Volume X Issue VII

Michigan Garden Clubs Inc. December January 2020/2021

2

Thru the

Garden Gate MGC, Inc.

Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. mission is to provide

education, resources, and network opportunities for its

members to promote the love of gardening, floral and

landscape design, and environmental responsibility.

Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.

Official publication A 501(c)(3) Organization

Thru the Garden Gate Bernadine Bennett,

Editor, Graphic Designer/Layout Publisher/Business Manager mgc.gatenews@yahoo.com

Website www.migardenclubs.org

Charley Bohland, Webmaster webmaster@migardenclubs.org

Janet Hickman

President 989-600-1390 Plant America

Grow Pollinator Gardens president@migardenclubs.org

Monica Taylor President Elect

1stVP@migardenclubs.org

Cyndy Nemon, 2nd Vice President Rita Crawley, 3rd Vice President Nancy Smith, 4th Vice President

Jenny Bond, Recording Secretary Jenny Bond, Corresponding Secretary Rosemary (Bunny) LaDuke, Treasurer

Carol Brodbeck Advisory Council/Nominating Committee

Gay L. Austin President, NGC, Inc.

Plant America gaylaustin@gmail.com

Jodi Meyer Director Central Region

Garden Clubs, Inc. Bee a Petal Pusher

Plant America lulumeyer1957@gmail.com

This Issue

President’s page 3

District I 3

District III 4

Zoom 4

District V and VI 5

DistrictIIB ` 6

Scholarships 7

Blue Star 7

President elect’s article 8

Legislative report 8

Pollinators 8

District III 9

Constant Contact 10

Awards 10

Loda Lake 11

Kayak Launch 11

Save the dates 12

MEMBER OF

NATIONAL GARDEN CLUBS, INC.

AND

CENTRAL REGION GARDEN CLUBS, INC.

Stay Safe

Wear a Mask

Social Distance

3

FROM THE DESK

OF THE PRESIDENT

Dear Michigan Garden Clubs members, I hope the Winter Newsletter finds you all healthy and safe. When I wrote my article for the Summer Gate, I said that, while it had been ok to hunker down to just get through a few weeks, as COVID 19 continues, and we can’t get together face to face, we need to be looking for ways to go about staying connected and finding purpose. I had no idea that almost 6 months later that would still be true. This administration started with an objective to connect our gardens for pollinators and to connect with our youth. It has become ALL about finding ways to stay connected. We’re doing Monday Morning Member Meetings; we’re doing Facebook Special Interest Groups; We just had our first All-District Fall Meeting with Guest Speaker and author, Brie Arthur. Talking about ‘Foodscaping for the Future’. Now, more than ever please be looking for additional ways to stay connected with your club members.

1.Don’t give up on your newsletters. They can be short, that’s ok. Share a recipe, share a project someone could do at home.

2. How about a twist on the old ‘Telephone Tree;’ what about a ‘Phone Buddy’ system? Whether it’s a club member who is isolated or not, it could be an important

connection! Not just for them, but for you, too! And heaven knows, we’re all going to be going stir crazy when it gets cold outside.

3.Got more ideas? Let me know. My phone number and email are here in the newsletter. Or join us on Monday Mornings.

We’re in this for the long haul. National Garden Clubs recently canceled next spring’s Annual Convention in New Jersey. Our Conference Committee had struggled with how to plan a ‘socially distanced’ Conference, a ‘best case’ Scenario Conference, and a plan C, just the business must-haves Annual Meeting. At the end of October, we came to the consensus realization that we can put together a great Virtual Conference with most, in not all, the elements that everyone loves about our MGC conferences. So, stay tuned. You’ll be hearing from us soon. Meanwhile, Stay Healthy, Stay Safe, and Stay Connected. Do something for someone else. This is how we get through this together.

Growing and sharing in gardening,

Ruth Moline District I Director

I started with the question “How are you keeping your club together.” Ten clubs responded – Belleville, Blue Water, Dearborn Heights, Ferndale, 3 Grosse Pointe clubs-Garden Club of Michigan, Grosse Pointe and Junior League Gardeners, Military Hills, Paint Creek, and Pleasant Ridge. Almost every club continues to maintain its public gardens from a small butterfly garden to 14 beds at a large popular park. As members weed they are careful to maintain social distances. Communications such as newsletters, emails, cards, phone calls, websites where photos are shared are being used to keep in touch with club friends. Members of one club spent a day outside constructing a scarecrow to be displayed with others created by local businesses and clubs for the community’s annual fall Scarecrow contest. Another club’s garden is located between two commercial buildings. They staged their annual Best Zinnia Bloom contest on a table set next to the sidewalk so anyone could participate or could walk by and see the blooms.

Traditional club meetings are cancelled. “Thinking outside the box” is now the way to plan meetings and safe “get-togethers.” Virtual meetings by way of Zoom are popular. Open air locations in park pavilions provide meeting spaces for summer and fall. Officers of one club held a planning session in a park under a big tree. Gardens, Tours and Field Trips are delightful ways for members to meet safely. Oudolf Garden, Detroit, Cranbrook Gardens and Van Hoosen Farm are locations that clubs visited.

We’re doing the best we can.”

“We’re planning alternatives.” “

“We’re surviving.”

“We’re the District I Garden Clubs.”

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Greetings District 3!

Hope the New Year finds you well and looking forward to

the snow and cold temperatures to early spring.

Browsing bulbs and plant catalogs always brighten my win-

tertime gray-sky blues. Or going onto YouTube and watch-

ing Garden Answers with Laura LeBoutillier’s numerous

videos on all the new 2021 Proven Winner plants and

shrubs! Most of us have that one spot in our garden where

the plants are not responding well and these videos will

introduce you to too many choices for possible replace-

ments!

This leads to announcing our next Statewide District Zoom

Meeting on Thursday, March 18 from 10:30 AM – 3:30

PM. Interested in propagating a favorite plant or in growing

plants and vegetables from seed? The main speaker and

seed activist Bevin Cohen will present the how’s and why’s

of the modern seed saving movement. Register now on the

MGC migardenclubs.org website home page link. We will

also have a District 3 breakout session in the morning to

discuss activities closer to our home gardens.

Another “back to basics” opportunity is the virtual MGC

Gardening School being hosted by the Kalamazoo Garden

Council.

Information and registration links are located on the MGC

website home page. There are course size limits so check it

out today!

Thank you for sharing your fall and holiday activities and

projects with me and others through Facebook, websites,

and newsletters. All are great ways to stay connected in our

love of gardening and gardening friendships especially

through these winter months.

MGC continues to support Clubs with Monday Morning

Member Meetings on Zoom at 10 AM. Sign in to the Mem-

ber Area side of the migardenclubs.org website and the first

button gives you all the details. We are all still on a learn-

ing curve with Zoom but remember our District has its

Zoom account and I can help facilitate meetings for your

Club. Please contact me at district3@migardenclubs.org

and let’s continue to use this tool as another way to stay

connected.

Wishing you well and happy gardening,

Michele

Michele Armstrong District III Director

The Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. (MGC) is hosting a free

Lunch & Learn Tech Series for any MGC and NGC

member interested in learning more about holding virtual

‘Meetings’ on Zoom and preparing for MGC and NGC

opportunities.

1. You MUST register in advance to attend and receive

the course access link unique to you based on your

registration e-mail and also your matching Zoom

account e-mail. Zoom Basic account is free and the

app it downloads will make your experience with the

latest update a positive experience.

2. All seminars are free but you must register for EACH

session you want to attend.

3. You MUST have the Zoom client application installed

on your equipment to register. To download, go

to www.zoom.us and download the application. Note:

Participants joining meetings with registration must

use the Zoom desktop client or mobile app. They will

not be able to join using the web client. Check for

Zoom Update 5.4.7 https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/

articles/201362233-Upgrade-update-to-the-latest-

version.

4. Join in an get connected globally. 300 virtual seats

available per session.

All sessions include a live question and answer period.

Register at this location: https://migardenclubs-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/+ZAodO-oqjMpH9CpeQ32sDRsbvflcKeRehiz After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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Activities in District VI have been varied throughout

the summer and fall due to COVID-19. Several clubs

chose not to meet and others have managed to meet at

outdoor venues with masks and safe spacing. Most

clubs were able to continue their work at public garden

spots this summer.

Some clubs have been meeting via Zoom to complete

business activities and maintain contact with the

members. Other clubs are connecting by emails,

newsletters, and phone with members to relay

important club information.

I have kept busy attending Zoom MGC board,

executive, and committee meetings, plus attempting to

learn the new online system Microsoft Teams. I am

assigned to the MGC Position Description Rewrite

Committee which has been meeting most weeks

online to standardize the MGC position descriptions,

formerly called job descriptions.

I am looking forward to the upcoming Statewide

District meeting on March 18 and hope others from

District VI will be attending!

I have always said that the best part of being a District Di-

rector is attending Club events and meetings and getting to

know our members. Just like everyone else, I miss the

personal contact and opportunities for learning and sharing.

I feel bad that so many events and meetings have had to be

canceled in 2020 but I see that your Garden Clubs kept

busy with community beautification and pollinator projects.

Now would be a good time to consider looking into and

requesting a small grant ($200) from your District. As you

are planning next year's projects, perhaps you need to pur-

chase new native plants, pollinators, or other plants or

garden materials for your gardens.

Requesting a grant is easy and information can be found on

the MGC website.

I hope your clubs are taking advantage of new technology

such as zoom meetings. The Monday morning meetings

have been educational and informative and are open to all

MGC members. Please encourage Club members to attend

these meetings. The schedule and sign-in information are

on the MGC website.

By the Bay Garden Club (Suttons Bay) will be dedicating

their new Blue Star Memorial soon. A date has not been

set. Watch for more information on the dedication. It will

be on The District V Facebook page and the MGC

Calendar.

Speaking of Facebook, please visit and like the Michigan

Garden Clubs District V Facebook page. It features gardens

from all over District V and updates on events and meet-

ings. Please encourage anyone in your club who uses Face-

book to like and follow this page. We have about 180 fol-

lowers currently. If you have an event or fundraiser please

sent me a picture or information to post..

Carol Lauffer District VI Director

Sue Soderberg District V Director

MGC Spring Statewide District Meeting

“All Together Now 2.0”

March 18; 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; $10 fee

Join us March 18, 2021, for another District meeting vis Zoom!

• District Breakout Sessions

• Seed Saving 101 with Ben Cohen

• Growing Lavender in Michigan (speaker TBA)

Details and registration coming soon on migardenclubs.org.

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The Grand Ledge Garden Club (GLGC) began in 1941 as a mutual interest of three local women sharing their passion for flowers and gardening. We are carrying on their vision as our club is celebrating 79 years of service to the beautiful City of Grand Ledge. Many projects have been completed through the years, and we are still honoring three yearly traditions: 1959-The Hanging of the Greens in the Grand Ledge Area District Library. This entails decorating the library for the Christmas Holiday with a new theme each year. The Christmas tree can be seen from the street for all to enjoy throughout the Holiday Season.

1981- The Memorial Tree Project has been a stellar success for 27 years. With the 13 trees donated this year, our total is 425 trees planted throughout the City of Grand Ledge. The Dedication Ceremony is always well attended and done with excellence, from the speakers, the music, and not to forget, the wonderful desserts. This year the GLGC donated a wonderful bench on the walking trail for resting and reflecting. 1984-The Geranium Flower Sale began as a fundraiser for restoration and

landscaping of the Grand Ledge Opera House, Lincoln Brick Park, Library, and City Hall. The geranium is our Club Flower and Grand Ledge is known as ‘The Red Geranium City.’ This is the club’s only fund raiser and proves to be a great success year after year. It is a collaborative effort of all club members from sales, unloading, and filling the orders for over 3000 multicolored geranium plants.

GLGC added 2 new projects this year: The Maier Garden, is a quaint garden located at the entrance of the Island Bridge. It’s a wonderful location for thousands of people to enjoy throughout all the seasons. The Historical Herb Garden is located at the Grand Ledge Museum. The garden has a wide variety of herbs that were popular in the Victorian Era (1837-1901). Herbs include food, medicinal, and ornamental varieties. We are continuing care of the Blue Star Marker located near the Island entrance, the Grand Ledge Library, (which went through a redo after some remodeling), and a large garden at the entrance of Fitzgerald Park.

GLGC meets on the 4th Tuesday Sept-June at 1pm. Cindy Langenberg, our club president, does a superb job of running our meetings. She has very informative Gardeners’ Thoughts of the Day, Points of Interest and Historical Tidbits. We have great programs, events (including field trips), luncheons, educational speakers, and hands-on crafts from our many talented members. There is something for everyone. We have an amazing Club Directory that received First Place from the Michigan Garden Club. We are honored for this opportunity to share some of GLGC accomplishments and past and present highlights. We hope all of the District IIB garden clubs continue to create beauty and joy for generations to enjoy.

Grand Ledge Garden Club (District IIB)

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The 2019-2020 MGC Scholarship Program was a great

success despite many unforeseen

factors. Michigan students received

$24, 314 in award dollars including

an NGC scholarship. Now our

scholarship committee is very busy

making the 2020-2021 season even

better!

It is so rewarding getting to know these hardworking

students. The challenges, especially this year with Covid-

19, online classes, and canceled activities, must be

disappointing and difficult. Supporting our students this

scholarship cycle is even more important!

Your club members can help support one of MGC’s most

important programs by suggest that club donations to the

scholarship fund are considered. Use one of our brochures

(found on the MGC Website) available for descriptive

purposes:

1. Encourage donations to the Scholarship Fund as

honorariums in memory of special people and lifetime

memberships. Individually consider creating an

endowment.

2. Be conversant about the scholarship program and any

chance you have shared how important it is to encourage

study in areas like environmental science, landscape

design, horticulture, and conservation. These subjects

members love and are closely tied to MGC objectives.

3. Familiarize yourself with the stories of past MGC

winners and the work they plan to do or are doing.

Contact me for more information at

karen.maupin@gmail.com.

4. Consider making scholarship winners in your area

honorary members and invite them to speak at a meeting.

5. Make a point of recognizing scholarship winners

from universities in your district and send a card of

congratulations.

Due to the state social distancing guidelines four (4) garden

clubs have chosen to install their Markers with a limited

number of attendees. Five clubs have received their plaque

and will proceed with their installation soon. To date, we

have 105 Blue Star Markers and 4 Gold Star Markers in

Michigan.

I would encourage garden clubs to apply for an MGC, CR,

or NGC Award for their Blue or Gold Star project. You

will need to visit each website to get the requirements for

submitting your project. Information can be found on the

MGC website. Listed below are a few of the awards:

CR (Central Region) Award #11 Honoring Veterans

Certificate of Merit and $50.

NGC Awards 2019-2020:

CB-2 (new award)

Community Beautification

Certificate of Merit and $100.

L-2 (formerly #29-2)

Blue Star Memorial Byway Marker

Certificate of Merit and $100.

L-3 (formerly #29-3)

Blue Star Memorial Marker Landscaping Project

Certificate of Merit and $100.

NPW-2 (formerly #73)

Civic Projects with native plants for establishing native

and wildflower gardens.

Certificate of Merit and $100.

There are other awards available, so I suggest reading each

one carefully.

You are invited to share your club’s Blue Star dedication

photos on our MGC web site, section. Send photos as a

high resolution, jpg file to Charlie Bohland,

cbohland@gmail.com. Include the name of your club,

your dedication date, and the names of people in the

photos. Please select three to five of your best photos. Visit

the MGC website, Projects, Blue Star Memorial, to see

previous dedication pictures. If your club’s dedication

picture is not shown, send Charlie a picture, let us get a

picture of all 105 Memorial Gardens on our website.

Blue or Gold Star pins? I have them available at $5.00

each.

Michigan Garden Clubs Scholarship Program Karin Maupin, Scholarship Chair

Judy Lindemulder MGC Blue/Gold Star Chairman

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INITIATIVE DAY: JANUARY 10 2021 starts a new

legislative session in Lansing, so it requires MGC to

reintroduce its butterfly legislation. A two-year legislative

cycle began on January 1, 2021 and runs until December

31, 2022.

On the House side, Representative Julie Brixie plans to

reintroduce the Black Swallowtail initiative and ask fellow

colleagues, who wrote letters of support, to join in a bi-

partisan co- sponsorship.

On the Senate side, several clubs are making requests of

their senators to introduce the Black Swallowtail measure.

By February, MGC will know the assigned bill numbers

and which committees will hear the legislation.

Once the all information is known, the Black Swallowtail

materials will be updated and made available to member

clubs. In addition, the new year brings an onslaught of

newly introduced legislation. To track these measures,

members may go online

and access http://

ww.legislature.mi.gov/.

From this website, users

can search by bill

number or do word

searches to find desired

initiatives.

Michigan Garden Clubs offers many specific programs and activities designed to

help draw attention to the importance of pollinators so that together we can create

an environment where they can thrive.

Clubs can spread the message through purchase of the MGC Michigan

Pollinator Garden sign on the MGC website.

The mission of Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. is to provide leadership in education, resources and networking opportunities for its members to promote the love of gardening, floral design, landscape design, civic and environmental responsibility. To achieve this mission, we need your assistance and participation. The Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. (MGC) Board is made up of Elected Officers, President- appointed Officers and President-appointed Board Members. Additional Standing or Special Committees may be established by the President and the positions approved by the Board. Chairs of these Committees may then be appointed by the President and become Board members. Generally, the Board meets four times per year: at the State Conference, usually held in June and three additional times in September, November and April, usually during the first full week of the month. We will plan some of these via Zoom and some in-person meetings. The in-person meetings usually meet in the Lansing area.

Traditionally, there have been approximately sixty dedicated Board Members who have volunteered their time and talent to help assure that MGC is focused and able to serve the needs of our member clubs. As we have listened to our MGC club members we find there are many people who would like to contribute their skills and time to MGC, but the commitment of going to meetings along with doing the job, is too much. We are trying to be more flexible and plan to continue that during this next term. Perhaps we can tailor more activities to utilize skills as an ‘Administrator’ without requiring you to be a Board Member. Please look at the Technologies, Schools and Activities lists to see if there’s an area where you would like to participate. This form will be available on the “Members Only” side of our website, www.migardenclubs.org. If you are interested in utilizing your skills at the sta te level, please go to the MGC website, download it, and save the form to your computer. Fill it out and send it to: Monica Taylor, MGC, Inc. at 1stVP@migardenclubs.org. By all means, call me, 616-607-8264, if you have a question or suggestions.

Volunteers Needed

DAVID R. DRAIN,

LEGISLATION CHAIR

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Summer Activities Ideas from District III

Checkout our website

migardenclubs.org

As our gardening season winds down

into winter hibernation, let us all take a

moment to recall some of what our

season was and the contributions we

made for our members and communi-

ties! Make plans for next season.

Chula Vista GC had their annual plant

sale in June and completed relocating

the Plainwell Blue Star Memorial.

With the supplies originally gathered

for the Fall District III meeting table

centerpieces, they met in groups to

make arrangements for their own

homes and friends.

Four Flags GC held every monthly

meeting outdoors this summer! They

enjoyed a speaker on edible plants, a

virtual presentation on Tower Gardens,

a slide show of their members' gardens,

and toured two members' gardens.

Gardenettes GC assisted Kalamazoo

In Bloom by planting and maintaining

the flower bed on the corner of Liberty

Lane and the Portage cemetery.

Garden Pals of the Portage Senior

Center maintained the gardens at the

Portage Senior Center and participated

in the Kalamazoo In Bloom plant-

ing project. Several Club outings in-

cluded: Lillian Anderson Arboretum,

Shades of Lavender Farm, and the

Common Ground Kalamazoo commu-

nity garden walking tour.

Grow & Share GC met and made

fifty of their annual “tuna can” fresh/

dried arrangements for a local senior

facility. They also had a beautiful day

and enjoyed sewing and stuffing catnip

mice for the Kalamazoo Garden

Council’s online Greens Sale and

added something new - ears!

Indian Hills GC created colorful ar-

rangements for a women’s shelter, sea-

sonal planters at the Krasl Art Center,

and maintained the Upton Arboretum

Garden plus the native plant garden at

St. Joseph's Welcome sign. The

membership met in outdoor locations

to enjoy speakers and events from June

through October.

Meek’s Mill GC started their season

with a plant sale, designing colorful

large planters and hanging baskets for

the Constantine Township Library and

downtown light poles. Monthly com-

munity Beautification Awards, a terrif-

ic garden tour, and creating succulent

containers made for a fun summer.

Petal Pushers GC maintained the

Pollinator Garden at the Garden

Council house and worked at

maintaining the plants they potted for

their 2021 Petal Pushers Plant sale.

They stayed connected with summer

meetings on Zoom!

Portage Garden Club completed the

Pollinator Garden at Stuart Manor and

the Medilodge Flower Bed. They add-

ed another Pollinator Garden along a

Portage walking trail which was also

the new venue for a plant sale!

“Despite the challenges this summer,

gardening provided a much-needed

respite.”

South Haven GC says: “Never doubt

the tenacity of a gardener!” After a

successful annual plant sale in July, the

remaining plants were nurtured over

the summer and another sale was held

on Sept. 12. Rain caused an early clos-

ing. Not to be defeated, the following

Tuesday was gorgeous, so a quick

“pop up” sale was held and most of the

plants found homes!

Sturgis GC decorated with festive fall

elements both around the Enrichment

Center (senior center) sign and the en-

trance to their community center.

Looking forward to spring, they held a

sale of tulip and daffodils bulbs for

their Club last fall.

National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC), recently announced that our own Marge Mc Goff, MGC President 1991-1993, would become a member of The Golden Circle, an honorary group of NGC Board .

Members who have served on the NGC Board for 25 years or more. Normally she would be honored at an NGC Convention, but for COVID.

Congratulations Marge! Thank you for all your years of

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Using Constant Contact to Connect with You

MGC has been using Constant Contact for about seven years to

keep you informed of what’s going on within MGC, NGC and

Central Region. With our recent change in policy regarding send-

ing out the Newsletter by email whenever possible, based on email

addresses in our roster, we are now emailing to over 4000 of our

current more than 4700 members.

If you are not receiving email newsletters, there are a couple quick

things to check. First, check your spam or junk mail folder, and if

there, move to your inbox. Most email providers have gotten good

at recognizing what email addresses you like to hear from and

which you delete. If that doesn’t work, you may have to investigate

changing some email settings.

In some cases, however, our ability to send you email may have

been blocked by Constant Contact because you unsubscribed at

some point. Unfortunately, once you have unsubscribed, we cannot

just add you back to the mailing list, you must do it.

The good news is there is an easy way to do that. Go to the MGC

website and login to the member side. If you don’t remember the

member username and password, check with a club member or

your president. Once you have logged in, scroll down the righthand

side and click on the button titled “Sign up for MGC Emails” and

follow the instructions. This will give us permission with Constant

Contact to send you emails again. Don’t worry, if you are really

already in, you won’t receive duplicates. If you are using a new

email, be sure to let your President or Treasurer know, so that it

will be updated during the next roster update.

We understand that everyone has a different threshold for how

many emails they receive. We are trying to balance ways to not

overwhelm you, yet keep you informed. For the time being, every-

one will receive the quarterly newsletter and notifications about

our Annual

Conferences. Our goal is to let you choose other news you want to

receive, and give you options for updating your choices. Until we

have that figured out, we will be sending those items to club

presidents or their designee to send on to you.

When you read this all the awards

judging, scoring, and forwarding is

done for the year. I want to thank all

the District Directors and MGC

Members who participated in judging

this year. It was the first year that

award applications were submitted

electronically, and we did have some

glitches.

We will continue with the electronic

Submissions and you will all have

much clearer instructions for

formatting, naming, and submitting

your awards.

The Awards Committee will also be

discussing the best way to continue

judging awards. I have certainly

learned a lot about organizing and

forwarding award applications for

judging!

MGC received about 70 general

awards for judging this year which is

down from last year. This was

certainly expected as many Garden

Club activities were canceled in 2020

due to Covid-19.

In the interest of staying connected...

Find Us

AWARDS

Sue Soderberg

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Another chapter in the history of the Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary has recently been written! The nearby Birch Grove schoolhouse that was attended by the children of the families that once lived in the farmhouse at Loda Lake has been sold for use as a private home. It’s really rather amazing that the building was a public space for nearly 100 years.

The Birch Grove School lent its name to the segment of the North Country Trail that runs through the sanctuary and was once the NCT headquarters as well as a bunkhouse for hikers passing through. The attached pen and ink drawing was done by a local artist many years ago, after it was no longer used as a school and before it was refurbished for use by the North Country Trail Association.

Thanks to our amazing MGC clubs who continue to support this wonderful resource. It was used more than ever this past summer as folks looked for socially distanced outdoor activities. Recent contributors include The Garden Club of Michigan, Rockford Garden Club (in memory of Sandy McEwan) Mason County Garden Club, Williamston Red Cedar Garden Club, Kent Garden Club, Hillsdale Garden Club, The Garden Club of Dearborn, Portage Lake Garden Club (honoring Sue Soderberg, Grand Ledge Garden Club, Howell Garden Club (in memory of Chris Duffield), Sweetwater Evening Garden Club, Western Hills Garden Club and Chula Vista Garden Club (honoring Paul Surian).

All donations are reserved for improvement projects at the sanctuary. Forms are available for download on the

MGC website, www.migardenclubs.org

Birch Grove School House near Loda Lake

LODA LAKE

SUBMITTED BY KAREN MOTAWI

On Oct 12, the Belding Gardeneers assisted in the beautification of the open space leading to the new Belding East Riverside Park Kayak Launch site with plantings of Petite Bristleleaf Sedge and Dwarf Honeysuckle shrubs. Greenville City Project Engineer, Doug Hinken, was able to get this community project off the ground with a grant to create kayak launches both in Greenville and Belding. Mr. Hinken reached out to the Belding Gardeneers with an opportunity to support this community project by the planting of natural grasses near the Belding launch site. Belding Gardeneer Deb Scott chaired this project and worked throughout this past year with Mr. Hinken to coordinate the ordering and planting of these natural materials next to the Belding launch site. Mr. Joel Franken of Katerberg-Verhage was also instrumental in the plant selection.

Belding East Riverside Park Kayak Launch

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Gardening Study School is a series of courses designed and accredited by National Garden Clubs to stimulate

interest and understanding in the growth of plant material.

The series consists of four two-day courses offered virtually that can be taken in any order. Each course includes ten

hours of instruction (combination of lecture and hands-on) plus time for review and testing. Students who choose to

take and pass the exams become Gardening Consultants, certified by National Garden Clubs, Inc. upon completion of

the entire series. Consultants are eligible to join the Michigan Consultants Council whose objectives are to protect the

environment by stimulating a continuing interest to increase knowledge of horticulture and promote excellence in

landscape design.

Topics covered in each course are:

Course I: Basic Botany; Soils; Techniques for Growing Outdoor Flowers; Plant Propagation; Supplemental Subject.

Dates: March 31 and April 1, 2021 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

For details and registration information, please see Home Page on migardenclub.org.

Course II: Plant Diseases and Garden Pests; Irrigation and Water; Lawn Alternatives and Growing Grass; Growing

Fruit; Growing Vegetables; Supplemental Subject.

Dates: April 28-29, 2021 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

For details and registration information, please see Home Page on migardenclub.org.

Course III: Factors That Influence Plant Growth; New Plant Development and Evaluation; Container Gardening –

Outdoor; House Plant Basics; Teaching Tour of A Botanical Garden; Supplemental Subject.

Course IV: Plant Classification and Nomenclature; Outdoor Identification of Plants; Specialized Styles of Garden-

ing; Techniques for Growing Woody Ornamentals; Pruning Techniques; Supplemental Subject.

In addition to the required topics, each course also includes a supplemental topic chosen based on local or seasonal

interest. Gardening Consultants must refresh their credentials at least every five years by attending an accredited re-

fresher event or by repeating a course.

For more information on Gardening Study School: