Portage Lake
Garden Club

87th Season
June 16, 2022 Meeting
Time: 12:30 PM – 3PM
Location:
Farr Center
5283 Main Street
Onekama, MI 49675
Program: Homecoming: Don’t Take it For Granted
Content:
Speakers: Bonnie Garbrecht, Shirley Brooks, Mary Jo McElroy, Faye Backie. Biographies: Members of PLGC, past and present Officers Content: The meeting will begin with a delicious potluck luncheon welcoming Club members back to our “home” at Farr Center. Following lunch, Portage Lake Garden Club past and present officers will discuss successful efforts over the past few years to secure grants to fund our projects. The presentation will include verbal presentation with question and answer as well as a tour of Farr Center gardens to “show off” new plant labeling funded by an MGC Grow
and Share grant.
Hospitality:
Committee: Bee Capper, Bonnie Garbrecht, LaVonne Beebe, Winnie Baker
Reminder: Reminder: Sign in, name tags, social time, and club mixer from 12:30 to 1 PM, followed by program and business meeting. If you have not already paid your dues, please bring cash or $36 check made out to PLGC for annual dues. Yearbooks will be distributed to paid members.
June 30, 2022 Meeting
Time: 12:30 Noon – 3 PM
Program at 1pm
Location:
Farr Center
5283 Main Street
Onekama, MI 49675
Program: Habitat Matters
Content:
1 PM: Bonnie Garbrecht, Past President, will lead the dedication of new mural with garden signage on east exterior wall of Farr Center. Speaker & Biography: Audrey Menninga is the Coordinator for the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network (ISN). She has been working in the invasive species field since 2014. Content: Drawing on her eight years experience, Audrey will discuss the effect of invasive species and what can be done to reduce their impact on local habitats. She will use PowerPoint, question and answer, and will provide outreach materials. Pam Tompke, First Vice President, will use a video about the Betsie River Centennial Lily Farm in preparation for our field trip in two weeks.
Hospitality:
Committee: Deb Noonan, Lynn Jans, Patty O’Connor, Lisa Sattler
Reminder: Sign in, name tags, social time, and club mixer from 12:30 to 1 PM, followed by dedication of the mural, speaker’s program,
and business meeting.
July 14, 2022 Meeting
Time: 12:30 Noon – 3 PM
Program at 1pm
Location:
Betsie River Centennial Lily Farm
17745 Moore Road
Thompsonville, MI 49683
Program: Hodge Podge of Daylilies
Content:
Speaker: Di Rau, Biography: Master Gardener, WSCC; Advanced Master Gardener, MSU; co-owner of Betsie River Centennial Lily Farm
Content: Bring a friend and a lawn chair to this incredible field trip and picnic! You will learn about the Sears family, their 1873 homesteading farm, and how Di Rau (fourth generation Sears) evolved from growing daylilies as a hobby to running the farm operation as a business. She has registered over 65 varieties of hybridized daylilies and is in the process of moving onto the next stage in her life. A picnic lunch will be enjoyed in her recently re-designed perennial garden to incorporate favorite day lilies.
Hospitality:
Committee: Jane Mueller, Jeneanne Fitzgerald, Lynise Hensel, Margaret Punches, Nancy Behring
Reminder: Reminder: Meet in the parking lot of Farr Center if you would like to carpool. Vehicles will leave there at 11:30 AM. Bring your own lawn chair. Wear comfortable shoes. Hospitality Committee will organize the picnic food. There is plenty of parking.
July 28, 2022
Flower Show: 12:30 PM – 6 PM
Club Meeting: 6:30 PM
Location:
Farr Center
5283 Main Street
Onekama, MI 49675
Program: Flower Show - Give Bees a Chance
Content: Club members present an NGC Standard Flower Show. Divisions include Horticulture, Design, Education, Youth, and Botanical Arts (sections on Artistic Crafts and Photography).
Hospitality:
Chairman: Kelly Bantle-Miller
Hostesses: Lunch for judges – Nancy Behring and Lynise Hensel. Hostesses at Farr Center – Connie Veverica, Deb Noonan, Jeneanne Fitzgerald, Joan Nicholson, Kay Lubert, LaVonne Beebe, Margaret Punches, Nancy Johnson, Winnie Baker
Reminder: Exhibits for Design, Education, Youth, and Botanical Arts Divisions are due to Farr Center on Wednesday, July 27 between
1 PM and 5 PM. Exhibits for Horticulture are due to Farr Center on Thursday, July 28 between 6:30 AM and 9 AM.

August 11, 2022 Meeting
Time: 12:30 PM – 3 PM (Annual Meeting)
Location:
Farr Center
5283 Main Street
Onekama, MI 49675
Program: A Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Gem!
Content:
Speaker: Angie Bouma, Senior Land Steward, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC)
Biography: Degree from Northern Michigan University. Following graduation, Angie worked for three years as a vegetation science technician at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Since 2009, Angie has worked in the five-county area of the GTRLC. She has expertise in vegetation and habitat mapping, native and invasive plants, and wetland restoration. She also leads seasonal botany hikes.
Content: Angie will discuss her work projects at Arcadia Marsh and the Arcadia Dunes Dryhill Grassland using slides and Q&A.
Hospitality:
Committee: Bee Capper, Chris Gravlin, Jean Capper, Kathie Tomlinson
Reminder: Refreshments and club mixer from 12:30 to 1 PM, followed by program and business meeting.

August 25, 2022 Meeting
Time: 12:30pm - 3pm
Location:
Farr Center
5283 Main Street
Onekama, MI 49675
Program: Give Trees a Chance
Content:
Speaker: David Milarch, Biography: Founder, Champion Tree Project, Content: The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive has gained international recognition as one of the premiere organizations combatting the effects of climate change. People from 150 different countries access their website on an annual basis. Milarch will share the fascinating history and mission of this Michigan gem as the fifth and sixth generations of Milarch’s carry on his vision. The book
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jim Robbins will be featured. Teaching methods include oral presentation, written material, and hands-on contact with centuries-old “baby” trees.
Hospitality:
Committee: Diane Wemlinger, Eilene Kane, Joan Nicholson, Mary Leeds
Reminder: Refreshments and club mixer from 12:30 to 1 PM, followed by program and business meeting.

September 8, 2022 Meeting
Time: 6pm - 8:30pm
Location:
Northern Natural Cider House & Winery
7220 Chief Road
Kaleva, MI
Program: Bee Our Guest
Content:
Club members are invited to bring a guest as we mark the close of Portage Lake Garden Club’s 87th year. Northern Natural Cider House & Winery will be the location for this evening celebration. Wines and ciders from locally grown, organic fruits will be available on site. Officers will be installed during a short business meeting.
Hospitality:
Committee: TBD
Reminder: REMINDER: Members are invited to the gathering for themselves and their guest. Members with last name starting with A through H to bring a sweet finger-food. Members with last name starting with I through Z to bring a savory hors d’oeuvre to share. Hostesses will provide paper products, cutlery, centerpieces, set up, and clean up. CASH BAR at the venue.
