Shelby Gardeners Club to host presentation on weeds in the garden

SHELBY TOWNSHIP —The Shelby Gardeners Club will be hosting a presentation on the positives and negatives of weeds at the Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center, 4101 River Bends Drive, at 1 p.m. April 10.

Jennifer Ott, Shelby Gardeners Club member and My Thyme Gardens owner, will be the guest speaker talking about the good and bad about weeds in the garden.

Ott, who is also a volunteer at the Oudolf Garden Detroit, has years of hands-on experience running a landscape maintenance company. With field-tested strategies for reducing weeding, she helps gardeners work smarter, not harder. She also challenges the traditional view of weeds and advocates for the inclusion of beneficial plants like milkweed.

“Weeds — they’re the relentless invaders of our gardens, but what if we saw them in a different light? In this engaging talk, we’ll dive into the reasons weeds appear, what they reveal about our soil and ecosystem, and how understanding their characteristics can help us manage them more effectively. We’ll explore natural, sustainable weed control methods and debunk common myths about eradication. But not all weeds are foes — some bring incredible benefits to our gardens! Learn about the overlooked wild plants that deserve a place in our landscapes for their beauty, resilience, and ecological value. Whether you’re battling dandelions or reconsidering what makes a plant a weed, this talk will inspire a new mindset for how we view these garden guests,” she said.

Ivy Schwartz, publicist for the Shelby Gardeners Club, said she remembers seeing Ott’s company clean up her neighbor’s garden. Schwartz was impressed.

“I later met Jennifer when she joined the Shelby Gardeners Club. I have grown to respect her knowledge and work ethic. We always welcome new members; Jennifer is one of our talented new additions,” she said.

Cheryl Sypniewski, a member of the Shelby Gardeners Club, said Ott serves on the Heritage Garden committee.

“Her expertise about plants and design is very much appreciated by both the club and the township. Originally from Traverse City, Michigan, Jennifer’s love and passion for nature began as a young child. Growing up in the country with woods as her backyard, her family’s vegetable garden was larger than her house. In later years, while living and gardening in Kodiak, Alaska, she would collect seaweed from the beaches in order to shift the volcanic ash-filled soil of her garden into rich, fertile soil. As her gardens flourished, her curiosity about gardening was piqued. She furthered her knowledge by working for The Mossy Tree LLC back in her hometown of Traverse City. Jen will share her valuable knowledge about gardening,” she said.

For more information, contact Schwartz at (586) 873-3782 or visit shelbytwp.org/our-township/community-service-organizations/shelby-gardeners-club.