History of Kalamazoo Garden Council

Updated by Kathy Kienle, 2025

In the 1940s, groups of enthusiastic gardeners, horticulturists, flower arrangers, and friends had formed various garden clubs around the Greater Kalamazoo area. In 1946, ten of these clubs organized the Kalamazoo Garden Council (KGC) to hold an annual flower show, as flower shows in Kalamazoo had been disrupted by WWII.

The first meeting of KGC was held on February 27, 1946. City Parks Commissioner and Assistant City Manager, Leroy Gilbert, Hazel Kautenberg (an accredited flower show judge and Kalamazoo County Victory Garden Chair), Charles Finley, representatives from nine garden clubs, and Hazel Wirick were present. These nine charter clubs of KGC were:

Handwritten minutes, probably by Hazel Wirick, read, “A week ago tonight a few of us met here to see what the possibilities might be for having a community flower show for this and coming years. It is the hope of this group to work toward the building and maintaining of a Kalamazoo garden center through the flower shows and by bringing nationally known speakers to our community.” The group decided that with such a large undertaking, all horticulturally minded people in Kalamazoo should be asked to participate.

Hazel Kautenberg agreed to assume the first presidency of Kalamazoo Garden Council (1946-1949), whose goals would be to promote annual flower shows, to bring national speakers to the community, to improve local landscaping, and to encourage studies related to horticulture and flower arranging. Other citizens and garden club members became involved, and the membership grew steadily during the following years. Within 10 years, KGC grew to 17 clubs, and by 1970, there were about 22 clubs.

In 1952, six years after the death of gardening enthusiast Blanche Babcock, Blanche’s nieces donated her home at 616 Locust Street to the City of Kalamazoo. KGC took possession of the residence for their use exclusively for meetings and events and named it Lilac Cottage. A large portion of the gardening books currently in the KGC library were Miss Babcock’s books, so the library bears her name. The library has been expanded over the years to include thousands of books. It is thought to be one of the largest private collections of gardening, horticulture, and landscaping resources in Michigan.

By 1971, the KGC had outgrown Lilac Cottage, and the City of Kalamazoo offered the use of the former home of Morris Markin, founder of Checker Motors, for KGC activities. The space included the first floor and basement of the Markin house at the newly established Maple Glen Park. The House continues to be the hub of KGC meetings and projects.

KGC donated Lilac bushes to the City of Kalamazoo to be planted around the city, including Crane Park, Crosstown Parkway, and Riverside Drive. KGC raised funds for the landscaping around the Interfaith Chapel at the State Hospital and the Five Senses Garden at the Kennedy Center on Oakland Drive. More trees were planted at Crosstown Parkway, Riverview Dr, Mt Olivet Road, the Nature Center, the Delano Homestead, and Bronson Park. In 1968, trees were planted throughout Kalamazoo to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1918 City Charter.

Plans for annual flower shows continued to be the aim of KGC, and KGC held classes in many areas of expertise, including flower arranging and horticultural programs. Anyone completing the multi-course study successfully becomes an accredited judge. Courses in Gardening, Landscape Design, and Environmental Studies have been held. KGC promotes these schools and encourages all club members to share their knowledge. KGC reimburses member registration fees for the first course attended for each school.

In 1997, the Miriam Arend Memorial Endowment was established by her family in memory of the past KGC President who passed away in 1995. The revenue from the endowment is restricted for defraying costs for KGC members who attend MGC state meetings.

The Louise Adams Community Beautification Award was established in 2014 and named in honor of the past KGC president in 2015. Up to $200/fiscal year is awarded to any KGC club to reimburse community garden expenses.

National Garden Clubs, Inc., Blue Star Memorials are dedicated in memory of those who have served our country, and Gold Star Memorials are dedicated to those who have died in service of our country. Landscapers Garden Club dedicated a Blue Star Memorial at the Portage Library in 2009. Chula Vista Garden Club installed another in Otsego and Plainwell in 2015. The Veterans Memorial at Riverside Cemetery on Gull Road in Kalamazoo was renovated by Westwood Garden Club and dedicated as a Blue Star Memorial in 2015. Landscapers Garden Club and Petal Pushers Garden Club established a Gold Star Memorial at the AirZoo in 2021.

Kalamazoo Garden Council sells ergonomic tools at KGC and community events and on the KGC website to Michigan residents. A new KGC Tribute Fund, launched in 2018, accepts donations in recognition of members and clubs, and this fund supports landscaping activities at the Council House.

The Annual Holiday Greens Sale, a major fundraiser for KGC, began in 1954. Members create holiday gifts, evergreen swags, and fresh evergreen arrangements, among many other hand-crafted items. Fresh wreaths and roping are sold. This fundraiser is held on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Kalamazoo Garden Council continues to support many garden, ecology, environment, landscape, and flower-related local events. The clubs provide thousands of volunteer hours to support our organization, and KGC appreciates all the contributions of its member clubs.