Our featured speaker will be Tom Darnton, President of the Lake Charlevoix Association. One of the primary goals of the Association is to serve as an advocate for sensible and sustainable practices for lake use and shoreline development. In 2025 they completed the revitalization of the Shoreline Greenbelt Demonstration Gardens at Sunset Park in Boyne City. Using native plants that prevent erosion and filter runoff the garden is an example of how lakeshore property owners can protect the health of Lake Charlevoix.

All CAGC Members are welcome to join us as we discuss Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation, by Andrea Wulf.

For the Founding Fathers, gardening, agriculture, and botany were elemental passions: a conjoined interest as deeply ingrained in their characters as the battle for liberty and a belief in the greatness of their new nation. Founding Gardeners is an exploration of that obsession, telling the story of the revolutionary generation from the unique perspective of their lives as gardeners, plant hobbyists, and farmers.

We are looking forward to seeing our fellow gardeners at our annual plant sale in May. Our members worked hard through the fall to dig and divide beautiful perennials - preparing them for safe storage through the winter.

This annual fundraiser for our club supports the work we do to maintain nine gardens throughout Charlevoix.