The Charlevoix Area Garden Club was organized in 1939 and federated in 1949.  As of January 2007, we have 120 members.  Our Mission statement is:  The mission of this club shall be to beautify the home and city; to cultivate a love and knowledge of trees, plants, and flowers; and to foster a true friendship among its members.  Our Club flower is the pink Showy Lady Slipper.  This year's theme is "Where the Wild Things Grow!" selected by President Mary Watson Chavez.

The Club maintains eleven civic gardens, cleans U.S. 31 as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program, donates gardening books to the Public Library, hosts a Downtown Beautification Project, and supports MSU Extension Center's youth gardening programs.  The Club also works with kindergarten through sixth grade art teachers to develop instructional modules and assist students as they create posters for the National Garden Club and Michigan Garden Club poster contests.  Poster contest winners are recognized and awarded with funds and certificates by Club members at a Spring Tea.  The Club also awards scholarship money for programs that enhance science learning and gardening expertise for elementary and middle school students. 

The Club has also undertaken special community projects in designing and planting new gardens.  Recent project undertakings include:  the Butterfly Garden at the Middle School, the Depot Heritage Garden at the old Railroad Station, and the Meditation Garden at the Charlevoix Area Hospital.

Members meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. followed by a speaker or workshop.  Members sign-up to be hostess and co-hostesses.  After the meeting, we enjoy cookies, punch and socialization.  We publish a monthly Newsletter for members.

To support our projects, we host several fundraisers each year, including:  a Spring Plant Sale, a Summer Garden Walk, a Semi-annual Luncheon, a Spring Blooming Bulb Sale in the Fall, and a hand-made Quilt Raffle.  We also accept and appreciate donations.

Gardening courses are offered through Michigan Garden Clubs.  An annual State Convention and two District meetings are held each year.  As a member of the Charlevoix Area Garden Club, Inc., we are also members of the Michigan Garden Club, Inc. and the National Garden Club, Inc.

If you are interested in joining the Chalevoix Area Garden Club, please contact our Membership Chair at P.O. Box 602, Charlevoix MI 49720 or call 547-9475.