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“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves /
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!”
Humbert Wolfe

Applications now open for 2025-26 grants and scholarships

Nonprofit garden, farm projects invited to apply for Ann Arbor Farm & Garden grants; scholarship funds available to college students


Ann Arbor Farm & Garden is now accepting applications for grant funding from nonprofit garden- and farm-related projects in Washtenaw County. Grant applicants must be nonprofit or 501(c)3 organizations.

Projects must further the mission of Ann Arbor Farm & Garden to promote and support local gardens, farms, and environmental stewardship through education, community service, and financial grants and scholarships.


College students pursuing studies in horticulture, environment, and related fields are invited to apply for scholarship funds.

The application deadline is November 30, 2025. Award decisions will be announced in February 2026. Please direct questions to Ann Ringia, Foundation Chair, at AAFG.Foundation@gmail.com.

AAFG2025_26GrantApp     


AAFG2025_26ScholarshipApp

The art of Ikebana takes center stage in October


The Japanese art of flower arranging, Ikebana, has been practiced for centuries. Using principles and creative theories to arrange “living flowers” or “making flowers come alive,” Ikebana evokes the whole of nature itself, and people’s relationship with nature.


Learn about this art form and observe a live demonstration at our Thursday, October 9 meeting. Presenters Liz Larwa and Terre Voegeli, Associate Masters in the Ichiyo School, will share the history of Ikebana, from its classical origins to present day avant-garde styles, and highlight differences between Ikebana and Western floral arranging.


On Thursday, October 23, Farm & Garden members are invited to take part in an Ikebana Workshop from 1-2:30 pm at the Gladwin Conference Center. Space is limited to 20 members. A $20 fee will be collected at the door.


MEMBERS: Flower Therapy needs cans for vases! Please bring CLEAN cans (standard 10.5 - 15 oz size) to the October 9 meeting, or contact Karen Mikus for alternate drop-off arrangements.

Dividing perennials is topic of new Garden Conversations series

Sunday, Oct. 19, 3-4 pm

Hands-on demonstration; members only; limited space


One of the benefits of being a Farm & Garden member is all the learning we do! Whether from a speaker at our monthly meeting, a field trip or garden visit, or just talking with other members, we're always discovering and sharing something new about the practice of gardening. We're pleased to announce a new opportunity for education -- Garden Conversations.


Our first offering tackles the timely topic of dividing perennials. Not sure how to split a grass or divvy up daylilies? AAF&G member Cathy Schuh, whose Old West Side garden was featured on the 2025 Ann Arbor Garden Walk, will discuss and demonstrate division of different plants. Bring a bag to take some divisions home! You can also bring perennials you'd like to share.


The event is open to AAF&G members only, and space is limited to 12 participants. Please register using the link below by October 12 at 11:58 pm. The street address is included in the event listing and will be in the registration confirmation email.


Register Now




Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
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Ann Arbor T-Shirt Company offers Farm & Garden apparel


A variety of AAF&G tee shirts, hoodies, and a tote bag, featuring our logo and a lovely floral design by local designer Rebecca Bartlett, await your perusal at the Ann Arbor T-Shirt Company.

 

The clothing comes in a wide variety of colors and styles. Pay close attention to the sizing; some items are unisex and run larger. Items are non-returnable. To eliminate shipping fees, you can pick up your order at 505 S. Maple (opposite the Kroger in Westgate).

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Delightful dahlias and happy Walkers make pop-up Fall garden visit a blooming success


More than 200 garden enthusiasts joined Ann Arbor Farm & Garden on Saturday, Sept. 6 to explore member Si Chen's glorious garden on Frains Lake. The dahlias were a tour de force of color and shape, the perennial beds lush with blooms and foliage, and the orchard attracted interest and questions. The day was a bit cloudy and cool, but the atmosphere was warm and friendly. The event raised more than $1,000 for our Foundation account, which funds our annual grants and scholarships awards.


Many thanks to everyone who traversed the long road up to the garden to experience this hidden gem. Your support of our mission is much appreciated! Sincere thanks to Si for generously opening up her garden and being on hand to greet visitors and answer questions. Thanks as well to our member volunteers. Special kudos to event chair Carol Polverini for all her efforts in setting up the walk. It's always a great day when you're in a garden!

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Be eco-friendly this fall -- it's easy with these tips

Whether we're tending a traditional urban yard, an expansive garden, or a rural property, we all have a role to play as good environmental stewards. Creating and maintaining habitats for our bird, frog, bee, butterfly and insect friends has never been more critical. Happily, there are some easy ways to simplify your fall garden chores AND do your part to support the creatures who help support us.

Leave the leaves! (and the perennials)
Leaf litter is an incubator for a host of insects, frogs and toads, and other wildlife. Native bees nest in hollow stems of perennials, and butterflies overwinter on a variety of garden plants. Birds feast on the seed heads of coneflowers, sunflowers, liatris and more.

Check out the Xerces Society's "Leave the Leaves" campaign site for extensive information and great resources, including cool signs you can download and display to neighbors and passersby.

Plant bulbs for next Spring's pollinators
Early-blooming bulbs provide critical nectar for bees. Daffodils, alliums, crocus and hyacinths are great choices. (Tulips are lovely, but irresistible to deer.)

MSU Extension has a wealth of information on spring-flowering bulbs here.

Plant Michigan native shrubs and trees
Their flowers, fruits and foliage are important to a wide range of insects, birds, and mammals, and they'll add beauty to your landscape. Fall is an excellent time to plant!

Discover the best of our natives with these guides from MSU Extension and Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation.


Saline gardener provides facts and inspiration in new book


How much difference can one person, one yard, one garden club make in rebuilding our natural world? Edith Andersen, a longtime Michigan gardener and member of the Saline Garden Club, has some ideas.


Her recently published book, Rebuilding Nature: Yard by Yard, combines facts about where we stand today in caring for nature, pollinators and wildlife with practical steps that anyone can take in our yards and communities to help reverse some of the harm humans have caused to the environment.


"With practical advice, inspiring stories, and a generous dose of hope, this book proves that the solution to our environmental crisis isn't happening in distant parks—it's growing right outside your door....every yard matters. Every choice counts. And every firefly deserves a fighting chance." (from Amazon description)


Edith hopes to encourage not only garden club members, but all homeowners and gardeners, to see that every effort we make counts. Together, our collective impact can be profound.

Become a Certified Master Composter in Washtenaw County!


Want to transform yard debris and kitchen scraps into a nutrient-rich, natural soil amendment? Identify your own soil profile? Create low-maintenance, low-waste yards? Tour large- and small-scale compost operations? Know how to compost with red worms? Make compost teas? All these topics and more are offered by a range of presenters through the Fall 2025 Master Composter class.

Course Details

  • Six-week workshop, Tuesdays, Sept. 16 - Oct. 21, 6:00-8:30 pm
  • Cost: $69 plus optional $10 printed manual fee
  • Locations: Ann Arbor Senior Center, 1320 Baldwin Avenue, and Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road.

Meet the Team:

Lisa Perschke, Advanced Master Composter, Advanced Master Gardener

Joet Reoma, Master Composter, Master Gardener, Master Rain Gardener

Marcella Trautman, Master Composter 

Chris Simmons, Master Composter, City of Ypsilanti

Ann Broderick, Master Composter

Sarah Archer, Owner, Iris Waste Diversion Specialists and 5-Hearts Worm Farm

Christine Charles, Michigan State University Extension Agent

Joanie Stovall, Project Grow Coordinator, Master Composter

Get to know Ann Arbor Farm & Garden!


We’re a welcoming, active group of learners, doers, explorers, and leaders,

passionate about sharing and promoting the many benefits of gardens and gardening with each other and our community.

We raise money for annual grants and scholarships, expand our gardening and environmental knowledge,

and share beauty with others through garden tours and flower therapy. In the process, we create strong social connections and lifelong friendships.


Flowers – Friends – Food – Gardens – Giving

AAF&G members enjoy them all. Join us!


Giving


Membership


Learning


Flower Therapy

Ann Arbor Farm & Garden is a social and philanthropic 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.


Our mission is to promote and support local gardens, farms, and environmental stewardship through education, community service, and financial grants and scholarships.


Founded Fall 1946 / Incorporated Spring 1997 / Independent Spring 2017

P.O. Box 354

Dexter, MI 48130