scholarship Program! Please note that donation forms, brochures, and other informational documents are available on the MGC website. You may contact me at Sue Wittick, [email protected], 517-242-8259


The members of North Farmington Garden Club (District I) were treated to a ‘docent led’ tour of the Louis and Fay Woll Bible Garden at the Congregation Beth Ahm synagogue in West Bloomfield. What an enlightening field trip we enjoyed!! The garden offers a place for personal meditation, biblical reflection, and a place to appreciate the beauty of nature with its connection to ’the Divine’. Plants referenced in the bible are freely used, as well as plants that interpret bible passages. The parting of the Red Sea, the Garden of Eden, Mount Sinai, and The Ten Commandments are all interpreted. All are welcome to use this treasure, and we thank Beth Ahm for inviting us to experience and enjoy the beauty and ambience of this memorial Bible Garden.

Memorial Dedication submitted by Lynda Bancroft

On Wednesday, May 20, 2015 the Creative Flower Arrangers Guild placed a plaque dedicating a shrub in memory of NGC Flower Show Judges. The shrub replaced one that had overgrown its area and been removed last year. The Buxus ’Green Velvet’ COPF or Green Velvet Boxwood, when full grown, will remain at 3’ by 3’ needing minimal pruning; a good size for the border of Dearborn’s McFadden-Ross Historic Museum where we meet. Representatives of The Garden Club of Dearborn, the club that sponsored our group originally as a study group, attended as

well as representatives of the Friends of the Dearborn Historic Museum. Punch and cookies were served in the museum’s parlor following the dedication. A sampling of a small flower show was presented in our meeting room with arrangements to honor our past and future, horticulture samples and displays and literature about garden clubs.

Members brought in specimens from their gardens and homes. All items were displayed and labeled properly.

North Farmington Garden Club Tours Biblical Garden

Submitted by Laraine Deutch District 1

Visiting Michigan

Gardens

We would like to start a feature high-

lighting various public gardens in

Michigan. We all know about the Fred-

erik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture

Park in Grand Rapids. In fact, we will

have a chance to go there during the

2016 NGC Convention. But there are

many others places to visit.

To the left you will find an article

about one of our garden clubs visiting a

unique garden. If you have a garden

you would like to recommend or have

visited and want to share your experi-

ence, please submit a short article on

the subject to Catherine Ware,

[email protected] for inclu-

sion in future issues of Thru the Gar-

den Gate. You can also send photos in

jpg format.


The following information was gathered from an interview with Charley Bohland, MGC Webmaster.

Has the web address of the MGC website changed? No. The address is still michigangardenclubs.org. What new features would you like members to know about? Digital Identity This new logo will be used for all digital communication: MGC web-site, Facebook, Constant Contact, emails, etc. The print logo with the apple blossoms will continue to be used on printed materials. Member Login Contact your club president or district representative for your login username

and password.

The Officer and Director page This is under About on the top line.

You can see photos of the board members and can click their name to contact them. You can click on Learn More About Each Position and see what each officer does. This will also allow you to see if you might be interested in a position in the future.

The Calendar

Now you see an actual calendar and can click on the event to get more detailed information. If the location of an event is available, you can click on google map to show you the location. To change the Calendar to a list (the old way), click on View As above the calendar and choose View As List. You can submit a new event by clicking on the Submit button above the calendar.

What prompted MGC to revise the website? When the website was originally designed, it was designed for the times. But the old site was not future proof. It eventually would not work well on other devices such as smart phones and tablets or on all the different browsers that are around today. The present site will be able to work with changing technology. It was also was not easy to update. The new version is much easier to keep constantly tweaked. Plus, now that social media is so prevalent, photos will now go to mainly Facebook, keeping outdated photos from cluttering the site. How many hours have been spent working on the new website? This past summer Charley worked up to 8 hours a day taking infor-mation off the old site and rearranging it for the new site. He worked closely with Laura Pierson from PDS to make sure everything was accurate and that the new site would work with all devices and inter-net browsers. This included tweaking the website map.

Charley and the website committee, which consists of Judy DeJaegh-er, Deannie Piccotti, Lynn Miller, Karen Motawi, and Sue Wittick, have been working on the new website since June 2014. A big thank you to all of them for their hard work and many hours spent. They came up with a new website map based on the National Garden Club website.

See more of Charley’s interview and website features in the next issue of Thru the Garden Gate.


As stated last month, there are some basic environmental concepts we have to adapt if we want to attract and retain wildlife. For some of us, this may require a paradigm shift in the way we’ve always thought, myself included. For example, we have to start relishing biodiversity. They say the best fruit salad consists of the greatest variety of fruits and nuts. Well, this also applies to your backyard wildlife habitat. Maximizing biodiversity improves efficiency by adding more plants performing the same or similar functions. This also makes your habitat more resilient to outside vectors. That tree lined drive of elms was good until Dutch Elm disease. I’ve read that back then the ash tree was the recommended replacement!?! So the first rule is to keep planting different thing. The second rule is that you want most of them to be native plants. Not all. You don’t have to be a purist – gardening should be fun. However, you really do have to plant mostly native plants for many reasons – no fertilizer, no pesticides, less water, deep roots, adapted to the local pests, etc. However, the reason you need to do this in your habitat is to attract native insects. And that leads us to the third rule - we have to become insect lovers. This may be tough for some of us, myself included. Many of us were raised to squish, spray, stomp, and fog most, if not all, bugs.

According to Doug Tallamy in “Bringing Nature Home”, 90% of insects are plant specific. In addition, native insects don’t interact with foreign plants as they haven’t evolved with them like they have with natives. Lastly, 96% of birds feed insects to their young. If you want the birds to come and stay, you need to have the insects. This past summer, I grew 9 different flowers in my vegetable garden specifically to attract insects. I had minimal insect damage and tremendous yields. This leads to the fourth rule and that is we stop using all the chemicals and poisons. For every one bad bug you kill, you end up killing nine good ones. There are too many better alternatives. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) works and minimizes the use of poisons. This is a great place to begin eliminating all those poisons. Most of you are familiar with IPM but essentially, it’s a step by step process of gradually more aggressive actions taken to ‘control’ insects. Note that ‘control’ assumes some amount of insects is OK. With IPM, poisons become a last resort that is seldom required. Now, I’ll be honest and admit that I still have some poisons in my garden shed . . . just in case. However, now I really can’t imagine using them again. For as I stated last month, if you keep spraying for mosquitoes, you are not going to have any butterflies.

Ron Overton, Chair

Arboriculture Sue Pazynski,

Trees started to be used as a symbol of Christmas in the 1500s. There are many species of conifers (i.e., typically evergreen, cone bearing trees/shrubs) grown as Christmas trees. The best selling are: Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, and our state tree, the White Pine. Since 1966, the winner of the National Christmas Tree Contest has presented a farm-grown tree to the White House for display. Michigan has been represented twice. First, in 1974 during President Ford’s term, a Concolor fir was in the Blue Room with ornaments made by Appalachian women and senior citizens groups. Its theme was handmade crafts, thrift, and recycling. Second, in 1985 it was a Blue Spruce, also in the Blue Room with ornaments made from Christmas cards sent to the Reagans in 1984. One hundred thousand people are employed in the Christmas tree industry. There are 34-36 million Christmas trees produced each year. Ninety eight percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms with 77 million Christmas trees planted each year. Michigan is one of the top Christmas tree producing states!

One Symbol of Christmas

White House Christmas Tree


The Seedums Garden Club from Cheboygan, MI wanted to share their love of cooking and gardening by creating their Garden Gourmet Cookbook. They also used it as a fund raiser. The book, published by Morris Press, contains over 500 recipes contributed by over 60 club members along with a history of the club, community projects, services, and donations. A committee was set up to choose a cover, divider sets, entries, personal pages, and cookbook extras and the publisher provided a kit with five steps to submit a recipe. Recipes include not only food items such as pesto, green tea smoothie, and basil soup but other topics such as lavender oil uses and deer repellent. Special pages include “well suited herbs for

Northern Michigan”, “edible flowers and herbs”, and “microwave and freezing techniques for garden bounty”. Over 500 books were printed and sold for $15.00 each with a second printing of 200. These were used for guest speaker gifts and circulated at district meetings, garden walks, and an earth week expo. The club provided recipe samples at these venues providing a “they tried it and bought it” experience. Not only was the

cookbook well received by club members and the community but it won the National Garden Club Publications Award: Tommy Donnan Certificate of Merit for large clubs: Cookbook. To purchase the Seedums Garden Club Garden Gourmet Cookbook, contact: 231-625-8368 Recipe for Cranberry Fruit Bread from Rosaetta Humphrey

2 c. flour 1 orange, juice and grated rind 1 c. sugar 2 T. shortening ½ tsp. baking soda 1 egg, beaten 1 ½ tsp. baking powder ½ c. nuts, chopped 1 tsp. salt 2 c. cranberries, halved Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt. Combine orange juice, rind, shortening and enough water to make ¾ cup. Add egg. Combine liquid mixture with dry, mixing just enough to dampen. Fold in Cranberries and nuts. Put in greased 9x5x3 inch pan, pushing in corners. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Turn out on rack to cool.

Seedums Garden Club Publishes NGC Award Winning Cookbook

The Southfield Park and Garden Club is celebrating its 10th anniversary. They joined Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. this year. Founded in 2005 by Jon Adams and 4 other community

members this small club is making a difference. Because members were interested in helping elderly, disabled and low income residents maintain their yards, the club worked with the Southfield Chore Program, a community Block Grants program, and trimmed bushes, planted annuals and/or perennials, and added mulch on a house by house basis. They have planted trees with Boy Scouts and cleaned up in front of schools.

The club has planned and hosted garden walks and co-sponsored Southfield Community Pride Awards. At this time the club is planning an informal reception for award winners and nominees of the last three years. One of the projects the club is most proud of is their eight year old Community Garden. Land is leased from a local church and the club is responsible for planting the crops, promoting the best gardening practices, and supervising volunteers who care for the garden. Volunteers may be Oakland County Master Gardeners, community residents or from the United Way Volunteer Match. Over 760 volunteer hour have been logged this summer. All produce is donated to Forgotten Harvest. Southfield Parks and Garden Club looked to MGC for networking possibilities. Members wanted to know what other gardeners do so they could improve what they were doing. Gardeners need other gardeners to talk to.

We welcome this new club to District I, MGC, CR, and NGC.

District I’s Newest Club

Southfield Park and Garden

Ruth Moline- Director

District 1

Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. Wins First

Place!

Thanks to all who purchased The

Frightened Frog book. MGC won the $25

first place award from Central Region in

October!!!


MAAJ News Lynn Dinvald, Flower Show Judges Credentials Chair

Central Region Awards (Illinois,

Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota,

Missouri, and Wisconsin) were

picked up at the Fall CR Convention in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Twenty submissions were sent in by Michigan clubs. We

won so many awards that people asked how we did it.

Congratulations to all of you!

CENTRAL REGION AWARDS WINNERS

#2. Sharing Our Gardens

Landscapers Garden Club, Dist. III--1st Place, $25.00

Tri-Cities Garden Club, Dist. IV--2nd Place

Garden Club of Dearborn, Dist. I--3rd Place

#6. Caring Through Garden Therapy

Kent Garden Club, Dist. IV--1st Place, $25.00

Livonia Garden Club, Dist. I--3rd Place

Petal Pushers Garden Club, Dist. III--Hon. Men.

#8a. Best Overall Standard Flower Show Schedule


Muskegon Garden Club, Dist. IV--3rd Place

#8b. Best Standard Flower Show Horticulture Division


Muskegon Garden Club, Dist. IV--Hon. Men.

#8c. Best Standard Flower Show Education Exhibit


#9. Cultivating Community Plantings

Mason Sycamore Creek GC, Dist. IIB--3rd Place

#10. Sharing National Garden Week

Livonia Garden Club, Dist. I--Hon. Men.

#11. Sharing the Future

Grosse Isle Garden Club, Dist. I--2nd Place

Garden Club of Dearborn, Dist. I--3rd Place

Kalamazoo Garden Club, Dist. III--Hon. Men.

#12. Caring By Planting Pink

Mason Sycamore Creek, Dist. IIB--1st Place, $25.00

Saline Stone and Thistle GC, Dist. IIA--2nd Place

Petal Pushers Garden Club, Dist. III--3rd Place

#15a. Frightened Frog Book Sales

Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc., State Award--1st place $25.00

Central Region Awards for 2015

Carol Bekius, Chair

The Michigan Association of Accred-ited Judges (MAAJ) of The National Garden Clubs, Inc. was formed in 1952 within the framework of The Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. and is a subsidiary of that body. MAAJ’s ob-jective is to promote advanced study in horticulture, flower arrangement, and flower show procedure. We sup-port the Flower Show Symposiums which provide advanced education as required by National Garden Clubs., Inc. MAAJ recognizes the many talents and contributions of the following flower show judges, who have requested a NGC Master Judge Emeritus status as of September 2015: Robin Courtright, Cadillac Garden Club; Isla Schipper, West Michi-gan Flower Arrangers Guild; and Ethel Gallagher, Mid-Michigan Flower Arrangers Guild. According to our MAAJ records, Robin became a Master Judge in 2012; Isla Schipper was issued her Master Certificate in 1987; and Ethel Gallagher became a Master Judge in 2005. Many judges are not aware that at one time, five courses were needed to complete the NGC Flower Show School. MAAJ thanks them for their many hours of study and hard work and dedication. Please continue to seek these Judges as consultants for your flower show committees. Their experience, contribu-tions, and hours of devotion are priceless!

Carol Sue Brodbeck and Marilyn J. Lee have achieved Accred-ited-Life Judge status. Receiving their Accredited-Master Judge Status were Lynn L. Dinvald and Deannie Picciotti. MAAJ wishes to congratulate Pauline Flynn, and Della Hay-don, members of the Greater Detroit Flower Arrangers Guild, for their floral designs featured in the NGC 2016 Vision of Beauty Calendar. Our sincere thanks to Kathryn Clary, Flower Show Symposium Chairman, for her dedication and support to Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. Kathryn has accepted the position of Flower Show School Chairman for 2015-17. Check the MGC calendar page for school course dates. We extend a welcome to Dolores Stouwie, NGC Horticulture Instructor, for accepting the posi-tion of Flower Show Symposium Chairman for 2015-2017. When your garden club is in need of judges for your next flow-er show, contact Lynn Dinvald, [email protected] (269-343-3827) for a list of “Who Needs Judging.” This list contains the names of those accredited judges and student judges who need to judge a flower show to receive credit to update their official MGC/NGC records.

We’re proud of you all!


On September 19, 2015 Chula Vista Garden Club, Distr ict III, dedicated two Blue Star Memorials! Blue Star chairman Dick Northrup indicated it was important to have a memorial in both Otsego and Plainwell. The Otsego dedication at 11am placed a memorial in a very visible, triangular intersection at the corner of S. Farmer and Washington across from Memorial Park. Lt. Colonel Peter Hill gave introductory remarks. A tribute followed presented by VFW Post 3030; American Legion Post 84 provided an Honor Guard Salute and Taps. A MGC Certificate of Appreciation was presented to the club. Many MGC Board members were in attendance. The Plainwell dedication began at 1pm alongside a beautiful location on the Kalamazoo River in Sherwood Park near a preexisting veteran's memorial. Karin Caston shared a history of the Chula Vista Garden Club; Jan Keys, President of the Kalamazoo Garden Council laid a wreath. Many dignitaries were present including Marie Center of the Allegan County Blue Star Mothers and Betty Shafer from the Paw Paw Blue Star Mothers. Final Dedication in 2015 As part of the Kalamazoo County Veterans Day ceremonies, the Westwood Garden Club, Distr ict III, dedicated a Blue Star

memorial on November 11 at the recently refurbished Veterans Memorial located at Riverside Cemetery on Gull Rd / M-43. Lori Reed chaired this dedication for her club; refreshments followed at Fire Station #3. This dedication is number 84 in Michigan and the last scheduled in 2015.

Help celebrate all the Michigan Blue Star Memorials by wear ing a Michigan Blue Star pin. These are available from Jean Goetz at [email protected]

Save the Date for a D-Day Blue Star Memorial. On June 6, 2016, the anniversary of D-Day, District VI will sponsor a Blue Star Memorial at the Military and Space Museum on Weiss Road in Frankenmuth. This is one day prior to the MGC 2016 State Convention also scheduled in Frankenmuth on June 7 & 8. The museum showcases a fascinating collection of memorabilia celebrating individual Michigan service men and women dating back to the Civil War. Astronauts and other space program contributors from Michigan are also featured. Come a day early to the convention to attend this patriotic dedication. Visiting the museum displays will make you proud of the service of our Michigan veterans.

Club dedicates two Blue Star Memorials

Plainwell Blue Star

Otsego Blue Star

Space Museum

Visit Us on Facebook Betty Assmann, Chair

Judith Carr, Administrator

Facebook is where you can share the

excitement of your club’s day. Did

you have a special meeting or a great

photo you want to share? Or how

was your Blue Star Memorial? Other

members all across the state can

learn from your new ideas. There is

no better place to get important in-

formation out

quickly.

MGC Joins Kroger Community Rewards

Did you know you can support Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. just by shopping at Kroger? Kroger gives millions of dollars a year to nonprofit organizations through Kroger Community Rewards and MGC is now participating in the program. For those of you who have a Kroger store in your area, all you have to do is sign up for the Kroger Plus program and indicate Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. as your chosen organization. If you already have a Kroger Plus Card, go to your online pro-file and choose MGC.

****** Thru the Garden Gate dates for submission of articles:

Due January 15, Spring...March/April/May Issue Due April 15, Summer...June/July/August Issue

Due July 15, Fall...September/October/November Issue Due October 15, Winter…December/January/February Issue


The new boardwalk is in! A work crew of Amish youth with the supervision of Forest Service personnel completed the job during the last week of Au-gust. The new walk sits on the surface of the bog and will be easily adjusta-ble. It has rails on both sides and a generous seating area. Our MGC clubs’ generous donations paid for the lumber used in this project. In September a group of local garden club volunteers planted additional wildflowers in the Rain Garden and in the Pollinator Garden. The group also removed grass seeds to help keep warm season grasses from crowding the late summer wildflower display. The seeds will be used on other Forest Ser-vice properties. If you haven’t visited the sanctuary recently, be sure to plan a trip for next spring or summer to enjoy a lovely day in nature and see what we have helped to accomplish with our MGC contributions. The following clubs and groups have donated to the Sanctuary since the last report: Por tage Lake Garden Club, Petoskey Area Garden Club, Grand Ledge Garden Club, Juniper Garden Club, Betty and Gil Eagle and Diane Zalac in memory of Eleanor Major, Livonia Garden Club, and the Taiwanese Birders of Ann Arbor. Docent led hikes are always available for groups of 6 or more and if you are interested in touring or would like a club program on Loda, contact me at [email protected]. Your continuing donations will be used for fur-ther improvements at the Sanctuary. Stay tuned to learn about what we plan to do next! Donation forms are available for download on the improved MGC website, www.michigangardenclub.org

Loda Lake News Karen Motawi, Chair

New Boardwalk is finished

Volunteers taking a break

FRIENDLY GARDEN CLUB OF TRAVERSE CITY

SUBMITTED BY JILL STILTNER, PRESIDENT

In mid-September 2015 The Friendly Garden Club of Traverse City held their annual Honors Luncheon at the Top of the Park--Park Place Hotel. At this time we honored our past presidents, emeritus

members, Friendly Life, State Life, Central Life and National Life members. This year we had one new 20 year member, Eunice Pines. Eunice has been a devoted member of The Friendly Garden Club. She is the quiet, “get it done” kind of a person who loves details. She was instrumental in a grand project to identify, map, and tag a significant

number of trees on the Traverse City State Hospital grounds now known as the Grand Traverse Commons. To honor Eunice, our club saved our pennies and donated them to the National Garden Clubs, Inc. Penny Pines Project. It just seemed like a good fit--Eunice PINES, lover of TREES, and the restoration of forests. We requested the Forest Service to use our donation to help restore the Sleeping Bear National Parks forest area that was so devastated in the August 2, 2015 shear wind storm. Coincidentally, in August 2015 a statue was dedicated to honor Perry Hannah, considered to be The Founding Father of Traverse City. In his hand is a PINE CONE in recognition of his involvement in the lumber industry. Grant money from The Friendly Garden Club was designated towards the Perry Hannah Park and statue. The park can be enjoyed at the corner of Union Street and 6th Street in downtown Traverse City.

Spirit of the Woods Garden Club

Submitted by P. Murdock

The Spirit of the Woods Garden Club in Petoskey, Michigan is very active in the Old Christmas Weekend, including the parade, which is always held the first weekend after Thanksgiving (this year December 3-6). For the past several years the club members have gathered to work on a Victorian Christmas Tree. They have had a winning tree for several years.

District V News Sue Soderberg, Director


District IIB News Director Lynda Foster

You are cordially invited to attend the District II B Spring Meeting on Thursday April 14, 2016 at the Eagle Eye Conference Center in Bath, MI. The theme of the meeting is taken from our new NGC President Sandy Robinson’s theme, Leap into Action. “Pollinators and amphibians are the canaries in the coal mine, crying out a warn-ing that all is not well. We need to hear their cry and Leap into Ac-tion before our food sources are severely threatened through loss of vital species.” Our featured speakers are: David Mifsuid, PWS, CWB, CPE, owner and founder of Herpetological Resource and Management, Michigan (DNR) Herpetologi-cal Atlas Administrator and co-chair of the State of Michigan Amphibian and Reptile Technical Advisory Board. David will talk about current population trends and concerns, and how we as individuals and as clubs can make a difference in protecting amphibians and reptiles in Michigan. Diane Pruden is a Conservation Specialist with Monarch Watch. Diane raises, captures, and tags Monarch butterflies. She will discuss the importance of the monarch migration and gardening for mon-archs, as well as how to register your garden as a Monarch Waystation. She will also bring great ideas on how to share this in-formation with junior garden clubs and other youth programs. To add to the fun and in the spirit of conservation, our decorating theme is Flea Market Gardening. We will have a unique take on table centerpieces and room décor. You might just win a basket that is a little bit different! Your hosts are the Mason Sycamore Creek Garden Club and the Williamston Red Cedar Garden Club.

Usually we have a short program on floral design. Last year Kathi Dominguez did a demonstration on making easy, but beautiful, Christmas centerpieces. It was very informative, especially to those of us who are designer challenged. This meeting is also dedicated to donating hat, gloves, mittens, and scarves along with our normal food donations which we do throughout the year. Our meeting place is Redeemer United Methodist Church in DeWitt. Redeemer provides food, baby needs, and warm clothing to the DeWitt area persons in need of such articles and also works with the Greater Lansing Food Bank which serves Eaton, Clinton, Ingham, Shiawassee, Isabella, and Clare counties. The Greater Lansing Food Bank provides access to land, “how- to” education, free seeds, plants, tool lending, a network hub, and other resources. The Redeemer United Methodist Church donates the lovely, large room, along with janitor service and kitchen, to the DMGC as a community service. The Christmas donations to this church project is part of our effort to repay the church for housing our meetings and to be of service to the DeWitt community in line with our club objectives. These objectives include support to Northpoint Church Community Gardens. They also operate under the umbrella of Greater Lansing Food Bank and have a youth gardening program under the guidance of DMGC members Jon and Linda Dahl.

Sherwood Garden Club News submitted by Judy Deeren Sherwood Garden Club, Sherwood, Michigan, held their annual Garden Party on August 27, 2015. This is hosted yearly by President Judy Deeren and her daughters Dana Ughetti and Sheryl Watson. Honored guests were Lynda Foster, District IIB Director and Barb Benner, former IIB Director. Of our twenty-six members, sixteen mem-bers were present (two left before the picture was taken). We have been a club for twenty-four years. Our twice yearly fund raiser provides funds toward perpetual care at the Sherwood Cem-etery. Our charity is to provide scholarships to our local gradu-ates; we do at least one $300 scholarship a year. The club plants and cares for the flowers at the welcome signs to our village. We also plant and maintain ten plots on Sherwood’s Main Street. Both of these projects are funded by the Village council which buys the flowers. We also maintain the plantings at the Blue Star Memorial.

District IIB Fall Meeting a “Spooktacular” Success “Spooktacular Fall on the Thornapple” was hosted by Thornapple and Inland Lakes Garden Clubs on October 14, 2015.

Over 150 District IIB club members and guests attend-ed this day nurturing the love of gardening and

reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Three Michigan Garden Clubs Life memberships were bestowed to the following members: Rose Ann Lipsch, member of Thor-napple Garden Club, and Dess Johnson and Bette Shattler,

LEAP INTO SPRING!

(DMGC meeting continued)

The 2015 December DeWitt Millennium Garden Club meeting will begin with a wonderful potluck dinner. Dinner plans, decorations, and entertainment will be hosted by 6 members of the hospitality committee. It is currently planned to have an educational overview of the NGC and MGC goals and objectives for this administration’s term of office in place of a speaker. The December DMGC meeting has a traditional agenda which has been used for the fifteen years of it’s history. Members will bring new or gently used items for our Holiday Silent Auction. This is always a fun competition for the most wanted articles, and who knows which ones they are going to be.

Silent Auction

Kathi Dominguez


This year the Williamston Red Cedar Garden Club , District IIB, is celebrating its 90th year anniversary, having first organized in 1925 and becoming federated in 1948. Our first meeting in September 2015 was a

birthday party complete with cake, balloons and a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday”. After a meal traditionally provided by the current

board, Cathie Ware led our reminiscing through some of the historic materials, and showed us the yearbooks from previous years. It was fun to compare ‘then’

to ‘now’, since the current yearbooks were also distributed. The twenty six members and three guests certainly enjoyed themselves. We are very fortunate to have many past presidents as active members. In attendance were: Gloria Van Dusen (1977-78), Diana Leipprandt (1978-81 & 1994-96), Fran Schaffert (1984-86), Lynda Foster (1991-92 & 2008-10), Ann Campbell (2005-08), and Joan Wright (2010-12). Those absent were: Jan Morris (2000-02 & 2003-05), Margie Stephenson (2012-14), and RoxAnne Houghton (2014-15). We will be celebrating throughout the year instead of for just one day.

Other meetings for 2015-16 will feature past awards, flower shows and projects.

And maybe some surprises!

Williamston Red Cedar Garden Club Celebrates 90

The gardens in District IV have been put to bed for the winter but the gardeners in District IV continue to stay busy. Many celebrate the holiday season with luncheons, fundraisers, and discovering ways to give back to their communities. Saugatuck-Douglas Garden Club meets in November to construct 24 fresh evergreen swags for the cities of Saugatuck and Douglas to hang on public buildings and signs. They collect donations from members and shop for clothing items, coats, hats, blankets, and food to donate to the Christian Neighbors Organization. Dirt Dauber Garden Club will enjoy a Chr istmas luncheon in early December at a local restaurant overlooking White Lake. Each member brings a new children’s book, which will be donated to Every Woman’s Place, to the luncheon. Canadian Lakes Garden Club plans a Chr istmas luncheon and “pink elephant” gifts are often part of the fun. Big Rapids Garden Club holds an annual Greens Workshop the first week of December- part community service and part fundraiser. Participants chose from wreaths, swags, centerpieces, porch pots, etc.

Workshops are held within the community and also include assisted living facilities and adult special populations. It is a very busy time involving almost all garden club members. Kent Garden Club members enjoy a Christmas celebration with a social hour, followed by luncheon and entertainment. Members provide table centerpieces. Good food-good friends and Christmas cheer! Muskegon County Garden Club will be having a Chr istmas Tea at the Greater Muskegon Women’s Club. They will enjoy centerpieces made by members, food catered by two of their members, entertainment, and a silent auction- great time to have fun and socialize. Tri-Cities Garden Club will hold a Potluck luncheon, enjoy a Christmas gift exchange, collect and donate toiletry items to Love, INC, and hold a silent auction of the table centerpieces created and donated by member, Bob Friese.

District IV Holiday Happenings Monica Taylor, District Director

First row (seated) l-r: Glor ia Richards, Phillis Chir ico, Arla Weaver , Cather ine Ware, Chris Nilsson, Louie Omar Second Row l-r: Carol Grainger , Bonnie J . Clark, Glor ia Van Dusen, Joan Wright, Lynda Foster, Ann Campbell, Robin Stewart, Diana Leipprandt, Becky Wildenthal Third Row l-r: Joyce Wildenthal, Fran Schaffer t, Lynda Foster , Dorothy Pollock, Cathy Keesaer, Betty Eigenauer, Penny Tiedgen, Cindy Brown, Kathy Schaude, Donna Crawford

1974, 1992, 1996, 2008, 2015


*Events marked with an * have more details on the website calendar at www.michigangardenclubs.org. *Saturday, December 5 – Cadillac- 15th Annual Holiday Home Tour, Hosted by the Cadillac Garden Club. Time:10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Location: Four area homes in Cadillac. Advance tickets (after Nov.1) $15.00/person. Contact: Vickie at 231-510-9047 or [email protected] *Saturday, December 5 - Dearborn - Holly Berry Brunch, Hosted by Garden Club of Dearborn. Time:10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Location: Dearborn Inn, 20301 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, MI. Fee: $30.00, $35.00 if ordered after November 1. Contact: Mary Bugeia at 313-562-7524/[email protected]. More info at GardenClubDearborn.org *Thurs. – Mon., March 17-21, 2016 – East Lansing –Standard Flower Show, Theme: “Magic, Mystery and Illusions”. Hosted by District IIB. Time each day: Thursday, March 17: 3 – 9pm, Friday, March 18: 12 noon – 9pm, Saturday, March 19: 10am – 9pm, Sunday, March 20: 10am – 5pm Fee: part of the Lansing Home and Garden Show. Adults: $9, children 6-14: $4, children under 4: Free. Location: Michigan State University Pavilion, corner of Mt. Hope Ave. and Farm Lane. Contacts: Lois Snover-Hanson – 517-694-8091, Kathi Dominguez – 517-669-5112 [email protected], Susan Kropschot – 517-351-0464 [email protected] or Lynda Foster – 517-285-4236 [email protected] Wednesday, April 6 - East Lansing - MGC Finance Meeting, Time: 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Location: Hampton Inn Board Room, East Lansing. Business phone for hotel reservations: 517-324-2072 Thursday, April 7 - Lansing - MGC Board of Directors Meeting, Time: Social Time: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Meeting: 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.. Location: Plymouth Congregational Church, 2001 Grand

River Avenue, Lansing. Business phone for emergencies: 517-484-9495. Executive Committee Meeting 8:30-9:30 a.m. (Parlor). *Tues. – Wed., April 11 and 12, 2016 – Gardening Study School, Course IV, Time: TBD Location: TBD More details to follow. *Thursday, April 14 – Bath - District IIB Spring Meeting, Theme: “Leap Into Spring”. Hosted by the Mason Sycamore Creek Garden Club and Williamston Red Cedar Garden Club. Time: 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Location: Eagle Eye Golf Club and Convention Center, Bath, Michigan. More details to follow. *Tues. – Thurs., April 19 – 21 – Midland – Flower Show School Course II, Time: Apr il 19, 8:00 am - April 21, 5:00 pm Location: TBD Contact: Flower Show Chair, Kathryn Clary, [email protected]. More details to follow. *Mon. – Fri., May 2 – 6 – Grand Rapids – NGC 2016 National Convention, Theme: “Bloomin On The Grand”. Hosted by Michigan Garden Clubs. Location: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids. Visit www.experiencegr.com/NGC for more details. *Monday, June 6 – Frankenmuth - Pre-State Convention Blue Star Memorial Dedication (D-Day), Location: Michigan’s Military and Space Museum 1250 Weiss St., Frankenmuth, Michigan 48734, 989-652-8005 *Tues. – Wed., June 7- 8 – Frankenmuth - MGC 85th State Convention, Theme: “The Artful Garden – Der kunstliche Garten”. Hosted by District VI. Location: The Bavarian Inn Lodge Convention Center, 1 Covered Bridge Lane, Frankenmuth, MI 48734, 855-652-7200. Contacts: Co-Chairs, Ronnie Dush, [email protected] and Nancy Stark Higgins, [email protected]

To post events directly on the calendar, visit the MGC website at michigangardenclubs.org

Click on Calendar at the top of the page and click on Submit Event.

(The email address [email protected] is no longer valid)

Calendar of Events

December 2015 – June 2016

Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.

506 W. Washington St.

DeWitt, Michigan 48820-8926

winter 2015-2016 volume v issue iii - michigan garden...

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