Fall of ’06 marked our fourth annual flower show entitled “Celebrate Michigan!”  Great fun was had by all and we had a wonderful turnout with all the design classes filled and loads of horticulture being shown.  A highlight of this show was the AAGC Coleus Challenge which highlighted a special coleus plant that was handed out to AAGC members at the Spring Banquet. Entries were anything from a single coleus plant to complicated large pots of all types of coleus including the special one.  Many thanks to the flower show committee of Bonnie Ion, Marie Smith, Lois Schneyer, Patrick Ion, Mary Pulick, Joanne Warner-Handelsman and Bette Lowe.

    The Newcomer’s Tea on October 8th was held at Marie Cochrane’s lovely home.  It was a beautiful fall day but we had almost no club participation. It was agreed after Board discussions to suspend any subsequent Newcomer Teas until further notice.

   In October, Mary Pulick gave an interesting program explaining and highlighting Horticultural Grasses complete with examples of grasses in bloom and tips on how to care for grasses in the landscape.  Our November meeting was a joint meeting with the Wild Ones as well as the Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society.  Over 50 people came to hear Burt Barnes’ lecture on his travels around the world to view rhododendrons in their native habitats and as remnant populations following glacial periods.  It was a very popular lecture and well received by all who attended.

   On a Saturday in later November, the AAGC hosted its first “Brown Bag” session at Matthaei at noon.  People brought lunch or a dish to pass and then we had a slide presentation by Ann O’Hagan, a professional photographer of gardens and plants.  This proved to be a popular event so more Brown Bag sessions will be planned in 2007-2008.

   In late November,  Bonnie Ion and Margaret Jahnke rode together in the same car back from Detroit and decided to host an ad hoc Greens Workshop at Matthaei the first Saturday in December.  Emails were sent out, and with about two weeks notice, 17 people came and put together holiday greens for their homes.  People were charged $5 to attend, members cut and shared greens from their gardens and the organizers provided ribbons, wire and other decorations as well as light refreshments.  It was so much fun that we will do this again in 2007!  And it added $70 to our AAGC treasury -- always a good thing.

   Pat Belluci graciously hosted the Holiday Brunch at the beginning of December at noon on a Wednesday.  Pat does a great  job of decorating her spacious home and a good time was had by all.   Thanks again, Pat!

   At our January meeting, Bob Grese, the Director of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum gave a presentation on the 100th Anniversary of the MBGNA.  The February meeting had to be cancelled at the last minute due to icy weather conditions.  Only one person slipped through the net and arrived for the meeting but that was one too many.  We will try to institute a calling network for 2007-2008.

   The March meeting’s program was by Betty Bishop who showed slides of her trip to the Chelsea Flower Show in 2006.  Thanks, Betty!  Our April meeting was the second joint meeting with the Ann Arbor Chapter of the Rhododendron Society.  Chris Trautman of Mowbray Gardens (Cincinnati, OH), rhododendron hybridizer and landscape designer gave the presentation and also brought plants to sell and raffle. Our second Brown Bag was March 31 at Matthaei with AAGC member, Marie Smith, presenting a “how to” design class.  Thanks, Marie!

   Our end of the year event was a potluck at Matthaei.  That was a magical Friday night with great food, the singing of Jesse Sinatra (thanks to Earlene LaWall!) and our member Betty Graham gave a thoughtful presentation on “Poetry and Prose in the Garden.”   It was a lovely way to end a good AAGC year. 

    A very special thanks to Joanne Warner-Handelsman who has kept the refreshments flowing at all our events for many years now.  Thanks too to all the Board members who continue to help set policy and consider budget questions for the club. And to club members who have contributed refreshments,  opened their homes or given programs this past year.

   Sadly we have lost one AAGC past president, Bette Lowe, who passed away in August 2007, as well as losing Alfa Colley who moved to Madison, WI, in the spring of 2007.  Both of these ladies were most generous in their contributions and support of the AAGC.  They will be sorely missed.

   Virginia Patton Moss (Ginny) is our first 50 year member.  Amazing!

    In 2006-2007 the club enjoyed the new benefit of being able to receive the AAGC newsletter by email which cut postage costs by half.   Over half the members opted to change to electronic format.

   This is a challenging time for club memberships.  From an all-time high of 250 members about 20 years ago, the AAGC now has only 72 paid members going into the 2007-2008 year.    Please bring your friend to the next meeting!  Being a garden club member can be a fun and rewarding experience the more that you participate.
 
                                            Bonnie Ion