Michigan President

The theme for 2007-2009 is "Conserve to Preserve"

Dear Members,

It is truly an honor to be installed as President of Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. From the moment I accepted the position of third vice-president, I knew MGC was an incredible organization. What impressed me the most was the dedication of the members, the willingness to do a great job as volunteers and how well everyone worked together to achieve a common goal.

In addition, attending the National Convention in Boston, was a very fulfilling exciting experience.

As your president, I will be proud to represent Michigan Garden Clubs at your Club meetings, at District meetings, Central Region meetings and the National Conventions.

I would love to introduce my family but they are all attending the eight-grade graduation of my oldest granddaughter.

MEMBERSHIP GOALS

We can preserve our membership by communicating ideas with one another.

We can invite club members to attend the State Board meetings.

We can address membership in the local clubs by having twilight or evening meetings to accommodate working people.

We can invite clubs nearby for a combined meeting so we can get to know other members.

We can sponsor lectures, invite the district members, the public, and encourage members to participate in Horticulture and Flower Shows.

We can help the district directors form new clubs.

We can establish district boards to brainstorm ideas for exciting programs and other ways to communicate with our members.

Some clubs have special programs just for visitors.

I am open to more ideas that you might have

PROJECT GOAL

To honor our military personnel, I wish to increase the number of Blue Star Memorial Markers in each District. Presently we have:

District I, 4. District IIA, 7. District IIB, 2. District III, 7. District IV, 1. District V, 4. District VI, 2. Total 27.

To use the colors red, white, and blue in combination plantings, window boxes, mass plantings, and tie ribbons of the same color on your trees.

To encourage each member to purchase an American Flag and fly it proudly.

We are on the verge of a new horizon. Our new web site will soon be available to all members on your personal computer or a computer at a library.

All school forms, plant resources and search areas, yearbooks, newsletters, interesting pertained topics relating to each season, will be available to all members. For those members who do not have access to the web, we will continue to mail information via the post office.

Together we can preserve our clubs, one member at a time.

I have chosen two important projects, which I trust you will support.

1. Developing rain gardens to control wastewater runoff

2. Planting host plants in your garden to preserve the Monarch butterfly.

PROJECT GOALS

1. RAIN GARDENS

We are connected to the largest fresh water system on earth and that water is in trouble. Twenty percent of fresh surface water on earth is in the Great Lakes.

What threatens our water? We do!

When rain and snowmelt flow off our yards, roofs, sidewalks, roads and parking lots, the resulting storm water runoff washes pollution into our streams, river, and lakes. Up to seventy percent of the water, pollution in our region is carried there by storm water. In addition, some of this pollution comes from the very things we do in our yards and gardens.

Nature’s original plan for rain is this: to soak into the soil, replenish groundwater supplies, to be taken up and filtered by plants, and enter our surface waters as clean, cool groundwater, nurturing and nourishing our world. Water was not meant to run off the land and pollute rivers and streams.

What is a rain garden?

A rain garden is a special kind of storm water garden designed to collect and absorb runoff from a roof or parking lot. By planting a rain garden, you can help solve some of our storm water problems.

Now is the time to take action. Drive around on a rainy day and look at what is happening to the runoff. Make notes as to where the water is flowing. Follow the water and then take pictures of the problem.

Next, approach the owner of the building or residence to see how to solve the problem. You might find someone who does not care or someone who is concerned. Be persistent and try to explain that water runoff can be an asset to the property by the construction of a rain garden. Refer the owner to the web site www raingardens.org to see how this can be a solution to the problem.

Your garden club can install the rain garden, plant the plants, stand back, and watch what happens to the storm water runoff.

We can do this! It takes so little time and the effort is so rewarding. Once again, ‘conserve to preserve’ our water resources.

The selection of plants must be native. Native plants can withstand all kinds of conditions. As the roots take hold, they will survive. Native plants are also host to many species of birds and butterflies.

Incidentally, our national president Barbara May also has chosen to "plant native plants", so we can support her project as well.

A contest will be held, via a book of evidence or perhaps a visit to the site, to see how well the rain garden is coping with runoff. A reward for this project will be announced later.

Together we can save the Great Lakes, one garden at a time.

I credit the West Michigan Environmental Action Council for the information presented in the above message.

www.raingardens.org

2. MONARCH BUTTERFLY

What can we do to preserve the monarch?

The host plant for the monarch pupae is milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). This is the only food source for the pupae stage.

Road crews who mow the grass in the median of our highways are destroying this plant, as are others who are uninformed as to why this plant is so important.

Other environmental factors are also destroying the plants.

This has to stop if we want the monarch to survive.

We need to include this plant in our gardens. What, a weed in my garden, you ask? Yes, a good weed in our gardens.

What a thrill to see the caterpillar eating and growing, spinning into a chrysalis and then emerging as a beautiful monarch butterfly.

Plant a butterfly garden in your yard or in a schoolyard.

Work closely with children in planting this garden.

Produce a book of evidence for the award.

Together we can save the Monarch, one plant at a time.

www.monarchwatch.org

Gardeners, we have to work to "Conserve to Preserve" our most precious environment.

In closing, thank you for your kind attention and the opportunity to serve in this position. Together we can make a difference, one garden club member, one garden club, one rain garden and one native plant at a time.

Cordially,

Dolores