Elk Rapids Garden Club

News 2012

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River Street Entrance, Jan Shurte, Crew Leader
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The Elk Rapids Garden Club News

Upcoming Events

News from Sonja Perry
River street has undergone hugh renovation, with lots of Knockout roses added.  Fair amount of work done at Pedestrain Bridge, new soil and plantings with lots of trimming of the trees and bushes to improve view of the river.  Over 200 tulips were planted this fall at Township Hall and should be wonderful suprise in the spring.  New plantings planned for Iva's North this spring.
We may be adding vegetables to gardens and harvest going to charity and perhaps planting "pink" for breast cancer awareness.  These things to be decided at May crew meeting.

Workshop Seminars 
Now being offered to members: Create a unique TERRARIUM, our first Workshop will be March 20th and held at Elk Lake Floral. Members are encouraged to bring a glass container for their delightful indoor garden. A small fee will be charged for the plants, rocks and dirt. Sign up at the January or February meeting or contact Kay.

Great Volunteers
Elk Rapids Garden Club volunteers worked 1,018 hours in the ten gardens in the Village. This saved the Village $12,575 in wages.


New Logo
A note for News...ERGC will soon have a new logo. Two students in the Visual Communications class at Northwestern Michigan College's
Visual Communications class are creating a club logo and tri-fold membership brochure pro-bono for ERGC. The goal of the project is to give students a real-world assignment that allows then extensive opportunity to interact with clients and exposes them to the commercial printing and production world.

Patron's Path  
This is a momentous project.  It serves as both a wonderful club fundraiser, as well as, a meaningful addition to the walkway approaching pedestrian bridge on River St.  Wouldn't it be great to think that you were among the many that have their names or family names etched into our brick path?  Brochures are available at the Chamber if you or your friends need one. 
Spread the word:   Visit the Patron's Path page. 

ELK RAPIDS GARDEN CLUB

Spring Village Pride Gardens

The Elk Rapids Garden Club continues this fifth year to recognize individual efforts by business and home owners to beautify our Village.  The spring Village Pride award winners are:

Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 143 Charles St., with Pastor Rev. Bob Zuchowski, share their parish hall with community groups including Antrim County Senior meal site, Habitat for Humanity, and Garden Club programs.  The lovely court gardens are enjoyed by all.  Pinehill designed the area in 2001.  Alice and Tom Streeter initiated and helped fund a major clean-up of church grounds in 2009.  Heavy landscape maintenance is provided, but 20 volunteer gardeners maintain assigned areas.  Donated plants from Ralph Naples and John Mischel greenhouses and transplants from parishioner homes brighten the meditative statuary of Mary, Sacred Heart, and Saint Jude.

The home of Carol and Stu Merillat at 405 Spruce Street has long been a picturesque corner of Elk Rapids Village.  Their home was built in 1993.  The garden beds and flowering shrubs were designed by Zimmerman.  Nine varieties of daffodils, tulips, wood hyacinths, and snowflake bulbs light up the garden areas each spring, and hostas, climbing roses, and daylilies soon follow.  Carol was a member of Elk Rapids Beautification Commission for 20 years; succeeding Iva Byerly as chairman for 7 years.  So Carol’s knowledge of gardening comes from years of experience and hard work.

Submitted, Pat Jackson, Award Chair    (May 30, 2011)

Blue Star By-Way

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Elk Rapids Garden Club
Blue Star Memorial Dedication
Sunday, June 3, 2012, 1 PM
Rotary Garden, Elk Rapids, MI
(Alternative site is the Harbor Pavilion in Elk Rapids)
Help is needed for:
- Set up on Saturday, June 2 and clean up on Sunday, June 3 (times to be announced). The big tent will be up and we’ll set up chairs, pop up tents, parking barriers, etc.
- Parking assistance on June 3 at the Chamber of Commerce (or the Harbor Pavilion if the weather is bad).  Village Police will help with traffic. We need men for parking assistance.
- Calligrapher for about 50 nametags for special guests.
- Signs for the Rotary Pavilion for refreshments and maybe a few other signs. All parking signs are ready to use.
Please respond to Loraine Mottern:  loraine@torchlake.com or 599-2546
or Diane Geddes: geddes.diane@gmail.com or 234-8835.  Thanks !

On October 10 we dedicated the Patron's Path
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The children of Norma Abbott reunited for the dedication

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Sue Finlayson, Jan Zander and Sharon Lanier

On October 10, 2010 the Patron's Path was dedicated to the late, Norma Abbott.  In 2008 her family and friends memorialized the Elk Rapids Garden Club in honor of their mother and friend.  Norma Abbott loved the Elk Rapids Garden Club for all of their beautifications to the community.  Sharon Lanier, crew leader of the bridge garden spoke on the history of the garden.  Jan Zander, Patron's Path organizer, spoke to the community donations and brick purchases.  Each person who has purchased a brick received a flower, while clarinetist, Eli Sabeth Dalbo, played gentle music.  And, Sue Finlayson, President of the Elk Rapids Garden Club, introduced the speakers and noted what exceptional weather we had for the dedication.  Norma's family gathered for a family reunion for the occasion.  Some came from as far as California.  To purchase your brick on the Patron's Path view the Patron's Path page for directions.

Dear Members,

The State Newsletter is now available on line from our web site www.michigangardenclubs.org

I am requesting that you go to the site and either print it off or

read it online.

The cost of printing and mailing has sky rocked so I am confident

you will be able to receive the newsletter by this method.

Those without a computer, please let me know as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Dolores J. Stouwie, MGC President 2007-2009

News from Dolores Hibbard , Environmental Chairperson:


According to The National Gardener Winter 2009, in an article concerning
the future of gardening, we face a natural water shortage.  Thirty six states
project water shortages by 2013. Some suggestions the article had for
gardeners include the following.  Gardeners can help by being conscious
of wasting water.  Landscapers can replace lawns with hardscape to permit
water to drain. Careful gardeners can use "grey water" from household
water for container gardening. Every little bit helps.  

Remember when using fertilizers and pesticides you want use the correct amounts and to control run off, to protect the water table and our lakes and streams.  

Water is essential to the health and well being of you and your family.
What do you really know about water; the source, the purity, how it affects you, simple things you can do to maintain purity, and how you can conserve it?  


We live in the Chain of Lakes Watershed. Water moves down as rain,
across our land, under our ground, and through the streams and lakes. 
It is all connected, and then it comes out of your tap.   When it comes to water, we have special responsibilities to keep the water clean and safe.


If you are  on a well, you share that aquifer with the other well owners.
Septic systems remove bacteria, but do not remove phosphorus, nitrogen, medicines, or toxic substances.  These flow through the sand and into the ground water.  Cities and Villages with treated water systems can remove most of these things, but at a cost to the public. 


    LESSON:  Be careful what you pour down the drain!

In our effort to protect our valuable water source, here are some
suggestions for conservation and reduction of water use.


    1. If everyone took a one minute shorter shower, 4 trillion gallons of 
    water would be saved.
    2. Flushing the toilet with the dual flush system found in newer houses
    since 2008, would save 1.65 billions of gallons of water in one year.
    3. If every American would collect one gallon of water while waiting for
    the water to get hot and use it to water house plants, 15.8 billion gallons
    of water would be saved.
    4. Not only would we be saving water, but home owners would save money. 

Each of us can make a difference.

News
If you have news that should be shared with fellow Garden Club Members, please  e-mail the Web Master, Ellen Frohriep.   We need you to keep the web site up to date.

Note: ERGC reserves the right to edit or select print suitability for the web site.

P.O. Box 534 Elk Rapids, Michigan 49629
Ellen Frohriep, DPT Webmaster