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Kalamazoo Garden Council

Enhancing Our Environment

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  • Garden Gifts & Tools
    • Pruners & Loppers
    • Gardening Tools
    • Specialty Merchandise
    • General Information-Tools
    • Shipping Information
    • My Account
    • Contact Information
  • Member Clubs
    • Burke View Garden Club (BV)
    • Chula Vista Garden Club (CV)
    • Gardenettes Garden Club (GA)
    • Grow and Show Garden Club (GS)
    • Kalamazoo Garden Club (KA)
    • Landscapers Garden Club (LA)
    • Petal Pushers Garden Club (PP)
    • Western Hills Garden Club (WH)
    • Westwood Garden Club (WW)
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  • Home
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    • History
    • Goals and Objectives
    • Board Members
    • Committees and Liaisons
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    • Lifetime Achievement, Consultants and Flower Show Judges
    • Past Presidents
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Kalamazoo Garden Club (KA)

Welcome Members and Guests

We hope you enjoy your visit to our web page. Guests, if you are interested in becoming a member, please go to the home page of this website by clicking on the pink and green logo above. Under the Contact tab, select Member Inquiry, and complete the brief form. Our membership chair will contact you, answer your questions, and explain the simple process for becoming a member.  We welcome your interest, and hope you will find our club stimulating and enjoyable, regardless of your gardening experience.

OUR PURPOSE

To stimulate and further the interest of horticulture, landscape design and flower arranging.  We also encourage conservation and protection of all natural resources.  It is our objective to promote the Kalamazoo Garden Council and the Michigan Garden Clubs. We have a long tradition as a garden club and the advantages of belonging are both educational and social as well as being part of a larger organization.


A MESSAGE
FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Serving as president of Kalamazoo Garden Club has been more of a joy than I ever expected. What a wonderful group of people this organization has. I am continuously amazed at the amount of talent, wised, and delightful personalities that make up our membership. In spite of the challenges we faced these past months, we had a great year. Our programs were interesting, our members were involved, and we persevered, and we did as much as possible for our members and our community. – Mary Verleger


OFFICERS

  • President:  Mary Verleger
  • 1st Vice-President:  Donna Robinson
  • 2nd Vice-President:  Betty Ferrence
  • Recording Secretary:  Chris Morgan
  • Corresponding Secretary:  Gail Hadley
  • Treasurer: Sue Conat
  • Nominations:  Jan Keys
  • Council Director: Phyllis Straw

Our meetings are typically held at 12:30 PM on the 2nd Friday of the month.  The location varies depending on our program.  Typically, a short business meeting is followed by an interesting speaker or a workshop.  A seasonal centerpiece and light refreshments are arranged by a host committee and club members enthusiastically share their gardening knowledge and their friendship.  There are also a number of events throughout the year that you can participate in according to your interest and available time.  All of these events are terrific opportunities to have fun, meet talented fellow gardeners, increase your knowledge of gardening, and provide valued community service.

Fiscal Year: July through June

Dues are $30 and also included membership in Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc., and National Garden Clubs, Inc.


COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

  • Planting seasonal container gardens at the Hospital Hospitality House.
  • Floral arrangements presented to individuals and organizations.
  • Annual Spring Plants and More Sale
  • Annual President’s Project
  • People’s Choice Award at a local flower show
  • Active participants in the Kalamazoo Garden Council Annual Greens Sale
  • Active participation in the Kalamazoo Garden Council biennial Standard Flower Show.
  • Maintaining the Welcome to Kalamazoo Northside Neighborhood sign planting area.

Our award winning yearbook outlines our monthly programs, includes a photo and contact information for our membership, and contains all the information a member might need throughout the year.

Upcoming Monthly Meetings

Friday, May 13, 2022 Our Annual Plants and More Sale

Our annual fundraiser event – open to the public!

Friday, June 10, 2022 Annual Luncheon

Luncheon and a recap of the efforts and enjoyments of the past year.

A look back at some of our previous meetings

Interpreting Art with Flowers March 11-13, 2022

Five teams of members were led by our expert designers in interpreting a work of art by a local Kalamazoo artist. The exhibiy was displayed over the weekend at Martell’s restaurant.

Holiday Tea

Our annual Holiday Tea held at the home of one of our members is a special occasion. This year we were treated to a fabulous setting in a historical home complete with delicious treats and a festive atmosphere to celebrate the season and each other.

Ikebana and Our Annual Guest Day Luncheon November 12, 2022

Kalamazoo Country Club was the setting for our Annual guest Day Luncheon where we had a fascinating demonstration on the on art of Ikebana floral arranging. Members, guests, and several potential new members enjoyed a wonderful afternoon complete with a delicious Boonzaaijer cake for dessert!

Floral Arrangements for the Small Tabletop October 8, 2022

Two of our top floral designers led a workshop on the mechanics and special considerations needed to create a smaller scale arrangement. We donated all the beautiful results to Rose Arbor.

Butterflies in your Garden September 10, 2022

We met at the home of a member who lives on Fisher Lake for an lovely afternoon learning how to attract and protect the habitat of our native butterflies.

Hosta Garden Tour August 13

We took a leisurely and enjoyable stroll through the grounds of a private residence with over 350 varieties of hostas. The creative ways the owners incorporated local outdoor art into the many garden areas was wonderful!

Annual Luncheon June 11, 2021

We swapped garden treasures, recounted our past year, and celebrated our friendship and gardening accomplishments – both in the community and our own back yards.

Annual Plants and More Sale May 14, 2021

How thrilled we were to finally meet in person again, most of us fully vaccinated, to prepare for our Annual Plants and More Sale. Our most important fundraiser, the plant sale raises the money we use for our superb monthly programs, and for generous donations we make to several area local organizations. This year the plant sale was a resounding success and our membership is ready to start getting back to normal with in-person meetings.

In “normal times” there is an interesting program, speaker or tour on a variety of gardening related topics at our monthly meetings. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have missed these valued experiences and look forward to resuming them soon.

Meanwhile we planned some creative ways to stay connected including a pen-pal project and sharing photos of our gardens in a slideshow which we enjoyed via Zoom.

How to Fashion Fresh Greens for the Holidays!

In a two-part series via Zoom, one of our members demonstrated how to make a fresh greens arrangement
during our November meeting this year. Click on the video above for a peek!

Annual Guest Luncheon November 9, 2019

We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at the Kalamazoo Country Club during our annual Guest Luncheon. Member Sharon Ridge Yantis gave us many tips and fascinated us with her beautiful seasonal arrangements – created on the spot! And we welcomed four new members with a delicious Boonzaaijer cake for dessert.

Table Artistry October 11, 2019

We had great fun during our table artistry program on October 11, 2019. Six teams of members and two independent judges made for a valuable learning opportunity for all!


Annual Luncheon

We celebrated our achievements and enjoyed lunch at the Park Club on Friday, June 14, 2019.


Kalamazoo Garden Club Members Attend the Kalamazoo Garden Council Annual Meeting on June 11, 2019

KA Garden Club Plants a Garden under the New Council House Sign


Our Annual
Plants and More Sale

Friday, May 10, 2019

We had a great selection of perennials for sun and shade direct from our members’ gardens!  We also had planted annual pots, herbs and fresh floral arrangements for Mother’s Day. Our tent featured garden crafts and items for both indoors and out.


Saturday, April 13th, members prepared garden art and crafts for the Annual Plants and More Sale:


April 12, 2019 – Pressed Flowers

Kalamazoo Garden Council House

What fun we had learning about pressed flowers from a fellow Council member. Even better was taking home a few beautiful examples we made ourselves.


March 8, 2019 – Vandersalm’s Garden Center

VanderSalm’s provided an interesting and informative program on Shade Gardens, and the best part was learning that all the plants featured in the presentation are available at the Garden Center!


January 11, 2019 – Wedel’s Garden Center

Wedel’s provided an informative and entertaining presentation on succulents.  We learned how to pot them, water them, feed them, and not kill them!  A brief business meeting, delicious snacks and the friendship of those who love gardening made for a delightful January afternoon.


November 9, 2018 – Kalamazoo Country Club

Our Annual Guest Day Luncheon was highlighted by a fresh flower arranging presentation by the talented and entertaining Dorothy Hockmuth.  Afterward, Dorothy’s beautiful creations were auctioned off and a few lucky members and guests went home with a fabulous seasonal arrangement.


October 12, 2018 – Monarch Butterflies

Our program featured the Monarch Butterfly.  We learned interesting background information and valuable updates about this important species – our state butterfly.  A great time with garden friends!


September, 2018 – Kellogg Bird Sanctuary

We visited the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary (now celebrating 90 years) and learned about the importance of planting pollinator gardens and native species.


August, 2018 – Raising Hops

One of our new members hosted our club at her home where she showed us what is involved in raising hops for her husband’s craft beer hobby.  Of course we were invited to a sample after the tour!


July, 2018 – WMU Gibbs House

The Italianate home on Parkview Ave is part of a gardening sustainability project for edible and native plants conducted by WMU students.  Our tour guide was the leader of the project, Dan Bair.  We saw hoop houses, a food forest and and a variety of interesting planting areas.


CLUB HISTORY

Organized in 1928 — Federated in 1934

In 1928, there were three garden clubs in Kalamazoo, comprised of men and women. The men worked in the garden and the women acted as hostesses.  However, women could spade, hoe and rake too, so on June 22, 1928, seven women with a common interest in flower gardening and beautifying the city, banded together and formed a new club created exclusively for women.

This new club was called “The Kalamazoo Unit of the Women’s National Farm and Garden Association”.  They met twice a month and dues were $2 a year.  The club grew slowly (15 members in 1929) and was the smallest Garden Club in the city through the 20’s and 30’s.

The club was first federated in 1934 and the name was changed several time before finally establishing the name of Kalamazoo Garden Club, in 1950. In 2003, Kalamazoo Garden Club celebrated its 75th birthday with a big garden party.

Early fund raising events included bridge parties; quilt raffles and finally guest day luncheons with popular speakers.  Today plant sales and auctions of  garden related sales and silent auctions help fund a wide variety of programs and speakers.

The club also plants trees in local parks.  Members of the Kalamazoo Garden Club have long been active in beautifying the Kalamazoo community.  Currently members work in the garden of Hospital Hospitality House bringing beauty and serenity to those staying there while their family member is in the hospital. Our latest project, begun in Spring of 2021 is the revamping and maintenance of the Welcome to Kalamazoo Northside Neighborhood sign planting area. We are proud to be helping this under-served neighborhood look it’s best!

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Kalamazoo Garden Council

5333 N. Westnedge
Kalamazoo, MI 49004
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Upcoming Events

May
19
Thu
2022
9:00 am Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
May 19 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
Petal Pushers Plant Sale Thursday, May 19 9am-3pm & 6-9pm and Friday, May 20, 9am-3pm 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage Herbs, annuals, perennials, ground cover, shrubs and trees
6:00 pm Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
May 19 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
Petal Pushers Plant Sale Thursday, May 19 9am-3pm & 6-9pm and Friday, May 20, 9am-3pm 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage Herbs, annuals, perennials, ground cover, shrubs and trees
May
20
Fri
2022
9:00 am Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
May 20 @ 9:00 am – 9:15 am
Plant Sale @ 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage
Petal Pushers Plant Sale Thursday, May 19 9am-3pm & 6-9pm and Friday, May 20, 9am-3pm 1515 Dogwood Drive, Portage Herbs, annuals, perennials, ground cover, shrubs and trees
May
21
Sat
2022
9:00 am Spring Plant & Baked Goods Sale @ Otsego City Farmer’s Market
Spring Plant & Baked Goods Sale @ Otsego City Farmer’s Market
May 21 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Spring Plant & Baked Goods Sale @ Otsego City Farmer’s Market
Chula Vista Garden Club Spring Plant & Baked Goods Sale Saturday, May 21, 9am-2pm, Otsego City Farmer’s Market, Corner of M-89 and Kalamazoo Street. Annuals, perennials. tomato plants and tree seedlings.
May
22
Sun
2022
9:00 am Flower Show @ Wedel's Garden Center
Flower Show @ Wedel's Garden Center
May 22 @ 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Flower Show @ Wedel's Garden Center
More Information Coming Soon
Jun
11
Sat
2022
10:00 am 2022 Annual Meeting @ Markin Glen Park
2022 Annual Meeting @ Markin Glen Park
Jun 11 @ 10:00 am – 3:30 pm
2022 Annual Meeting @ Markin Glen Park
Our annual Kalamazoo Garden Council Annual Meeting will be held at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation Pavilion in Markin Glen Park, located in the area behind the Council House on Tuesday, June 14th at 10:00 am. …
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Affiliations

  • National Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • Central Region – NGC
  • Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • National Garden Clubs, Inc.
  • Central Region – NGC
  • Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc.

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