Spring Newsletter

April-May-June 2023

News from our Director

Hello to my fellow D2B Garden Friends,

As we appreciate the warm and cool days of spring, we want to say goodbye to the snow and ice. Somehow, I always get disappointed with a late spring snow flurry like the one we had the day of our Spring Leadership meeting. That day was cold and damp and then we had heavy snow by noon to remind us that Mother Nature was in charge.

The Spring Leadership meeting was our opportunity to collaborate with other club leaders and learn how we can do things differently to improve club activities and member engagement. Most garden club members are over 50 years old. This is because some of our clubs were established 10 or more years ago and retain older members who have committed themselves to work and enjoy activities with the common bond of gardening. As we recruit new members, we look for those who can help with the “heavy lifting” of gardening tasks and hope to inspire these younger members to carry the Garden Club trowel/torch forward.

What I, as a District Director, struggle with is convincing clubs to change their by-laws, policies, and practices, and create flexibility and inclusion. I believe changes must occur to

accommodate the younger set of members. We also need to accommodate older members who cannot manage some of the tasks in gardening. Older members may find it difficult to get to many meetings, especially in the evenings and during inclement weather.

I see many of our clubs are getting the hang of bringing in new members. What we discussed

at the Spring Leadership Meeting was clubs need to have a strong on-boarding (new member orientation) to include membership responsibilities and opportunities. One suggestion was to prepare all members to serve on the board as part of their obligations. Members can do this taking an office as President, 1^st or 2^nd Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary or Member-at-Large. A Member-at-Large is one way to break in a new member to learn the administrative side of the Club. Being board members should be a shared team effort. Without these leaders, we do not have clubs.

The Fall District Meeting is coming up in October. Clubs will be coming off summer break and have only one month to plan their participation. It is a good idea to start asking your membership now to consider going to the Fall District Meeting and be ready to sign-up in September.

Now that I have rushed into fall, please remember to enjoy your summer, and keep us posted on your field trips, garden tours, plant sales, fund raising efforts, and anything else you consider important and worth sharing. You can do this by sending your information to Nita Campbell and she will list it on our D2B website. Also, if you send your information to me, I will put it on our Facebook page or mail to all the Club Presidents.

Carol Grainger

District 2B Director

IN THIS ISSUE -

Letter from the Director

Annual MGC Conference

Presidents Meeting Dates

Newsletter Help Wanted

Featured Club - The Garden Club of Greater Lansing and The Looking Glass Garde Club

Upcoming Events

Our Clubs & Presidents

Club News

Interest Groups

Featured MI Native Plant

4H Opportunities

D2B Resources

MGC Resources

NGC Resources

CRG Resources

PRESIDENTS’ MEETING SCHEDULE

4:45 – 5:45 PM Zoom

May17

June 21

July – None

August 16

Zoom Link click here

Passcode: D2Bmeets

Steering Committee

same dates as above, from 3:30 to 4:30

Newsletter Content Needed!

We want this newsletter to be a resource for our clubs by sharing what’s going on in our clubs. If you are the publicity, social media, or newsletter person for your club, you are a perfect fit.

Contact: Terry Such, Editor

2023 Michigan Garden Clubs Annual Conference June 6 &7

Deadline May 19, 2023

Tour Tickets: Must Pay for Garden Tour when Registering for Conference

NEXT DISTRICT 2B NEWSLETTER - JUNE- JULY - NEXT DEADLINE IS JULY 15TH, 2023

Submit content here please

Featured Clubs

Garden Club of Greater Lansing and

The Looking Glass Garden Club

The Looking Glass Garden Club, Inc. started in 2009. The charter Officers were mentored by the well-tuned and established leadership of the Grand Ledge Garden Club. The Looking Glass Garden Club organized and became a garden club with Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc., in 2009. This is the second Fall District meeting that the two clubs have hosted together. The Looking Glass Garden Club's location is nestled between both Grand Ledge Garden Club and DeWitt Millennium Garden Club. The Looking Glass Garden Club has carved out their own identity that has always been embraced by our sister garden clubs.

The Grand Ledge Garden Club, Inc. has a rich history as having and maintaining one of the most successful memorial tree planting programs in D2B and MGC. They are in partnership with Grand Ledge City and plant trees all over the parks and community spaces. They also have an established a Geranium Fundraising Sale every Spring. The Grand Ledge Garden Club have numerous community gardens and have MGC Consultants and Master Gardeners among their members.

SAVE THE DATE!

OCTOBER 4th

Upcoming Events 2023

MGC 2023 Flower Shows

July TBD, 2023 - Yesterday Year, in Meridian Township

July 28-29, 2023 - Victory Garden, in Lawrence by Lawrence Garden Club

September 9-10, 2023 - Celebrating Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, in Grand Rapids by Kent Garden Club and District 4 and West Michigan Flower Arrangers Guild

December 9, 2023 - Youth Flower Show, Okemos TBD

The Garden Walk Award is sponsored by the Michigan Consultants Council each year. Use the General MGC Award Application links below.

The deadline to submit the Award Application is October 1.

Our Clubs

District 2B of Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. has 13 clubs with over 650 members. We share the love of gardening, respect for our environment, a thirst for knowledge, and a willingness to share our expertise.

Meeting Days and Times click Club for more info

Brighton Michigan Garden Club - 2nd Thursday

DeWitt Millennium Garden Club - 2nd Thursday

Eaton Rapids Home & Garden Club

The Garden Club of Greater Lansing - 2nd Monday

Grand Ledge Garden Club - 4th Tuesday

Hartland Home & Garden Club - 2nd Wednesday

Howell Garden Club - 4th Wednesday

Looking Glass Garden Club, Wacousta - 1st Monday

Marshall Area Garden Club - 3rd Tuesday

Mason Sycamore Creek Garden Club - 1st Tuesday

Meridian Garden Club - 3rd Monday

Webberville Garden Club- 1st Wednesday

Williamston Red Cedar Garden Club - 2nd Monday

Presidents click name to email

Dionna Guy

Ronnie Dush & Dolly Cairns

Club News

Brighton Michigan Garden Club

Our April Speaker

Vince Ste Marie and his family practice environmentally responsible farming at their home, Windy Rock Farm, in Manchester, MI and were chemical-free beekeepers for ten years. In 2016 they opened an on-farm retail specialty nursery—Plants with Purpose—offering primarily Michigan native flowering trees, flowering shrubs, and perennial wildflowers of benefit to pollinators. https://windyrocknursery.com

How do seasonal bloom patterns provide just what pollinators need at critical stages throughout the year? Where do bees get the protein necessary to ensure successful early spring growth? These and many other questions were answered.

To see more of our upcoming speakers, events and

Newsletters - click here

DeWitt Millennium Garden Club

Read The Garden Post May Newsletter Click here

If you find a fawn, all curled up, and lying motionless don’t assume it needs your help, keep your distance and quickly evaluate the fawn’s condition. Fawns will…see more

Grand Ledge Garden Club

Hartland Garden Club

Hartland Home and Garden Club presents our annual Native Plant Sale! Hundreds of varieties of Michigan Natives delivered direct from the nursery, fresh that morning. East Michigan natives in Durand, MI is our supplier. Their plants are all grown at their Nursery. Owners and Master Gardeners will be available on site for consultation. Pre order by scanning the QR code and pick up on site

Howell Garden Club

Shares a members spring garden of Poppies!

Looking Glass Garden Club

Click to zoom

Marshall Area Garden Club

PLEASE NOTE: The Ticket/Information Booth will be in front of the Choose Marshall Welcome Center (323 West Michigan Avenue) during tour hours. Short-term parking will be available.

Mason Sycamore Creek Garden Club

Plant Sales

2023 Annual Plant Sale

All pre-ordered geraniums from our annual fundraiser were delivered to us on May 9th. Thanks to all for your help and patronage. See more pics here.

Meridian Garden Club

Read the Meridian Garden Club May Newsletter CLICK HERE

Williamston Red Cedar Garden Club

See our WRCGC May Newsletter Click here

WILLIAMSTON RED CEDAR GARDEN CLUB’S

SMOKEY BEAR & WOODSY OWL POSTER CONTEST

On May 7th we celebrated the winners of the Smokey Bear & Woodsy Owl Poster Contest. This national contest, sponsored locally by our garden club is under the umbrella of the National Garden Clubs and the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and encourages children in first through fifth grades to help convey Smokey Bear’s message of preventing wildfires and Woodsy Owl’s message of taking care of our land.

Every year we have winners from our area elementary schools on garden clubs, District, State, and sometimes national levels. This year our talented young people took first place in all five grade levels (again!) in the District and State. In June we’ll know if they won anything on the national level.

This year the winners are Lilly Johnson 1st gr, Willow Fox 2nd gr, Vivian Foote, 3rd gr, Raelyn Coole 4th gr, and Kallie Southwell 5th gr. All the winners were presented with District and Michigan Garden Clubs certificates and gift cards for $25 (District) and $50 (State). See more

Webberville Garden Club

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE AWARDS

Whether it is National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC), Central Region (CR), Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. (MGC), or Locally, Awards are a way to celebrate Garden Club excellence. Click bulleted text below to link to more information

Information

Special Awards

Award Categories

Achievements are recognized as well as the people behind them. Awards present an opportunity to shine both among Members and the community.

Join a D2B Interest Group!

Belonging to District 2B offers the opportunity to participate in any of our Interest Groups. These include Quilting, Photography, Youth Programs, Crafting and Floral Design. Other topics such as bees and butterflies or birds can be added as interest is expressed.

Each group is able to plan its own schedules, activities and interactions. There are no requirements for participation and no cost (except perhaps for materials for a specific project). You can participate as much or little as you like - but without signing up, you won’t know what’s happening! See the contact information below.

2B Crafters - Contact Deb Plichta, 517-242-6076

2B Designers - Contact Kathi Dominguez, 517-927-4665

2B Photographers - Contact Melinda Pope, melindappe56@me.com

2B Quilters - Contact Linda Mogyoros, 517-712-2622

2B Youth Gardeners - Currently inactive contact Carol Granger if interested in leading

D2B Crafters

Meets at Okemos Library ,4321 Okemos Rd

If you are interested in participating please contact Deb Plichta at debplichta@gmail.com or call

517-242-6076 See our past projects here

D2B Designers

meets four times a year, October, February, April and July

Unless otherwise specified, 2B Designers meetings will be held in the Meridian Township Fire Department community room, 5000 Okemos Road, Okemos. Join the mailing list contact Kathi Dominguez at 517-927-4665.

See our past projects here

D2B Photographers

Meeting time is 1:30 pm, the third Tuesday of each month at the Okemos Library, 4321 Okemos Road.

We come to this group with shared interests in photography, creativity, and the love of nature. Let’s have fun! Contact Melinda Pope at melindappe56@me.com See our past and upcoming events here

March 21 - Pet Photography, Diane Sanderson

April 18 - Reflections

May 16 - Skill Building/Photo Forum

D2B Quilters Circle

Meets second Thursday of the month at the Fire Station at the corner of Okemos Road and Central Park Place. Come join us for fun. Any Questions? Call Linda Mogyoros, 517-712-2622.

See what we've been up to here!

An Opportunity to Work with 4-H Youth

According to its website, https://4-h.org/ this familiar organization has existed for over 100 years and currently has an estimated six million young adults learning and helping in their respective communities. Its mission is “To give all young people access to opportunity.”

Types of 4‑H Programs: STEM, Agriculture, Healthy Living and Civic Engagement

4-H empowers youth with the skills for a lifetime. Our programs in science, healthy living and civic engagement are backed by a network of 100 public universities and a robust community of 4‑H volunteers and professionals. Through hands-on learning, kids build not only confidence, creativity, and curiosity, but also life skills such as leadership and resiliency to help them thrive today and tomorrow.

4‑H programs and resources are available AT

HOME or through local in-person and virtual 4‑H

clubs, 4‑H camps, in-school and after-school programs. With the support of adult mentors, youth select from a menu of hands-on project ideas to complete. 4‑H programs are available for kids and teens ages 8-18. 4‑H Cloverbud programs are available for kids ages 5-7.

Currently, the 4-H coordinator in Ingham County is asking District 2B garden clubs to share their gardening expertise.

Along with the 4-H organization, garden club members can submit their projects to be added to a list of opportunities for children to participate. This is a unique opportunity where multiple clubs could join together to teach those subjects it feels most comfortable with. It could also be a possible MGC award-winning project as it showcases our clubs working in collaboration with each other to provide education for our youth.

Contact either of these following offices, if you would like to learn more about how your club can collaborate with Michigan 4-H.

Michigan State Office

MSU 446 W. Circle Drive

East Lansing, MI 48824

Phone: (517) 884-7088

Nicolas Adkins, Children & Youth Programs

adkinsn1@msu.edu

517-432-7619

Fun and Fact Websites Click to visit

Featured Native Plant By Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

I was intrigued by this plant when I bought it, thinking that obedient meant that it would stay where I planted it. NOT! After some research, I found out that it got its common name because if you push an individual flower to the left or right, it will stay where you push it to. In reality, this plant is anything but obedient when it comes to spreading by rhizome.

With that being said, I love the flowers…and it puts on quite a show of beautiful pink flowers when it is in bloom. It is also attractive to a variety of bees, wasps, beetles, flies and some butterflies…even yellow jackets.

MGC

Thru The Garden Gate Spring 2023

Wildflower Association of Michigan

Our mission is to encourage the preservation and restoration of Michigan's native plants and native plant communities . You can become a member here.

We are rebuilding our Facebook presence for District 2B. We are starting with a page that all clubs are invited to post your activity too. Please click below and like the page as a club and individually. Thanks! Like us here.

District Resources

Steering Committee 2022-2023

We look forward to working together to help make the most of your

Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. membership.

Carol Grainger, District Director, district2b@migardenclubs.org

Ronnie Polad, District Treasurer, rpolad@gmail.com, 517-896-4442

Jolanta Piecuch, Awards/Grants/Scholarships, jolantapiecuch@yahoo.com, 517-655-9869

Margaret (Ann) Schoals, Events/Member Services, bathien@frontier.com, 517-281-1101

Nita Campbell, Website, nitacprn@comcast.net

Lynn O'Shaughnessy, Facebook, freespirit@pleurothallids.com

Terry Such, Newsletter, terry.such@gmail.com

Michigan Resources

MGC is a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC) and the Central Region Garden Clubs, (CR), and is a supporter of The Wildflower Association of Michigan and a partner of HOMEGROWN NATIONAL PARK.

MGC Private Facebook Groups

These are private groups – you will need to request to join.

Private - Only members can see who's in the group and what they post.

This is a place for Michigan Garden Club members to connect with members across the state who share similar interests.

Michigan Garden Clubs Artistic Crafts Group

Michigan Garden Clubs Floral Design Group

Michigan Garden Clubs Photography Group

Michigan Garden Clubs Edibles Group

Michigan Garden Clubs Growing Native Plants Group

Michigan Garden Clubs Horticulture/Arboriculture Group

Michigan Garden Clubs Black Swallowtail Group

Michigan Garden Clubs Container Gardening

MGC Friday Morning Member Meetings

Library of Recorded Content

Go to MGC website -www.michigangardenclubs.org
Sign in username: “member” and password “mgcgrow”
It is under Morning Member Meetings -drop down menu
Select Monday/Friday Morning Meeting Folder
Select and open 2022 Meetings Folder
Select and open 1-21-2022 Fill In The Blanks Folder
Open: Recording: GMT20220121-150213_Recording

MGC Member Meeting

10-11 AM

Zoom (link here)

These meetings cover a broad range of topics and are held on Zoom the First and Third Fridays of every month.

The meetings start at 10:00. Go to the Michigan Garden Clubs website "Member Area" to attend.

Regional and National Resources

Please note the website address change for Central Region

The new CR website address is: ngccentralregion.com

Click here to read the Spring 2023 Newsletter

The CENTRAL REGION GARDEN CLUBS, INC.

NGC Schools

Gardening 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 approximately six months apart that can be taken in any order. Each course inc.. read more

Helping members become accomplished environmental consultants. Helping others engage in environmental education. CLICK TO FIND A SPECIFIC COURSE

View the Spring 2023 Issue of The National Gardener Here!

Get on the map!

THE MAP is an interactive community-based visual that will show each person’s contribution to planting native by State, County and Zip Code. Click here to get on the map to add your garden.

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