20 October
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
The Grosse Pointe Garden Center, Inc. founded in 1950, is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to promote education, beautification, horticulture, and conservation in our community.
The GPGC is a gardening resource for the Grosse Pointes and neighboring communities. We offer public lectures by noted speakers on gardening and conservation-related topics. We also provide Master Gardener scholarships, manage the Trial Gardens, Veterans Garden, Test Garden, and Arbor Perennial Gardens located at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, offer annual garden tours, bulb sales, workshops and many other activities and events. The Garden Center funds its many programs, projects, and activities from donations, memberships, and fundraisers.
Garden Center Board Member Emeritus and past President Marieke Allen passed away at the age of 95 on September 5, 2024. She was a multi-talented, accomplished powerhouse and instrumental in the creation and development of the Garden Center’s highly regarded Veterans Garden. To learn more about her fascinating story and coming to this country after surviving the horrors of WWII in Holland, please click here.
Annual Trial Gardens Awards Tea: Congratulations to our Award Winners announced on Wednesday, September 18: First place, Grand Marais Garden Club, Second place, Grosse Pointe Farm & Garden, and Third place, Windmill Pointe Garden Club. The Tea wrapped up with advanced Master Gardener, Alaine Bush, presenting the history and importance of Victory Gardens.
Celebrate Summer Exhibition: Grosse Pointe Artists Association and Grosse Pointe Garden Center held a Meet and Greet for the artists who painted in the gardens during the Garden Center’s 32nd Annual Garden Tour this summer. This special reception was on Thursday, August 22, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Patriot Gallery of the Fred M. Alger Center at the War Memorial. This exhibition ran through September 20, 2024, Click here to view works by artists: Anna Sophia Abundis • Mary Dice • Robert Fionda • Maggie Greene • Cathy Huntoon • Adwoa Muwzea • Victor Pytko • Bridget Sullivan • Mary Zabawski
Garden Club of Michigan Community Award: On June 5, 2024, the Garden Club of Michigan presented its Community Award to the Grosse Pointe Garden Center, accepting on the Garden Center’s behalf was Co-President Candy Sweeny. This award is given in recognition for dedicated efforts which enhance the local environment and improve the community in an impactful way. We thank the Garden Club of Michigan for recognizing the work and educational programs the Garden Center provides for our community as part of our mission. The Garden Center Board of Directors is very appreciative to receive this award.
Garden Center College Scholarships: Garden Center Board members Jean Azar and Marsha Goan attended Senior Honors Night at both North and South High Schools in May. On behalf of the Garden Center, they presented a $1,000 college scholarship to Kate Bania from North who will be attending Western Carolina University and studying agriculture and deforestation. And a $1000 college scholarship was presented to Hannah Przyblski from South who will attend Michigan State University to study environmental engineering. Congratulations to both scholarship recipients.
33rd Annual Garden Tour: The Garden Center’s ever-popular Annual Garden Tour will be held on Friday & Saturday, June 20 & 21, 2025. Be sure and mark your calendars!
How to Make a Butterfly Garden: John Blair shared his expertise and described his journey in creating a beautiful pollinator garden on his rural 3,000-acre property in Brooklyn, MI. Attendees learned some important design elements to create a butterfly garden. Our Trial Gardens theme for 2024 is “A Butterfly Garden.” The program was attended by a sell out crowd on Thursday, May 2, in the Reception Room at the War Memorial.
Historic Irises: Preserving Beauty from the Past was a very informative program presented by Cathy Egerer, past President and current Outreach Coordinator of the Historic Iris Preservation Society (HIPS), a sub-section of the American Iris Society. Members who attended the lecture and need the handout, login to our Gardeners Resource Articles section to download the handout. Non-members who registered and paid for the program may email the Garden Center at gpgardencenter@outlook.com to request the handout. Also, there is a lot of information on the Historic Iris Preservation website.
Annual Meeting and Luncheon: was Friday, January 19, 2024 with featured speaker, Joseph Ferraro, presenting Beyond the Blooms, a Closer Look at Insects. We thank everyone for coming out in inclement weather, however attendance was almost at full capacity for a lovely luncheon, meeting, concluding with an intriguing presentation by Joseph Ferraro. It is clear from his enthusiasm that he loves what has become his profession of macro photography and giving us a glimpse into the micro-world of insects. We thank Mr. Ferraro for a fascinating program enjoyed by our audience.
Third Annual Legacy Seminar: was held Saturday, February 10, 2024 Two featured speakers, both very experienced horticulturists, Annamaria Leon and Roy Diblik, gave very informative presentations on their specialties. Annamaria, a certified permaculture designer and teacher, talked about Permaculture and Beyond. Her husband Roy is a renowned plantsman, co-founder of Northwind Perennial Farm, designer, and major grower for Piet Oudolf. He discussed Becoming the Cultural Gardener.