Michigan Garden Club Awards

MGC#1 Civic Beautification – Awarded to a garden club or clubs for the planting of annuals and/or perennials that beautify a public area.
MGC#2 Civic Beautification – Awarded to a garden club for planting wildflowers and/or native plants that beautify a public area.

MGC#3 Horticulture – Awarded to a garden club that is outstanding in promoting and stressing horticulture by participating in two or more of the following horticultural practices:

1. Growing plants under artificial light.
2. Pest control avoiding hard pesticides.
3. Placing permanent labels on plant material in areas used by the public.
4. Other-field trip, memorial garden, public workshops.

MGC#4 Horticulture – Awarded to a District or club or for outstanding achievement in either of the following:

1. An outstanding educational activity to promote good horticultural practice.

2. Overall excellence and a well-balanced program for the year in horticultural activities.

Honorary Award: Liberty Hyde Bailey – Awarded to the garden club which has contributed the most comprehensive offering in any phase of horticulture. May be given to the club applying for one of the above Horticulture awards.

Trees

MGC#8A–Native Tree Awards—Award to the garden club that excels in any one of the following:

1. Promotion of the planting and care of Native Trees.  Tree must be named and type of care described.
2. Development of a Native Tree Educational program for garden club meetings.
3. Involvement of youth (school children, teens, 4-H Clubs, Scouts, etc.) to encourage the planting and maintenance of Native Trees.

• MGC#8B  Arbor Day Recognition –  Awarded to the garden club for the best overall promotion of Arbor Day. Emphasis on the importance of planting, replenishing, and environmental impact of trees and to heighten community awareness through educational programs, new plantings, and projects.
• MGC#8C Arbor Day Youth Activity – Awarded to the garden club for the best overall promotion of Arbor Day involving youth. Emphasis on teaching youth the importance of the environmental impact that trees have within the community and worldwide.

Youth

MGC#9 The Caroline E. Gray Award (Youth) – Awarded to a garden club participating in an outstanding project with school-age children in the area of horticulture, nature study, conservation, flower arranging, beautification or civic concern.

Publications

MGC#10 Educational Publications Club (Printed or Electronic)– Awarded to a garden club, or group of clubs providing the most outstanding 4 consecutive weeks or months of high caliber educational articles on various aspects of gardening published in print or on social media for their club or District.

1. Must reference MGC within the publication.
2. Must have 2 or more members participating in writing articles. Dated copies of articles must accompany award application.

MGC#11 Educational Publications Individual (Printed or Electronic) – Awarded for the best feature article written by a garden club member highlighting subject areas of horticulture, gardening, landscape or floral design, or the environment. Published article should be approximately 1000 words and have appeared in a newspaper, periodical, or community publication. Dated article must accompany application.

MGC#12 Senior Outreach – Awarded to a garden club that provides garden therapy activities for seniors or coordinates with another organization to provide community outreach to seniors in the area of horticulture/design or environment. Examples: Planting raised bed gardens, teaching table gardening, making/distributing cups of cheer with/to a senior facility.

MGC#13 Horticulture/Design Display – Awarded to a garden club for a display of Horticulture and/or Design using live or dried material in a public building such as a library, art center, museum, city hall, etc.  New display to be placed quarterly throughout the current year.  Signage used should acknowledge the club as well as MGC. Include photos with captions.

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MGC #14  Environmental – Awarded to garden clubs where their project promotes conservation, recycling, environmental programs for meetings or presentations at District/community meetings educating the public. See Michigan Consultants Council Awards MGC Website/Awards/Link.

Community Gardening

MGC#15A Share the Harvest Community Vegetable Garden -Awarded to the garden club that works with local residents within the community by educating, planting, and harvesting vegetable/herb gardens. The residents are required to participate with club members in the gardening project.

MGC#15B Share the Harvest Vegetables in Flower Beds– Awarded to a garden club that incorporates vegetable and herbs into established flower gardens to educate the public and then harvest the produce for donation to local food kitchens and community food organizations

MGC#15C – Share the Harvest Youth – Awarded to a garden club that plants vegetables and herbs in containers and/or raised beds where participants can grow and harvest the food. Special consideration should be given to educating children in growing vegetables in containers.

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Decorative Design/Horticulture Display

MGC#16A  Holiday Décor – Awarded to a club for an outstanding effort to beautify the community with holiday decor using greenery/swags/pots containing live or dried items with a theme that furthers MGC’s goals and objectives. Photos required.

MGC#16B  Holiday Décor Youth – Awarded to a garden club for the best holiday tree decorations created by youth using live, dried, and/or recycled materials following a theme that furthers MGC goals and objectives and is displayed in public for community awareness.  Photos required.

MGC#16C Holiday Workshop – Awarded to a garden club that hosts a (make-and-take) workshop for making environmentally friendly holiday decorations using live, dried or recycled materials. Emphasis on community involvement. Include photos with captions from the workshop.

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MGC#YB  Yearbook – See Yearbook Award on MGC Website for additional information

MGC#18  Garden Walk Award – See Michigan Consultants Council Awards MGC Website/Awards/Link.

MGC#19  Honoring Our Military – Awarded to a garden club that designs, installs, or renovates a garden using perennials/annuals at a Blue/Gold Star or other site designated to honor our military. Must be designed by club members, stressing member participation. Application must include before and after photos. Work must be completed in the current award year.

MGC#20  Community Outreach – Awarded to a garden club that sponsors an educational program or workshop for the community that supports the MGC mission of the love of gardening, floral and landscape design, civic and environmental responsibility.

MGC#21  Membership Promotion – Awarded to a garden club with the most innovative activity, set of activities, or the most outstanding effort to increase public visibility for the purpose of increasing club membership or to make the public aware of the mission and activities of garden clubs. Examples include, membership brochures, leaflets, other club publications, or publicity the club has received.  Printed materials must be included and submitted with the application.

Award of Honor to recognize outstanding contributions by an individual. Send to MGC Awards Chairman, Kathy Wolverton, , 616-460-5957.

This award is to honor our members whose volunteer efforts during a period of five or more years, have made outstanding contributions to club and community in one or more of the following areas: Civic Development, Conservation, Design, Garden Therapy, Horticulture, Landscape Design, Youth Activities, All-around Excellence.

Book of Evidence is not to exceed 6 pages. It should be typed and secured in a folder. It should include a short, typed description of nominee’s accomplishments. The Title Page should include:

1. Name of State Federation and Central Region;
2. Area(s) of nominee’s contribution;
3. Name, complete address, and phone number of nominee and nominee’s garden club(s);
4. Sponsoring club, including club President’s name, mailing address, and signature.

Supporting information to include:

1. Maximum 2-page outline listing accomplishments of nominee, including offices and chairmanships held;
2. A picture of nominee (minimum 3”x5”, preferable 5”x7”) of good quality for reproduction. To prevent damage to the picture, place data on an adhesive white label adhered to surface. Place picture in self-addressed envelope and enclose in left pocket of folder. Do not seal.