Vermicompost
The Charlevoix County MSU Extension is hosting a course on Vermicompost. Learn how to use worms in your composting. Learn about vermicomposting and build your own worm bin at home. Class is held at the Community Classroom of the City Hall at 319 North Lake Steet, Boyne City, MI 49712 RSVP to hensele@msu.edu
Wild Ones Educational Program
The second in the series of events. This educational program is held in the downstairs classroom of the Petoskey Public Library.
Board of Directors Online Meeting
Regularly scheduled Board of Directors Meeting. All members are welcome to attend. Please contact Susan Affholter, the president, at SusanAff@hotmail.com to get the Zoom link and other materials.
Wild Ones Educational Program
This educational event will be held in the downstairs classroom of the Petoskey Public Library.
Wild Ones Educational Program
The educational event will take place at the downstairs classroom of the Petoskey Public Library.
Wild Ones Educational Program
This educational program will take place in the downstairs classroom of the Petoskey Public Library.
Wild Ones Educational Program
This educational program will take place in the downstairs classroom of the Petoskey Public Library.
Annual Plant Sale
This is meant to hold the date and anticipate a great plant sale hosted by NMMGA members at the Emmet County Fairground in Petoskey.
Compost 101
An introduction to composting, handling a backyard compost pile, and using compost in your potted plants and yard. Class is sponsored by the Michigan State University Extension and held at the Community Classroom in City Hall at 319 North Lake Street, Boyne City, MI 49712. RSVP to hensele1@msu..edu
Board of Directors online meeting
Regularly scheduled Board of Directors Meeting. All members are welcome to attend. Please contact Susan Affholter, the president, at SusanAff@hotmail.com to get the Zoom link and other materials.
Dried Flower Workshop
Monic Gruler, Master Gardner and owner of Gruler Gardens, leads participants in a hands-on workshop. Make a beautiful flower bouquet using a selection of dried flowers and foliage grown at Gruler Gardens! Use it to decorate your home or give it as a gift to someone special. All supplies and materials are provided. We’ll discuss which plants work best for dried flower projects and how to grow and dry them. I’ll provide a quart-size Mason jar for your arrangement, or you may bring your own vase or vessel (maximum size up to 3” in diameter and up to 11” in height.) This class is designed for adults and will be held in the Charlevoix Conservation District Community Room at 303 North Street in Boyne City. Because of space limitations, the class is restricted to enrolled participants only. Class length may vary, as I’ve allowed time for breaks and a relaxing, enjoyable pace for all participants. Enrollment is limited and advance registration is required, so sign up now to reserve your spot! Register at this link.
Introduction to Native Plants: From Anishinaabek to Your Backyard
The public is invited to a presentation hosted by the League of Women Voters of Northern Lower Michigan. Interested in using more native plants in your landscaptng? Amanda Weinert, Teachings of the Earth Coordinator and Monica Gruler, Masfter Gardener, contact for local Wild Ones seedling group and owner of Gruler Farms, can answer your questions and tell you haw to get started. Handouts with native plant resources and a small gift of native seeds will be available. Go to LWVNLM.org to register.
Dig In! The Importance of Manoomin
MSU Extension Natural Resources Educator, Kristine Hahn, will introduce us to the plant and crop that is Manoomin. Also known as Wild Rice or Zizania palustris or Zizia aquatica, Hahn will discuss the cultural significance of Manoomin to the Great Lakes Native American population. She’ll also cover the growing conditions necessary for producing Manoomin, how it is processed as a food crop, and its importance to our local wildlife. This is the last webinar of the 2024 Dig In! series. All Michigan Master Gardeners were invited to attend this free Zoom series. For more information and FREE registration, click here. Each session counts as 1 hour of the MG education requirement. Once registered you will also have access to previously recorded sessions.
Compost 101
An introduction to composting, handling a backyard compost pile, and using compost in your potted plants and yard. Class is sponsored by the Michigan State University Extension and held at the Community Classroom in City Hall at 319 North Lake Street, Boyne City, MI 49712. RSVP to hensele1@msu..edu
Wild Ones Educational Program
The first of the 2024/25 series of educational programs. The sessions are held in the downstairs classroom of the Petoskey Public Library. The participants will discussing the video entitled “Using Native Michigan Plants to Benefit the Environment,” which was recorded by the League of Women Voters and has been shared with us by Ann Scott. A preview of the hour-long video is available in case you want to see the video prior to the meeting. It is worthy of a second viewing on Nov. 9! Click here to watch.
Board of Directors online meeting
Regularly scheduled Board of Directors Meeting. All members are welcome to attend. Please contact Susan Affholter, the president, at SusanAff@hotmail.com to get the Zoom link and other materials.
Dig In! Spotted Lanternfly-Update on a sticky situation
Presenter: Deb McCullough, PhD, MSU Department of Entomology
Learn about the biology, life cycle and hosts of this invasive pest, the impacts of SLF observed to date, the Michigan situation, and options for control or protecting landscape trees. All Michigan Master Gardeners were invited to attend this free Zoom series. For more information and FREE registration, click here. Each session counts as 1 hour of the MG education requirement. Once registered you have access to all previously recorded sessions and now this and future sessions.
Fairground AM Work Session
Fall Clean-up of the Gardens at the Fairground! Join us at the Emmet County Fairgrounds, 1129 Charlevoix Ave. (U.S. 31 S) Petoskey, MI 49770. Closest major intersection is U.S. 31 and U.S. 131 North. Use the entrance off Eppler Road. Be prepared for the fall garden clean up by bringing your pruning tools as we will be cutting back, cutting down or removing plants. Weather is predicted to be dry and 60 degrees at 10 am. Please call or text to confirm you can commit to this two-hour session. Questions? Call/text Midge at 248-330-0636.
Board of Directors online meeting
Regularly scheduled Board of Directors Meeting. All members are welcome to attend. Please contact Susan Affholter, the president, at SusanAff@hotmail.com to get the Zoom link and other materials.
Dig In! Xeriscaping in Michigan? How to incorporate water-wise practices into your Michigan garden
Consumer Horticulture Educator Barbara Gregerson lived in Southern California for 18 years. She learned firsthand the necessity of gardening with little to no added water. Xeriscaping is the practice of using incorporating low water usage into your landscaping designs. Join her to learn how you can adopt or adapt xeriscaping practices to Michigan gardens. All Michigan Master Gardeners were invited by email to this free webinar series. For more information and FREE registration, click here. Each webinar counts as 1 hour of MG education requirement. Once registered you have access to previously recorded webinars and future webinars of the 2024 series.
Optional Post Conference Events
The third day is a bonus day and is an opportunity to purchase additional sessions. More informaition will be shared as it becomes available. Click here to access the Master Gardener Conference website.
Michigan Master Gardener Conference
The 2-day conference has a theme of “Creating A Greener Michigan,” and is hosted at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Two days of keynote speakers, workshops, sessions, networking opportunities, and a marketplace. With all the changes happening to climate and environments, our 2024 theme is focused on how MSU EMGs can learn more to continue to be one of the major drivers creating greener cities and towns across the State of Michigan. MSU Extension Master Gardeners don’t just plant flowers - they teach others how to increase insect and plant diversity, build more resilient ecosystems, and grow fresh produce for those in need! More information will be reported as it becomes available. Click here to link to the official website.
Fairground AM Work Session
Join me at the Emmet County Fairgrounds, 1129 Charlevoix Ave. (U.S. 31 S) Petoskey, MI 49770. Closest major intersection is U.S. 31 and U.S. 131 North. Use the entrance off Eppler Road. The Charleviox-Emmett County Fair starts this weekend. We will use this time to spruce things up. Deadheading spent blooms, pulling the occasional weed or other light tasks for preparation. Questions? Call/text Midge at 248-330-0636 to confirm your participation.
Smart Gardening Booth at Boyne City Farmers Market
Smart Gardening booth will be on display at the Boyne City Farmers Market. The canopy will be set up and materials laid out on card tables. MGs with Smart Gardening credential are invited to come for the whole time or any part of the setting up (8:30 am), promoting the MSUE SG Tip Sheets (9 am to 12:30 om) and taking down (12:30 to 1 pm). Come enjoy the market and meet area gardeners! Contact Frances Paris at nomimastergardeners@gmail.com to let her know you are joining the NMMGA team at the Farmers Market.
Fairground AM Work Session
Join me at the Emmet County Fairgrounds, 1129 Charlevoix Ave. (U.S. 31 S) Petoskey, MI 49770. Closest major intersection is U.S. 31 and U.S. 131 North. Use the entrance off Eppler Road. We anticipate deadheading and weeding clean up of gardens and perhaps, deadheading lilacs. Questions? Call/text Midge at 248-330-0636 to let her know you are coming to help.
U of M Biological Station Summer Lecture Series
Summer Series continues at the Gates Lecture Hall, U of M Biological Station, 9133 Biological Rd., Pellston, MI 49769 Pellston, MI. Free and open to the public. As part of the Series at the University of Michigan Biological Station in northern Michigan, Dr. Matt McCary, an assistant professor of BioSciences at Rice University, will give the Pettingill Endowed Lecture in Natural History. The event on the Pellston campus is free and open to the public. Dr. McCary studies the relationship between soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning within the context of global change. His research program is multidisciplinary, including observational and experimental studies, ecological modeling and molecular techniques. The questions he investigates involve invasive species and urbanization. https://lsa.umich.edu/umbs/news-events/all-events.detail.html/116217-21836466.html
NMMGA Field Trip: Farm Tour
Farm Tour at Open Sky Farm, 2:00 pm, 5200 Zmikly Road, Pellston, MI 49769 For directions to the farm click here.
If interested and have the time, consider also attending the nearby University of Michigan Biological Station Open House, 11:30 am – 2:00 pm, UMBS Campus, Pellston. For more information click here.
Fairground AM Work Session
Join me at the Emmet County Fairgrounds, 1129 Charlevoix Ave. (U.S. 31 S) Petoskey, MI 49770. Closest major intersection is U.S. 31 and U.S. 131 North. Use the entrance off Eppler Road. The area near Barn #3 that has been subject to a variety of weed suppression ideas is our target today. Join us as we tackle the issue and prepare an area for future gardening. Questions? Call/text Polly at 231.313.8277 to let her know you will be joining the work crew..
Fairground PM Work Session
Join me at the Emmet County Fairgrounds, 1129 Charlevoix Ave. (U.S. 31 S) Petoskey, MI 49770. Closest major intersection is U.S. 31 and U.S. 131 North. Use the entrance off Eppler Road. Today we will be working the small gardens in front of the barns. Questions? Call/text Frances at 248-807-1546 to let her know she should expect you!
Dig In! Untangling Garden Interlopers: What to do when aggressive plants take root
Presenter: Caitlin Splawski, MSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator Have you ever noticed how some of your garden plants can transition from the ‘life of the party’ to the ‘unwanted party guest’ seemingly overnight? Some plants have a tendency to encroach into new areas of the garden and take up much more space than ever intended. In this presentation, Caitlin will go over some of the things that aggressive weeds have in common, along with how invasive plants present a different challenge in the landscape. She’ll also touch on strategies and resources for dealing with a few different weedy situations. All Michigan Master Gardeners were invited to this free series of webinars. Once registered you will have access to all previously recorded workshops and be registered for the rest of the series. Each webinar counts as one hour of the MG education requirement. For more information and FREE registration, click here.
Smart Gardening Booth at Boyne City
Smart Gardening booth will be on display at the Boyne City Farmers Market. The canopy will be set up and materials laid out on card tables. MGs with Smart Gardening credential are invited to come for the whole time or any part of the setting up (8:30 am), promoting the MSUE SG Tip Sheets (9 am to 12:30 om) and taking down (12:30 to 1 pm). Come enjoy the market and meet area gardeners! Contact Frances Paris at nomimastergardeners@gmail.com to let her know you are joining the NMMGA team at the Farmers Market.
Plant Microbe Interaction In a Changing World
University of Michigan Biological Station Summer Lecture Series: Plant Microbe Interactions in a Changing World, 7:00 pm, Gates Lecture Hall, 9133 Biological Rd., Pellston, MI 49769Pellston, MI. Free and open to the public. As part of the 2024 Summer Lecture Series at the University of Michigan Biological Station in northern Michigan, Dr. Kerri Crawford, an associate professor of biology and biochemistry at the University of Houston, will give the Bennett Lecture in Mycology and Plant Biology. The event on the Pellston campus is free and open to the public. Crawford’s research focuses on understanding the consequences of global changes for ecological communities with a particular emphasis on the role plant-microbe interactions play in structuring plant communities. For more information click here.
Native Plant Sale
The Walloon Lake Association is raising funds through a native plant sale. The 3 pm to 6 pm outdoor sale is at 4060 N M-75 which is in the center of the Walloon community. We are hosting a Smart Gardener table at this event. Call/text Frances Paris at 248-807-1546 to join the table of NMMGA members and support the work of including native plants in gardens.
Fairground AM Work Session
Join me at the Emmet County Fairgrounds, 1129 Charlevoix Ave. (U.S. 31 S) Petoskey, MI 49770. Closest major intersection is U.S. 31 and U.S. 131 North. Use the entrance off Eppler Road. This morning we will be working at the gatehouse entrance to the fairground. The area will be covered with a weed barrier and covered with mulch. The goal is to create an inviting colorful space that is low maintenance. The design has been prepared and plants and materials are purchased. Join us as we transform the gatehouse. Questions? Call/text Midge at 248-330-0636.