UPCOMING EVENTS
Holiday Floral and Tablescape Workshop
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 10:00 am
Boerner Botanical Gardens
Join fellow GCGM members as we gather for our annual holiday floral workshop. Make a seasonal centerpiece with fresh florals, greens, and holiday trims. New this year: Learn tips for decorating your table with your centerpiece. We will have unique tablescapes on display to give you creative ideas for your holiday celebration.
GCGM Holiday Celebration
Friday, December 15th, 11:00 am
Woman's Club of Wisconsin
Join your GCGM friends and celebrate the season at our festive annual luncheon and floral design fundraiser. The Woman's Club will be decorated for the holidays and we will enjoy a delicious menu created just for us.
PAST NOTABLE EVENTS
“A Wealth of Nature: Photos of Parks and Natural Areas in Southeast Wisconsin”
Friday, November 17th, 10:30 am
Woman's Club of Wisconsin
“A Wealth of Nature” is a project spearheaded by Eddee Daniel and Preserve Our Parks, a non-profit dedicated to preservation and promotion of
parks and open space. Eddee has traveled throughout the Milwaukee region documenting the area’s abundance of nature and recreational opportunities. Eddee described the project, the challenges parks were facing, what Preserve
Our Parks was doing about them and shared his beautiful photographs.
Thai Cooking Demonstration
Wednesday, November 8th, 1:00 am
AN OX CAFE
An exciting private Thai Cooking Demonstration in-person event demonstrated the art of Thai cuisine. Thai dishes with authentic flavors and spices were created.
Fall Themed Floral Workshop
Thursday, October 26 at 10 am.
Boerner Botanical Garden.
Participants made floral arrangements for the fall season with fresh flowers, greenery and trims, as well as learned creative floral design technique to incorporate natural materials from the garden into their design.
Discussing “Easy Does It”
New Book Group First Meeting
Tuesday, October 24th., 1 pm - 3 pm
Bay View Historical Society
The featured book was Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Participants shared impressions from the book related to questions that have been formulated
by facilitators.
Future Landscape Design for Milwaukee Public Museum. GCGM Program and Meeting
Thursday, October 20th at 10:30 am
Woman's Club of Wisconsin
David Malda Landscape Designer shared the insider details of his work, the project and the idea of garden in the context of gardening in this country and its relation to European traditions. He discussed collaborating with the design teams in creating a beautiful, functional
green space on the grounds, as well the future museum’s rooftop garden, to best meet the education and community needs of the neighborhood and visitors.
Apple Picking and Sweet Treats
Friday, Sep 29, at 10:00 am
Peck and Bushel 5454 County Road Q, Colgate, WI
A delightful day of apple picking and indulging in delicious sweet treats! It was a great opportunity to enjoy the crisp autumn air while hand-picking ripe, juicy apples straight from the orchard at Peck and Bushel.
A Living Art Frame with Succulent Plants Workshop. Milwaukee District Garden Club fundraiser.
Thursday, September 21st, from10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Boerner Botanical Gardens
This was an opportunity to help Milwaukee District Garden Club as well as to create and take home a living art frame filled with succulents. Nancy Cody, GCGM president, a certified floral designer, the owner of Rose and Twig Floral Design and and her helpers guided us in creating a unique art frame filled with succulents at Boerner Botanical Gardens
Alice’s Garden and Urban Farm event featuring herbs.
Saturday, September 16th, 9:00am to 2:00pm
Alice's Garden Urban Farm, 2136 N. 21st Street, Milwaukee
This was a hands-on day of herbal learning, crafting, cooking, brewing, blending. GCGM provided sponsorship for this community event. For tree summers, a group of dedicated GCGM members has been working on maintaining the labyrinth with healing herbs & plants.
From Meteorology to Biodiversity
Friday, September 15th from 10:30am to 1:00pm
Woman's Club of Wisconsin
This was our first meeting of the new garden club season. Eric Manges, on air meteorologist at FOX6 in Milwaukee, a weather expert, as well as a passionate lover of nature who grows a native garden behind the weather deck on the Fox6 property, spoke about the importance of biodiversity and how his meteorological expertise led him on this journey. We saw many beautiful photographs of his adventures. He recently published an interview and story on the cranes in Wisconsin.
Lakeshore State Park:
Seating Oasis Dedication
Friday, September 8th from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Lakeshore State Park
500 North Harbor Drive Milwaukee, WI 53202
The celebration was held at the site developed with funds from our club's Plant America Grant and matching funds donated by GCGM.
A brief program featured guests David Robson, National Garden Club PLANT AMERICA Community Grant Chairperson; Elaine Zautke, Lakeshore State Park Manager; and James Steiner, designer of the oasis representing landscape architectural firm Helianthus. Light treats and guided walks through the park added to the morning’s festivities.
Open Days
Saturday, August 19th and Sunday, August 20th
10:00 am-4:00 pm
Second time this summer The Garden Club of Greater Milwaukee in partnership with The Garden Conservancy brought "Open Days" garden tours of three unique, rarely open, private gardens in the greater Milwaukee area.
Welcome to My Garden
Field Trip
Tuesday, August 1, from 10:45 am to 4:00 pm
Wauwatosa, WI
We were invited to tour the gardens of our two members in the Wauwatosa area followed by an optional lunch at the Cheesecake Factory at Mayfair. After the lunch, at 3:00 pm, there was a docent led tour of the gardens at the Kneeland Walker House.
Gardens Tour in Madison
Field Trip
Tuesday, July 18
Participants visited four beautiful private gardens in Madison.
“Life in a Beehive”
Field Trip to Indian Summer Honeybee Farm
Friday, July14, 10 am
Guided tour of the honeybee farm provided a great opportunity to learn how the bees were raised, what they did, and how they differ from other bees. Demonstration of honey extraction.
Open Days
Saturday, June 24th and Sunday, June 25th
10:00 am-4:00 pm
The Garden Club of Greater Milwaukee in partnership with The Garden Conservancy brought "Open Days" garden tours of three unique, rarely open, private gardens in the greater Milwaukee area.
Annual Meeting and Inauguration of Officers
Friday, June 16th, 10:30 am
Woman’s Club of Wisconsin
This fiscal year’s final meeting was held at Woman’s Club of Wisconsin. We celebrated remarkable accomplishments of the last two years, 2023 scholarship winners, as well as the installation of new GCGM officers.
The Secret Life of Bees & Their Buddies
Friday, May 19th, 10:30am
Woman’s Club of Wisconsin
Restoration ecologist, Hallie Minser, discussed our native pollinators with a heavy focus on bees. This program meeting was followed by luncheon at the Woman’s Club of Wisconsin.
“Draw the Landscape”
Friday, May 12th, 10:00am and 1:00pm
Boerner Botanical Gardens
James Steiner, GCGM member and landscape designer, guided participants at the Boerner Botanical Gardens to practice basic perspective, tonal shading, and texture to better appreciate outdoor spaces. No prior art training was needed.
Container Gardening Workshop
Thursday, May 4th, 9:45am
Ebert’s Greenhouse Village
With help from the staff at Ebert’s Greenhouse Village, workshop participants took home a container garden they made, as well as ideas to create healthy, long-lasting container gardens at home.
“Foolproof Perennials“
with Horticulturist Zannah Crow
Friday, April 21, 10:30 AM
Meeting and Luncheon at Westmoor
Country Club
Horticulturist Zannah Crowe of Heyden’s Gardens presented a program on reliable perennials that
could be counted on to thrive and perform in your garden year after year. These include new
introductions as well as the tried-and-true that have earned their long-standing popularity.
“Washington Highland Historic District”
Walking Tour with David Zachman
Tuesday, April 18, 10:30 AM, or 1:00 PM Corner W. Washington Blvd. & 60th Street
Tour of Wauwatosa neighborhood that was the site of the Pabst farm. Threatened by prohibition
the land was sold to the city for development. City planner Warren Hegemann plotted the land while
landscape designer Ebert Peets planned out curving streets to preserve the topographical features. The design included private parks and limited through traffic. The area has residential dwellings from the 1920’s and 30’s including Tudor, Dutch Colonial and Italian renaissance Revival, Mission style, Arts and Crafts and Japanese exotica.
Floral Art Workshop
Wednesday, April 12, 10:00am
Boerner Botanical Gardens
Create your own floral designed leather cuff bracelet. This painted and jeweled bracelet you can proudly wear or give as a gift to that special person.
"Maple Sugarin"
Tuesday, March 28th, 10:00am
Pancake Breakfast and Maple Sugarin' Program at Riveredge Nature Center.
Stroll through the sugar maple forest, called the Sugarbush, on a crisp March day. Learn about the maple sugaring process: tapping 101 basics such as which trees to tap and how, gathering sap, use of the evaporator in the Sugarbush House to boil down the sap, and how climate change is affecting the season. As the grand finale, members will enjoy a homemade pancake breakfast with Riveredge maple syrup, prepared just for our Garden Club
Creative Container Gardening: Drama for Every Season with Paul Zammit
Friday, March 17th, 10:30am
Zoom Program and Luncheon at MAC
Just as outdoor garden spaces change throughout the year, Paul Zammit believes seasonal transformations should also be reflected in dramatic container arrangements in our gardens as well as on our patios and balconies. Join Paul for an energetic presentation where he will discuss how to select your container, then demonstrate the steps to successfully creating an eye catching and lasting planter. He will also highlight many of his choice plants, container combinations and planter accents just in time for this growing season!
Paul Zammit held the position of the Director of Horticulture at the Toronto Botanical Garden for 10 years before joining the faculty at Niagara College. He is a passionate gardener and lover of nature who has been delivering presentations across Canada, throughout the US and abroad for over 30 years. Paul is an avid photographer as well as a gardening advisor on the CBC “Here and Now” radio program.
The Art of Ikebana Floral Workshop
Wednesday, March 1st, 10:00am
This workshop demonstrated basic Ikebana principles and theory. After observing a demo participants completed their own arrangement. The instructor, Lynn Laufenberg, is last year’s winner of Art in Bloom.
Beauty, Integrity and Resilience: Can a Garden Have Everything?
Friday, February 10th, 10:30am
Zoom Program and Luncheon at MAC
How can we change our approach to design, plant choice, planting techniques and maintenance regimes to maintain both our aesthetic goals and provide habitat for the insects and birds we love? Cole Colston Burrell, garden designer and author's lecture, Zoomed into the ballroom of the Milwaukee Athletic Club on February 10th, provided clear scientific information along with beautiful images of “resilient” gardens
This Zoom presentation was held in conjunction with a meeting and luncheon at the MAC.
“The Rockefeller Gardens”
Friday, January 20th , 10:30am
The GCGM will once again welcomed as a
presenter, author and photographer, Larry
Lederman. The book depicting the famous
Rockefeller estate and gardens was available for
purchase before this free Zoom presentation.
Alcohol Ink Workshop taught by Beth Kluth
January 13 and January 17 , 10:00- 12:00
Boerner Botanical Gardens
This was a great class for all aspiring artists who wanted to explore a different media and learn to create vibrant abstract art using alcohol inks. No experience was necessary, no special talent or skills or tools need, just a willingness to explore a different approach to art.
GCGM Annual Holiday Social
Friday, December 16th, 11:00 am. at the Milwaukee Athletic Club
The Holiday Social including luncheon and centerpiece raffle was held at the MAC.
Holiday Floral Workshop with Nancy Cody
Monday, December 12th,
In this workshop participants made a winter/holiday themed arrangement with seasonal flowers, greenery, and trims. Nancy Cody provided floral design techniques and tips on how to keep the design fresh for the holidays.
Thanksgiving Floral Centerpiece Workshop with Nancy Cody
Saturday, November 19th,
One of the most popular activities the GCGM offers is a floral workshop led by Nancy Cody, owner of Rose and Twig Floral Designs, GCGM member, and Chair of the Floral Design Committee. This fall Nancy and her
committee have invited members to a fall wreath-making workshop, a fall floral centerpiece workshop, and a holiday floral workshop.
“What’s Old is New”, a talk by Betty Adelman,
followed by lunch.
Friday, November 18th, 10:00am – Noon the Milwaukee Athletic Club.
Betty Adelman of Heritage Flower Farm sells plants not only to local gardeners, but to botanical gardens and historic sites across the United States. She’ shared stories of the heritage plants she grows and propagates and of the adventurers who risked their lives to collect
“Russian Rice” Michael Schlappi Marquette University Biologic Science Professor
Friday, October 21st 10 am at Mequon Nature
Preserve
Lecture by the Marquette University science professor, who created a rice paddy at the Mequon Nature Preserve, about the selection of rice, with the ability to be grown in a northern climate, and the history of where and how the paddy project started.
Modernist Landscape Design
Friday, September 16th, 10:0
First meeting of the new Club at our new home base, the Milwaukee Athletic Club for a program by Jennifer Current who has led projects in Europe, Asia and the Great Lakes region. .
PAST NOTABLE EVENTS
Tour of Margie’s Children’s Garden
Children’s Garden tour was led by Rosheen Styczinski, GCGM, member and the garden’s designer. This 3-acre garden was created with kids in mind and offers multi-sensory experience.
Event was held Tuesday, September 6th, 10:00am, 11:00am & Noon
Northwind Perennial Farm – Lake Geneva
Recently the Garden Club of Greater Milwaukee members gathered at Northwind Perennial Farm where in 1991, a group of three combined their talents to create something wonderful on a ten-acre farmstead. Members heard Roy Diblik perennial plant expert, grower, designer, speaker and author share his words of wisdom about sustainable perennial planting.
We then traveled to Lake Geneva to share a wonderful lunch at Lake City Social. Following lunch, we walked to the Riviera Dock to board the Lady of the Lake steamboat for a tour of the fabulous homes surrounding the shores of Lake Geneva. The only word that fits this tour is
“WOW”. The homes were unbelievable and Mother Nature couldn’t have provided a more
beautiful day..
OPEN DAYS 2022
GCGM was participating in Open Days, a national program of The Garden Conservancy.
More than 11 acres of unique, rarely-open, private gardens at three locations in Milwaukee County, were open for tours on Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31, from 10 AM to 4 PM.
Another Open Days garden tour to Sally Edgett’s Garden Gone Wild on August 20th offered an opportunity to learn how to successfully incorporate native plants into your garden.
Our Club’s 100th Anniversary Luncheon
We celebrated our 100th Anniversary at University Club, Friday on June 17th with a gala luncheon, memorabilia from our 100-year history, a slide show of past Garden Club events, and a speech by the Milwaukee Historical Society which brought us back to the Milwaukee of 1921.
“THE LANDSCAPE LEGACY OF JENS JENSEN”
Sponsored by Landscape Design Committee, Helen Dahms chairperson, this event was held in Lubar Auditorium, Friday, May 20th at 2:30pm.
Our presenter, Stephen McCarthy, spoke on the legacy of landscape designer Jens Jensen, known for his natural landscapes as part of the Prairie School movement. Jensen's artistically designed landscapes emphasized the use of native plants and featured careful spatial composition, attention to the play of light and shadow effects, naturalistic rock work and water features, inspired by the native Midwest landscape.
Our presenter, Stephen McCarthy, has practiced landscape architecture in Illinois and Wisconsin, in both the public and private sectors, for the past 40 years. He focuses on public sector natural resource- based projects, native landscape restoration and natural area preservation.
ART in BLOOM
Garden Club of Greater Milwaukee, fka MAMGC, was the Presenting Sponsor for 2022 four-day, sold out event, held at the Museum Art Museum from Thursday, April 7th through Sunday, April 10th.
"BIRDS IN THE GARDEN: CREATING AND ENJOYING A BIRD OASIS”.
Sponsored by Horticulture Committee, Sandy Pike chairperson. Zoom presentation by Pam Karlson.
Pam lives in Chicago; her photographs feature her home garden which attracts over a one hundred twenty species of birds and other pollinators. She shared tips that focus on landscape enhancements, practices, and plants, with an emphasis on native species. The connection between Milwaukee’s importance to the migratory route, bird species diversity, habitat, diet, foraging, nesting, and citizen science was also discussed. The event was held on February 18, 2022,
“FLOWER CONFIDENTIAL”
Sponsored by Floral Design Committee, Nancy Cody chair. Zoom presentation by Amy Stewart, nationally known author, gardener and artist
Amy spoke about the history and the logistics of the flower industry and her book ”Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers”. Event was held on December 10, 2021.
DEDICATION AND CURATOR LECTURE AT THE BETTY GOLD SCULPTURE
Margaret Andera, acting Chief Curator, gave an outdoor lecture about Betty Gold's sculpture, Monumental Holistic IIII.
In honor of its 100th Anniversary, MAMGC sponsored the conservation and reinstallation of this sculpture on the Milwaukee Art Museum grounds . Event was held October 1, 2021
NATURE WALK AND RAPTOR SHOW AT SCHLITZ AUDUBON NATURE CENTER
Sponsored by Environmental Committee, Lurilee Springer-Wilson chair.
This event was followed by a picnic lunch at Doctors Park on September 10, 2021.