MGAWC has in-person meetings April-June and September-November

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time at the Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC), UM-Dearborn

7:30-8:00 pm Announcements

8:00-9:00 pm Mushrooms Are Awesome, and You Should Love Them!

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PARKING STRUCTURE IS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION

Park in lot C

Dr. Susko’s mushroom garden at the EIC is no longer in operation, but naturalist Mike Solomon has been incorporating fungi into his home garden and will share his enthusiasm on the subject.

In a straight from the heart talk, Mike will discuss some of the adaptations of fungi that particularly interest him, explain a bit about their role in the environment “trading” nutrients around, share some basic mushroom ID tips, and offer a couple of book recommendations. If weather allows, those who are interested can take a short walk to look for mushrooms in the Environmental Study Area.

Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) staff member Mike Solomon is a 2023 graduate of University of Michigan-Dearborn, with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies (Naturalist Concentration). Now Mike leads field trips, plans and develops programs, assists with the stewardship of the Environmental Study Area, and does outreach for the University and the EIC.  He is a Certified Interpretive Guide, a Michigan Naturalist through the Michigan State Extension program, and a Sandy McBeath Outstanding Interpreter. Mike spends much of his free time outdoors, hiking, fishing, foraging and exploring. He also enjoys playing video games, and listening to music.

His latest recognition came from the National Association for Interpretation Great Lakes Region, as the 2025 recipient of the Sandy McBeath Outstanding Part-time/Seasonal Interpreter, presented at the recent regional interpretive workshop held at Hueston Woods State Park in College Corner, Ohio.

EIC alumni Griffin Bray, Program Assistant Dale Browne (last year’s recipient of "the McBeath"), and EIC’s Dorothy McLeer nominated Mike for this award, with support from other EIC colleagues.

Get involved. Learn about MGAWC and community projects. Find ways to help.

Seeking individuals or a team to handle various Volunteer Engagement activities such as:

• Follow up with enthusiastic recruits and build on their interests

• Contact people interested in various areas and get them connected to the right person or activity

  • Refer those interested in Stewardship Saturdays to Marion and send them a reminder email before the third Saturday

  • Find out who wants to invite members to their gardens for a garden walk in July or August and then organize and publicize the event

  • Invite people interested in the newsletter to write an article and send it to Nancy

  • Determine who is interested in organizing a field trip for the members

  • Invite people to attend a board meeting to get involved and stay involved

• Follow up with non-member guests at monthly meetings and invite them to become members, send them a reminder about a few upcoming meetings to see if they return

• Keep a lookout for regularly attending members who stop showing up at meetings and send a card or make a call to let them know they were missed

• Prepare an up-to-date membership directory

• Interview members and write short articles for the GrowInfo newsletter

• Seek out new members and introduce them to the group

Contact board@mgawc.org to learn more

Most years, the board usually meets the first Thursday of the month, September through June, starting at 7 or 7:30 PM.

https://umdearborn.edu/eic/involved/stewardshipdays.html

MGAWC resumes in-person meetings in April

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 pm Announcements

8:00-9:00 pm Science Update for Gardeners

Dean Krauskopf, Ph.D., retired host of The Gardening Show on News/Talk 760 WJR, will put weather conditions into a broader context, share the latest information about the top problems he expects gardeners to deal with this year, and provide links to accurate information you might use or pass on to others. He will also answer your gardening questions.

Dean retired from MSU as the Integrated Crop Management Agent for Southeastern Michigan. He taught many Master Gardener training classes, often spoke at Growing with Master Gardeners, and is the inspiration for MGAWC's Dean Krauskopf Award for volunteer contributions to community education. His doctorate in horticulture is from North Carolina State University.

Get involved. Learn about MGAWC and community projects. Find ways to help.

Participate in person at the U of M-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) or participate in a conference call

Seeking individuals or a team to handle various Volunteer Engagement activities such as:

• Follow up with enthusiastic recruits and build on their interests

• Contact people interested in various areas and get them connected to the right person or activity

  • Refer those interested in Stewardship Saturdays to Marion and send them a reminder email before the third Saturday

  • Find out who wants to invite members to their gardens for a garden walk in July or August and then organize and publicize the event

  • Invite people interested in the newsletter to write an article and send it to Nancy

  • Determine who is interested in organizing a field trip for the members

  • Invite people to attend a board meeting to get involved and stay involved

• Follow up with non-member guests at monthly meetings and invite them to become members, send them a reminder about a few upcoming meetings to see if they return

• Keep a lookout for regularly attending members who stop showing up at meetings and send a card or make a call to let them know they were missed

• Prepare an up-to-date membership directory

• Interview members and write short articles for the GrowInfo newsletter

• Seek out new members and introduce them to the group

Contact board@mgawc.org to learn more

Most years, the board usually meets the first Thursday of the month, September through June, starting at 7 or 7:30 PM.

https://umdearborn.edu/eic/involved/stewardshipdays.html

7:20-7:30 PM Optional early login

7:30-7:45 PM Actual start at 7:30 PM with announcements

7:45-8:45 PM Legacy Garden

Join MGAWC members on Zoom for Janet Macunovich & Steven Nikkila’s newly developed presentation on Gardening Legacy.

Gardens can outlast their gardeners. People who move away or retire from a garden often hope the gardens live on. We will look at how we can improve the chances that what we have created may grow on.

The 8-page handout is at legacyho2025.pdf.

Janet and Steve have organized a lifetime of articles, photographs, guides, illustrations, and webinars on Garden A to Z, Garden A to Z | Gardening tips, landscaping ideas, choosing plants, garden solutions, an amazing local resource for unbiased gardening knowledge. They are not affiliated with any brand name products. They are gardeners who love all things gardening, especially helping other gardeners enjoy gardening, and be more successful at it.

Now is the perfect time to sign up for a year of monthly Garden A to Z webinars, often the first Saturday of the month, 8:30-10 AM. If you cannot attend at that day or time, Garden A to Z sends a link to the recording. Here’s the 2025-2026 season schedule and topics:  Garden A to Z | Webinars. 

The season starts April 12 with Lesser-Known Native Plants for the Landscape including Pierre Bennerup, perennial grower with Sunny Border Nursery. Subscription details are at Garden A to Z | Subscribe to Webinars.

Get involved. Learn about MGAWC and community projects. Find ways to help.

Participate in person at the U of M-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) or participate in a conference call

Seeking individuals or a team to handle various Volunteer Engagement activities such as:

• Follow up with enthusiastic recruits and build on their interests

• Contact people interested in various areas and get them connected to the right person or activity

  • Refer those interested in Stewardship Saturdays to Marion and send them a reminder email before the third Saturday

  • Find out who wants to invite members to their gardens for a garden walk in July or August and then organize and publicize the event

  • Invite people interested in the newsletter to write an article and send it to Nancy

  • Determine who is interested in organizing a field trip for the members

  • Invite people to attend a board meeting to get involved and stay involved

• Follow up with non-member guests at monthly meetings and invite them to become members, send them a reminder about a few upcoming meetings to see if they return

• Keep a lookout for regularly attending members who stop showing up at meetings and send a card or make a call to let them know they were missed

• Prepare an up-to-date membership directory

• Interview members and write short articles for the GrowInfo newsletter

• Seek out new members and introduce them to the group

Contact board@mgawc.org to learn more

Most years, the board usually meets the first Thursday of the month, September through June, starting at 7 or 7:30 PM.

https://umdearborn.edu/eic/involved/stewardshipdays.html

7:20-7:30 PM Optional early login

7:30-7:45 PM Actual start at 7:30 PM with announcements

7:45-8:45 PM Learning from the Past: A Professional Gardener Shares Lessons

 Reminder:  MGAWC meets on Zoom in January, February and March.

HANDOUT: LEARNING FROM THE PAST by Gail Morrell, Professional Gardener  —

Professional gardener Gail Morrell will return with observations, ideas and lessons learned from years of gardening. A lifelong learner, she enjoys finding out new things about plants, pests, and tools. Building on her extensive knowledge of gardening, Gail looks forward to sharing insights on problems to avoid, things to try and successes to build on. She provides practical tips and suggestions for best results in the garden.

Enthusiastic about garden maintenance, Gail became a Master Gardener in 1991 and then established her own garden maintenance company. After many years managing the grounds of a gated community, Gail returned to her roots and continues to work as the head gardener on several estates in Bloomfield Hills. She was an instructor and Practical Gardening Trainer at the Michigan School of Gardening and a past president of the Troy Garden Club and Association of Professional Gardeners. Gail loves her time in the garden and sharing experiences with plants and nature.

7:20-7:30 PM Optional early login

7:30-7:45 PM Actual start at 7:30 PM with announcements

7:45-8:45 PM Garden for Wildlife: How to Certify Your Yard for the National Wildlife Federation

From a small suburban yard, or container garden on a balcony, to a multiacre parcel of land, people everywhere are having fun, and finding joy, right outside their window by creating a welcome haven for wildlife. This one hour program will show you how easy it can be to provide the essentials: food, water, cover, and a place to raise young in order to off-set habitat loss for birds, bees, butterflies and more.

You will also be introduced to the concept of “homegrown national parks”, a grassroots effort to regenerate biodiversity in our corner of the planet. Everyone who attends and provides an email address will be sent a FREE resource guide.

A naturalist and educator for almost 20 years, Laurel Zoet has worked for the Michigan DNR, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation, and non-profit nature centers. In 2013 she started her freelance nature education business, Nature on the GO! LLC, to travel throughout the state of Michigan teaching about Michigan wildlife and ecology at schools, libraries, scout troops, and senior living facilities. In March of 2017, Laurel and her husband Mitch opened the Wild Birds Unlimited nature shop at the Green Oak Village Place Mall in Brighton, Michigan, as a way to connect people to nature through the hobby of backyard bird feeding. Laurel teaches in-store nature education programs every month while also offering community outreach programs to local garden clubs, churches, libraries, Audubon groups, and more.

When teaching outreach programs, Laurel donates her speaker fee towards funding Wild Bird’s Unlimited “Ornitherapy” and “Birds in the Schoolyard” programs which provide bird feeding stations, and bird food, to local senior living facilities, other care facilities, and classroom teachers so they can connect their students to nature right outside their classroom window.

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 PM Announcements

8:00-9:00 PM MGAWC favorite, Kyle Kandilian returns with a new topic to share with MGAWC members: Uncommon Permaculture Plants, Native & Non-Native

Currently, MGAWC members meet in-person at the Environmental Interpretive Center on The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus April-June and September-November. MGAWC meets on Zoom January-March.

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 PM Announcements

8:00-9:00 PM Houseplant Presentation by Peter Sheardy, Midwest & Western territory manager at The Plant Company, The Plant Company – innovative, high-quality houseplants & leafjoy ®Houseplants - Bring Nature Inside | Proven Winners

Proven Winners introduces leafjoy houseplant collection - Garden Center (gardencentermag.com)

Currently, MGAWC members meet in-person at the Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) on The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus April-June and September-November. MGAWC meets on Zoom January-March.

Directions to EIC at Monthly Meetings — (mgawc.org)

Zoom links sent to MGAWC members before January, February & March meetings

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 PM Announcements

8:00-9:00 PM Nature Journaling for Gardeners

Journaling about nature can be a fun and creative way to spark curiosity and improve your observational skills. Explore how nature journaling can also be an added benefit to your annual record-keeping by prompting you to observe your garden more closely, track seasonal changes and interactions, and make comparisons over the years.

Karen Gourlay will cover ways to record observations, types of journals and supplies, and different styles used by other journalers. She’ll share resources, sample journals, and places to find more information.

MGAWC members and guests are encouraged to bring their own journals or notebooks. There will be paper, pens, etc. for those who need them to do a warm-up exercise.

Please consider bringing a small item from your garden or nature (seedhead, conifer cone, stone, bark, flower, leaf, etc.) that might be used to practice journaling at the end, if there is time.

• Free Download! Your Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling — Wild Wonder Foundation

• Nature Journaling: Get started and grow! • John Muir Laws

Currently, MGAWC members meet in-person at the Environmental Interpretive Center on The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus April-June and September-November. MGAWC meets on Zoom January-March.

Returning to the Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) on The University of Michigan Dearborn campus

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 pm Announcements

8:00-9:00 pm Native Plants & Detroit Wildflower Nursery, www.detroitwildflowernursery.com

Founder and co-owner of Detroit Wildflower Nursery (with his dog Mako), Mitchell Swindell grows and sells native plants of Michigan and the Great Lakes region. When we return to in-person meetings in April, Mitchell will talk about native plants, the nursery, plant recommendations and installation best practices.

As his interest in native plants grew, Mitchell wondered why was it so hard it was to buy weeds. Now he has on online business and hosts shoppers by appointment at his home on an acre in Farmington Hills, southeast of Orchard Lake and 12 Mile. The 2024 season runs May 4 to October 27 with weekday appointments during lunch and 5-8 PM and weekend appointments between 9 AM and 1 PM.

For Mitchell, gardening with native plants is more than just gardening. It's about creating habitat and restoring balance. The Detroit Wildflower Nursery website, www.detroitwildflowernursery.com, helps gardeners shop by categories: pollinator favorites, host plants, edible, bird feeders, deer-resistant, sun to part sun, shade to part shade, dry to medium soil, wet to medium soil, height, bloom time and plant type (wildflowers, grasses, trees & shrubs, groundcovers & vines).

Prices are $3.50 for cost-effective plugs, $7 for landscape-ready plugs, and $12 for one gallon mature plants with established root system.

7:20-7:30 PM Optional early login

7:30-7:45 PM Actual start at 7:30 PM with announcements

7:45-8:45 PM Meet the Mason Bee, Our Powerful Pollinator

A far more powerful pollinator than the well-known honeybee, our native mason bees make a welcome addition to any yard or garden. This program looks at the nuances of the mason bee life cycle.

Just about everyone knows about the benefits of honeybees as plant pollinators, but we have a native bee that is 50 times more powerful and a fraction of the work to keep near your garden. Meet the Mason Bee! This one-hour educational program will take a closer look at these gentle pollinators, share tips and tricks for attracting them to your yard and provide educational insights into how to maintain a healthy colony.

A naturalist and educator for almost 20 years, Laurel Zoet has worked for the Michigan DNR, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation, and non-profit nature centers. In 2013 she started her freelance nature education business, Nature on the GO! LLC, to travel throughout the state of Michigan teaching about Michigan wildlife and ecology at schools, libraries, scout troops, and senior living facilities. In March of 2017, Laurel and her husband Mitch opened the Wild Birds Unlimited nature shop at the Green Oak Village Place Mall in Brighton, Michigan, as a way to connect people to nature through the hobby of backyard bird feeding. Laurel teaches in-store nature education programs every month while also offering community outreach programs to local garden clubs, churches, libraries, Audubon groups, and more.

When teaching outreach programs, Laurel donates her speaker fee towards funding Wild Bird’s Unlimited “Birds in the Schoolyard” program which provides bird feeding stations, feeders, and bird food for Livingston County teachers to place outside classroom windows.

7:20-7:30 PM Optional early login

7:30-7:45 PM Actual start at 7:30 PM with announcements

7:45-8:45 PM The Xerces Society and the Connection of Pollinator Habitat and Our Communities

Join us on Zoom to learn about The Xerces Society and the Connection of Pollinator Habitat and Our Communities with Detroit pollinator conservation specialist, Stefanie Steele. 

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is the largest invertebrate conservation organization in the world, with over 85 staff across the U.S. Join Stefanie to learn about the diversity of work Xerces is doing and take a closer look at community pollinator projects in Detroit and initiatives across the greater Great Lakes / Midwest region. 

Stefanie Steele is the Pollinator Conservation Specialist for Urban and Small Farms. Based in Detroit, she provides technical assistance, planning, and education on incorporating pollinator and other beneficial invertebrate habitat in small urban agricultural areas and community gardens in historically underserved communities. Her work supports projects including the Xerces Habitat Kit Program, People’s Garden Initiative, and conservation programs through the USDA Farm Bill.  

Stefanie earned a master’s degree in biology from Portland State University where she studied cavity nesting bees and wasps and completed a multi-year study of solitary bees in Portland’s urban core and their floral use. Since graduating, she has worked on research projects studying diverse bee communities and building her knowledge of the taxonomy and ecology of native bees. While in Portland, OR, Stefanie worked with several urban gardens, orchards, farms, and restoration areas to help incorporate pollinator habitats. Originally from Cincinnati, she is excited to be working with urban communities in the Midwest on staff with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, About the Xerces Society | Xerces Society.

• History / background of the Xerces Society

• Overview of Xerces Programs - Protecting Pollinators, Conserving Endangered Species, Reducing Pesticide Use and Impacts, Outreach Education / Communication

• Regional projects and programs overview 

• Local projects and opportunities overview

• Emphasis on connecting with Detroit communities to partner on pollinator habitat projects

• Detroit Pollinator Habitat Kit program: https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/habitat-kits/detroit

• NRCS / USDA opportunities

• Other organization partnerships, workshops, and connections

7:20-7:30 PM Optional early login

7:30-7:45 PM Actual start at 7:30 PM with announcements

7:45-8:45 PM The Art of Flowers

Join MGAWC members for a visual flower fix to start 2024 together.

Artists over the centuries and across cultures have depicted flowers for a number of reasons, not least their inherent beauty. Georgia O'Keeffe painted flowers close up and large to get even busy people to notice them. Other artists used flowers symbolically. Flowers can speak of love, transience or death. This presentation looks at a wide variety of flowers in art.  

Wendy Evans was raised among the museums of London, England.  She has advanced degrees from Oxford University in England and Wayne State University in Detroit.

She taught Art History at Wayne State University and elsewhere and is a long-time volunteer at the Detroit Institute of Arts.  She gives presentations on a variety of art subjects in libraries, senior centers, country clubs and to many groups around Michigan. She gave an invited lecture on American Art at the Anhui Sanlian University in Hefei, China.

Wendy received the United Way Community Services Heart of Gold Award, the DIA Volunteer Council Distinguished Service Award, the 2014 Birmingham-Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award and a 2015 Esteemed Women of Michigan award from the Burnstein Community Clinic.

Known  for her English accent and crazy socks, Wendy loves to share her passion for art with audiences. More at www.art-talks.org.

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 PM Announcements

8:00-9:00 PM Phil Naud talks about the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) on its 90th anniversary

More trees were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) in Michigan than any other state, a total of 485 million! When the work started, Michigan had lost 70% of its forest to logging operations. Mr. Naud will discuss life in a CCC camp and the work done by enrollees in Michigan.

Phil Naud has a master’s degree in history with a focus on American history and material culture studies. For the last two years, Phil served on the board of directors of the CCC Legacy, the successor organization to the National Association of CCC Alumni. He has worked with many museums, state and national parks giving living history interpretations of the CCC.

Related articles:

Civilian Conservation Corps (history.com)

The CCC in Michigan

Currently, MGAWC members meet in-person at the Environmental Interpretive Center on The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus April-June and September-November. MGAWC meets on Zoom January-March.

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 PM Announcements

8:00-9:00 PM John Hartig, PhD, talks about his most recent book

Rouge River Revived | University of Michigan Press (umich.edu)

From Amazon and U of M Press: The Rouge River is a mostly urbanized watershed of about 500 square miles populated by nearly 1.4 million people. While not geographically large, the river has played an outsized role in the history of southeast Michigan, most famously housing Ford Motor Company’s massive Rouge Factory, designed by architect Albert Kahn and later memorialized in Diego Rivera’s renowned “Detroit Industry” murals.

In recent decades, the story of the Rouge River has also been one of grassroots environmental activism. After pollution from the Ford complex and neighboring factories literally caused the river to catch on fire in 1969, community groups launched a Herculean effort to restore and protect the watershed. Today the Rouge stands as one of the most successful examples of urban river revival in the country.

Rouge River Revived describes the river’s history from pre-European times into the 21st century. Chapters cover topics such as Native American life on the Rouge; indigenous flora and fauna over time; the river’s role in the founding of local cities; its key involvement in Detroit’s urban development and intensive industrialization; and the dramatic clean-up arising from citizen concern and activism. This book is not only a history of the environment of the Rouge River, but also of the complex and evolving relationship between humans and natural spaces.

Prologue – John H. Hartig and Jim Graham
Chapter 1. The Setting: An Urban Watershed – Alan Van Kerckhove
Chapter 2. First Peoples of the Rouge River – Kay McGowan
Chapter 3. Putting the Rouge to Work – Nancy Darga
Chapter 4. Henry Ford and the Rouge River – Brian James Egen and John H. Hartig
Chapter 5. Rouge River Restoration: Revival of an Urban River – Annette DeMaria, Noel Mullett, and John H. Hartig
Chapter 6. The Need for Green Infrastructure – Cyndi Ross
Chapter 7. Rouge River Citizen Science – Sally Petrella
Chapter 8. Environmental Education: Realizing Bill Stapp’s Vision – Sally Cole-Mish 
Chapter 9. The Rouge River Reborn: From Wen to Wonder – Orin G. Gelderloos, Dorothy F. McLeer, and Richard A. Simek 
Chapter 10. Reconnecting with Our Home Waters: Rouge Offers Growing Number of Recreational Opportunities – Kurt Kuban 
Chapter 11. Rouge River Champion – Jim Murray – John H. Hartig
Chapter 12. Reflections – John H. Hartig and Jim Graham

Related links:

Rouge River Revived | University of Michigan Press (umich.edu)

Great Lakes Moment: Rouge River Revived | Great Lakes Now

Currently, MGAWC members meet in-person at the Environmental Interpretive Center on The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus April-June and September-November. MGAWC meets on Zoom January-March.

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 PM Announcements

8:00-9:00 PM Nick Speth, Manager of Gardens & Grounds at the Henry Ford Estate, Fair Lane, will talk about Growing Geophytes (bulbs, tubers, corms, and rhizomes)

As the Manager of Gardens and Grounds at Fair Lane in Dearborn, Nick is responsible for directing seasonal workers and volunteers in taking care of the gardens and grounds of the estate. He designs, installs, and manages the Cutting Garden, Tribute Garden, Trail Garden, and Vegetable Garden. Additionally, he uses the estate’s greenhouse to overwinter plants and grow seeds for use in the gardens and plant sales. Nick has a Master’s Degree in Museum Studies which allows him to bring a unique historical approach to working in the gardens at Fair Lane, where he enjoys opportunities to interact with visitors.

Currently, MGAWC members meet in-person at the Environmental Interpretive Center on The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus April-June and September-November. MGAWC meets on Zoom January-March.

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 pm Announcements

8:00-9:00 pm Kyle Kandilian’s Presentation on Native Gardening, an update on native gardening for humans and poultry and dogs and bugs and …

After years of personal and professional native gardening, Kyle has growing insights on successful strategies for various stakeholders

7:00-7:30 pm Optional Social Time

7:30-8:00 pm Announcements

8:00-9:00 pm Asian Maple Musings

At the Environmental Interpretive Center (EIC) on The University of Michigan-Dearborn campus, MGAWC members will learn about Asian Maples from Dennis Groh, a garden enthusiast since childhood, and an avid plant collector for more than 40 years. A voracious reader with an extensive library of books on plants, Dennis has been blessed to be able to network over the years with generous and knowledgeable plant mentors. He has traveled the world to study plants and talk with those most knowledgeable about growing them. His contacts in the horticultural world have grown along with his plants. Dennis does all he can to advance knowledge in the horticultural field. A scientist by profession, he brings an incisive perspective to his gardening, asking "why" and demanding explanations for "how," supported by facts.

Dennis and his wife, Carole, have developed an amazing and stunning plant collection in their 1-acre garden. Photographs of their garden have been featured in the Detroit Free Press, the American Conifer Society magazine, and in Adrian Bloom's publication "Gardening with Conifers."  In 2005, Rebecca's Garden (HGTV) filmed a segment on the Japanese Maples grown in their garden. 

Dennis has lectured on conifers, fall color, rhododendrons and azaleas, woody plants, and Japanese gardens in an attempt to pass on his mentors’ legacy of plant knowledge and to help others avoid his mistakes.

Class Description: In Japanese, Sho Chiku Bai (松竹梅) can be literally translated into pine (松), bamboo (竹), and plum (梅) and has special significance in Japan as New Year symbols of good fortune. It has also evolved into a common quality rating system where Bai is good, Chiku is better, and Sho is best.

Over the last 40 years, Dennis has planted, grown, and observed over a hundred different cultivars of Asian maples in his garden. Some have survived all 40 years; a few only lasted a year or two before requiring removal. A couple of untypically cold winters have also helped to “thin the herd” of survivors. The latter were expensive lessons. In this presentation, Dennis will share his successes and failures and offer some insights and suggestions. His comments will also include input from other knowledgeable Asian maple growers in the Midwest. The information presented would probably be classified as anecdotal evidence by agricultural extension organizations; however, you can decide for yourself, based on the information and rationale, if what he shares might help you avoid some expensive disappointments.

7:15-7:30 pm Optional early login

7:30-7:45 pm Actual start at 7:30 pm with announcements

7:45-8:45 pm Topic Pending

7:30-7:45 pm Announcements & Resource Sharing

7:45-8:45 pm Cooking Demo with Mary Spencer, owner of Taste: A Cook’s Place, Taste a Cook's Place | Home Cooked Meal Delivery Service | Detroit MI (tasteacooksplace.net)

Recipes will be provided for easy sheet pan suppers with veggies

Bring your food & cooking questions

Evening activities to be determined.

Historically, MGAWC has celebrated another year of gardening, learning and volunteering with a meal--banquet hall, restaurant or potluck--as well as some combination of music, games, other entertainment, gift exchange or door prizes, and/or awards for volunteer service plus a group photo.

A new or returning volunteer to take on organizing and executing the evening would be greatly appreciated.

Get involved. Learn about MGAWC and community projects. Find ways to help.

Seeking individuals or a team to handle various Volunteer Engagement activities such as:

• Follow up with enthusiastic recruits and build on their interests

• Contact people interested in various areas and get them connected to the right person or activity

  • Refer those interested in Stewardship Saturdays to Marion and send them a reminder email before the third Saturday

  • Find out who wants to invite members to their gardens for a garden walk in July or August and then organize and publicize the event

  • Invite people interested in the newsletter to write an article and send it to Nancy

  • Determine who is interested in organizing a field trip for the members

  • Invite people to attend a board meeting to get involved and stay involved

• Follow up with non-member guests at monthly meetings and invite them to become members, send them a reminder about a few upcoming meetings to see if they return

• Keep a lookout for regularly attending members who stop showing up at meetings and send a card or make a call to let them know they were missed

• Prepare an up-to-date membership directory

• Interview members and write short articles for the GrowInfo newsletter

• Seek out new members and introduce them to the group

Contact board@mgawc.org to learn more

Most years, the board usually meets the first Thursday of the month, September through June, starting at 7 or 7:30 PM.

7:15-7:30 pm Optional early login

7:30-7:45 pm Actual start at 7:30 pm with announcements

7:45-8:45 pm Great Plants Start with Great Soil

MSU Extension Educator Jaden Gimondo will talk about soil, what it is, how Michigan soils were formed, what a soil horizon is, and what factors influence the makeup of our soils. This presentation will explain soil pH, why it is important to gardeners, and how it affects plants. Jaden will explore how you can test your soil pH or send soil samples to a lab for testing. She will also cover how to modify soil pH so that plants can grow their best!

Jaden Gimondo received her bachelor’s degree in Horticulture at Oklahoma State University and holds a master's degree in Horticulture from Iowa State University where she focused on organic fertilizer use in containerized herb production. She brings commercial greenhouse crop production experience to MSU with interests in nutrient management, biological control, and greenhouse technology. Based out of Tollgate in Novi, Jaden provides support to the SE Michigan commercial greenhouse floriculture industry.

Zoom details sent to members in email this morning.

Contact board@mgawc.org to learn more. Most years, the board usually meets the first Thursday of the month, September through June, starting at 7 or 7:30 PM.