Welcome to the Portage Garden Club website! Thank you for stopping by. We hope you’ll take a minute to look around our site. If you’d like information about membership or have questions about our plant sale or programs, please use our contact form.  We’ll get in touch with you soon.

 

The Portage Garden Club is back with new presentations and meetings.

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• June 19, 2025: Tour of Leila Arboretum
•  928 W Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, MI 49037
•  Meet at Park & Ride (8316 Angling Rd, 49024 at 10:15am to carpool
•  Members will Self-Tour until 12:30. Lunch will be at Horrocks Farm Market, 5801
• Beckley Rd., Battle Creek, MI 49015

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July 17, 2025: Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Scotty Jacobs, Artist in Residence

• 400 Culver St., Saugatuck, MI 49453
• Meet at Park & Ride (8316 Angling Rd, 49024 at 11:00am to carpool
• Scotty Jacobs is the Artist in Residence to the art center. He has designed new gardens on the grounds of the art center. There is also an ongoing exhibit called “A Caregiver’s Butterfly Garden.” The tour with Mr. Jacobs begins at 12:00pm.
• Lunch will follow at a restaurant in the area.

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August 21, 2025: Hubbard’s Corey Lake Orchard & Sunflowers

• Corey Lake Road, Three Rivers, 9093
• Meet at Park & Ride (8316 Angling Rd, 49024 at 10:15am to carpool
• The Hubbard family has owned and operated the business since 1961. Besides the orchards, they have a farm marker and bakery. There is limited handicapped parking near the bakery.
• Members to bring a sack lunch and chair. The bakery has many items for desserts.
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September, 2025: District 3a Fall Conference

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September 11, 2025: Dahlia Walk at The Houseman’s Home. Note this is a week earlier than our normal September meeting.

• 520 West G Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49004
• Meet at Park & Ride (8316 Angling Rd, 49024 at 10:15am to carpool
• The Houseman’s Dahlia’s are going to be shown at the 2025 American Dahlia Society and Midwest Conference in Chicago, the third week of September. They are members of the Dahlia Society of W. Michigan.
• Members to bring a sack lunch and chair.

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October 16, 2025: Grape Vine Wreath Making and Book Exchange

• Schrier Park, 850 W Osterhout Ave, 49024
• Lunch begins at 12:00pm
• Each member will add items to create a long-lasting wreath. Estimate cost to members is $5. Glue guns will be supplied along with some wreath making materials.
• Members to bring a sack lunch. Beverages and Dessert by hostesses

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November 20, 2025: Landscaping for Healing & Serenity by Jeff Romance

• Schrier Park, 850 W Osterhout Ave, Portage, MI 49024
• Jeff Romance is co-owner of one of the oldest and respected plant nurseries in Portage. He has an extensive background in landscape design and is an accomplished artist.
• 12:00pm, bag lunch with beverages and dessert provided by hostesses

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December ?, 2024: Holiday Luncheon and Gift Exchange

• Park Club, 2019 W South Street, Kalamazoo, 11:30 in the Pub Room
• Reservation and lunch choice will be collected by the November meeting.
• Gift Exchange, bring a gift with a $15 value. Lunch choice will be determined
• Date will be determined

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January 15, 2026: Social Afternoon and Potluck

• Home of Mary Klenow, 10625 Woodlawn Ct., Portage, 49002
• Join in a winter afternoon of potluck favorites and get together.
• Arrive by 12:00pm.

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February 19, 2026, High English Tea

• Stuart Manor, 7340 Garden Lane, 49002
• Carren Cramer is a tea aficionado who has hosted many high tea parties. Her presentation will be about tea, its origins and types.
• High Tea Attire is encouraged. The luncheon will include tea sandwiches, desserts, andtea, there will be small fee for supplies.
• Arrive by 12:00pm.

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March 19, 2026, Mushrooms in the Garden by Chris Zurn

• Stuart Manor, 7340 Garden Lane, 49002
• Chris Zurn is a certified mushroom identifier. Chris belongs to the MI Mushroom Hunters Club.
• 12:00pm, bag lunch with beverages and dessert provided by hostesses

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April 16, 2026, New Plants for 2026 at Wedel’s Nursey, Florist and Garden Center

• Wedel’s, Texas Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49009
• Gary Miller will give a presentation on new garden plantings for 2026. Gary is a delightful speaker with knowledge in all aspects of the perennials, shrubs, and trees at Wedels.
• 12:00pm, bag lunch with beverages and dessert provided by hostesses

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May 21, 2026, Plant Sale Set Up and Club Meeting

• At the home of Anne Klimek, 6407 Cherrywood, Portage, 49024
• 12:00pm, bag lunch with beverages and dessert provided by hostesses
• After lunch we will go to the nursery to finish set up for our annual sales

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May 22-23, 2026: Annual Plant Sale

• Plant Sale: Friday, May 22, 7:00am to 5:00pm
• Plant Sale: Saturday, May 23: 8:00am to 3:00pm

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May 2026, District 3A Spring Conference

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June 7-8, 2026: 2026 MGC Annual Conference, Together We Grow

• Ann Arbor

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June 18, 2026: Fennville Poppy Fields and Crane’s Restaurant & Winery

• Poppy Field: 6054 124th Ave., Fennville, 49401; Crane’s Restaurant & Winery: 5897 124th Ave., Fennville, 49404.
• Meet at Park & Ride (8316 Angling Rd, 49024 at 10:15am to carpool
• Join us for a delightful day of magnificent Poppy Fields at the home of Joan Donaldson.
• We will then drive down the road to have lunch and dessert at Crane’s.

The Portage Garden Club is back with new presentations and meetings.

The Portage Garden Club was organized in 1969 and was federated in 1970 as a member club of the Michigan Garden Clubs (District III) and the National Garden Clubs.

We are a group of friends that share a passion for gardening and enjoy making a difference in our community. We meet February – December on the third Thursday of the month around noon, usually at the Stuart Manor in the Celery Flats. Our meetings include an opportunity for learning. Each program includes a presentation on a gardening related topic of interest to our members. We either have a guest speaker or a field trip.

Following are some examples of the activities and projects of our Portage Garden Club:

• Coordinating with the Portage Parks Department, we planted and now maintain the perennial gardens around Stuart Manor in  Celery Flats.   

• We have our annual plant
  sale and fund raiser the third Friday in May at a member’s home. The perennial and outdoor plants we share are ones from our own (and friends’) gardens that have done so well, we have extra. If there are any leftover plants, we donate most of them to Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity.
• We donate and plant the annual gardens at the MediLodge Nursing Home in Portage.
• We participate in Kalamazoo in Bloom by adopting and maintaining/weeding an annual bed near the Portage City Hall. 
• We purchase, collect, and donate many mittens, gloves and hats to the Senior Center Needlers who then distribute them to those in our community that are in need of them.

We also contribute money to other community charities and organizations such as the Michigan Garden Club Scholarship Program, the Kalamazoo Nature Center, Portage Community Center, Kalamazoo in Bloom, Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary, the National Garden Clubs, Inc. project: Global Partners Running Water and Power Up Backpack Program.

We have a wonderful Club and always enjoy getting together to learn, work and play in our gardens!

Please visit our Facebook page for news and updates.

We are affiliated with the Michigan, Central Region and National Garden Clubs.