Enhancing Our Environment

About the Hazel Wirick Scholarship

An annual scholarship is underwritten by Kalamazoo Garden Council, Inc., in memory of founder and past president, Hazel Wirick, and awarded by Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc., to  Western Michigan University to support a student selected by the university in the field of botany, biology, environmental studies or other related subjects.  Michigan Garden Clubs awards scholarships …

Thank you from Hazel Wirick Scholarship Recipient

I would like to offer you and the Michigan Garden Club my wholehearted gratitude for my selection to receive the Hazel Wirick Scholarship this year. As everyone knows quite well by now, this year has been very tough for us all. For me specifically, having to delay my research (i.e., my graduation date), coupled with uncertainties about …

Asian Jumping Worms

Jan Keys, our Horticulture Chairman, warned us to be aware of Asian Jumping Worms that could be in our gardens. They are lighter in color than familiar earthworms, have a band that goes around their body and they are very, almost hyperactive compared to regular earthworms. Unfortunately, they are incredibly invasive and destructive. They will …

Spring Blooming Shrubs

Excerpt from GardenGate.com by Garden Gate Staff Shrubs add color and structure to any bed or border — especially in spring. And they’re a great choice if you don’t have a lot of room in your yard but still want the height and architectural interest a tree provides. Even though many spring-blooming shrubs put on …

Tri-Refresher, June 5, Lansing

I would like to encourage all club members to consider attending this Tri-Refresher associated with the MGC state meeting in June.  The price is right and the opportunity for education fantastic.  Jeanette Meyer, President KGC

Three Surprising Solutions to Climate Change

August Environment Report by Denise Clegg In a June 2019 article in Forbes Magazine with the above name, author Jeff McMahon discusses three unusual ways to affect climate change. His source is Project Drawdown a world-class research and communication organization which serves as a non-partisan, noncommercial, highly trusted source of solutions to reverse global warming. …

What can we do to preserve pollinators?

According to the website http://metroparent.com there are some rather easy actions that we can take to preserve pollinators in our gardens. Stop buying plants pretreated with neonicotinoids. Treated pants are primarily sold at big box stores. These insecticides are sprayed onto seeds and are effective for up to 10 weeks. They were seen as less …