... but that didn’t stop 19 Club members from thoroughly enjoying Wildfair, the "Mansion in May" show house and gardens in Chester County fundraiser for Morristown Hospital. Although touring the gardens in a downpour was next to impossible, we did manage to see the entire home and finish with a stroll through the boutique. Then it was off to the Black Horse Tavern in Mendham for a delicious lunch and conversation with old friends and new ones. The sun came out just in time for our ride home! Looking forward to the 2027 showhouse. Thank you to Cynthia for putting this trip together! --Karen Kadus

Open Garden of Kazys Varnelis & Jennifer Bell THIS Wednesday, May 28, 2025 Address 3:30 to 6:30 There is so much to love at this one.  The garden is designed and maintained by Kazys Varnelis who is a historian of architecture, an artist who has exhibited at MoMA, and the President of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey.  Not being able to fit into our 2024 schedule, Kazys has waited a year to invite us to his May garden where his mid-century modern home beautifully blends into the forest garden that he transformed during the last eight years. Kazys's blog documents the evolution of this Northeastern native plant collection and their history in culture. Kazys and Jennifer are also hosts to this weekend’s Roses to Rock Gardens tour, so you will find easier parking and time to chat with them this Wednesday.  Rain or shine, this Open Garden is on! Marilyn Zaret ( marzaret@comcast.net )

June 10-12, 2025   The Garden Club of New Jersey is exc i te d to be offer i ng F l ower Show S choo l Ill i n J une o f t his year a t Holly House , 1 2 6 L og Ca bi n R oad , Eas t Br u nswick, N J . T h ese classes can b e ta ken in a n y o rder; t a k en for credit wit h t h e ob j ective of becom i ng a j udge or audited to le a r n m ore about F l ower Shows, ju dg in g, designs , and h orti cu l tu re . We hope you will conside r re gis te r i ng . Regis t ration info rmation i s o n the GCNJ website .   On Tuesday, Jun e 10,  our own He id i Mu s ch ic k w i ll ins t r uct i n horticu l tu r e, sp ec i ficall y j udg i ng roses and c o m bi na tion pla ntings a n d pr o cedures. T he GCN J members will p rov id e numerous p l ant mater i a l a nd p l antings for yo u r l earn i ng ex p erien c e . The morn i ng is s p en t learning all about these su bject s, then we break for l unch, a nd then c on cent ra te fo r t wo h ours on poi nt scor i ng wh ic h is th e bas i s for all judg i ng . T hose takin g it for cred i t w i ll do poi n t scor i ng for c red i t from 3-5 p.m.   Wedn es day, June 11 , L ynn F ronk fr om Georgia w ill i ns t ruct u s o n C r e ative Design an d st aging a nd p r ocedures. Ag a i n, our members and the i n st ructor w i ll have des i gns i n front o f you t hat w i ll be expla i ne d an d p oin t-s co r e d fo r your l earn in g e xp e r ience .   Fo r t hose t ak i ng the exam on l y , we w i ll mee t a t 9 a.m . unti l noon for a wr itt en exam on both su b j ects, o n T hursday, June 12.   Att en d i ng th ese courses is a wond e rful jo u rney and l ea rn i ng e xp erience . W e hop e you w i ll joi n us, for one day o r b o t h days. P l ease ch eck o ut our r eg is t r ation fo r the club spec i a l rate. Gail Bas so l i no is our r eg i st r a r an d may be r eached at cbassolino@aol.com for any re g i stration questions . T edd i e F a l cone i s the Fl ower Show Ch a ir a nd may be reached at tlfalcone@gmail.com for questions. P l ease CLICK HERE  for full reg i st r a tion information.   Flower Show School IV will be coming up in the spring of 2026. Stay tuned!

The Garden Club of Montclair is dedicated to sharing knowledge and practice of conservation, horticulture, and the artistic use of plant material. We beautify the Township of Montclair and sponsor and support projects in the schools of our town. And, not least, we foster fellowship and friendship through our work and our social activities. Education Beautification Fellowship In the News CLICK HERE to see ALL "In the News" posts So it Rained a Little....... Jun 8 A Highlander’s Native Spring Garden May 26 GCNJ Flower Show School III May 26 Open Garden: Farm to Fable May 17 Blooms and Bites with Provisionals May 10 April Competition Results May 4

Botanical Arts Schedule See the schedule for "Great Escapes," the NGC Small Standard Flower Show taking place on September 12-13, 2025. Open to all levels. All tables are 30" high and covered with ivory linen. See monthly schedule, below. As dates pass, they move to the bottom of this page. Check all rules for Botanical Arts - Horticulture, Design, Artistic Crafts, Photography. See also NGC Handbook for Flower Shows . No September, December, or January competitions. Need a refresher prior to GCM's monthly competitions? We have online videos to help, featuring Florence Leyssène and Debbie Moran, NGC accredited Master Flower Show Judges. Structural/Fluid April 21, 2025 Register with Florence Leyssène by Thursday, April 17 . Artistic Crafts A Wrist Prom Corsage. Using fresh and/or dried plant material and a structure created by exhibitor (non-plant material may be used for structure). Corsage displayed on underlay provided by exhibitor and placed on a table. Allowed space 12” x 12”. Mechanics must not be visible. (Photo: Francoise Weeks .) Design Pot-et-Fleur. A design with an emphasis on a combination of 2 or more flowering and/or foliage plants with roots growing in soil or other medium. Fresh cut flowers must be included. Other fresh and/or dried plant material and/or components may be added for embellishment: fruits, vegetables, nuts, branches, and decorative wood may be used for a dominant line in keeping with requirements. Must NOT be a landscape or combination planting. Staged on a table. Underlay permitted. Allotted space 18” x 18”. Minimal/Maximal October 21, 2024 Register with Florence Leyssène by Wednesday, October 16 Botanical Arts Artistic Crafts (6 entries max) A Ghostly Mask. A mask provided by exhibitor and embellished using fresh and/or dried plant materials and other components. Staged on a styrofoam head 11” high and 20” in circumference covered with black hose, provided by committee and placed on a table. Botanical Arts Photography A Color Photograph of Fall Foliage. Must be 8” x 10", matted in white, with a maximum size of 11” x 14” including the mat provided by exhibitor. Staged on a table using an easel provided by exhibitor. Dark/Light November 18, 2024 Register with Florence Leyssène by Thursday, November 14 Botanical Arts Artistic Crafts (8 entries max) A Napkin Ring for the Holidays . Fresh and/or dried plant material required. Designer must create the ring using components and/or plant material. Non-plant material components must not be visible. Displayed around a napkin placed on a placemat no larger than 15” x 20”. Napkin and placemat provided by exhibitor. Design An Exploration Design - Freedom of Style. Freedom to explore the world of creativity with plant material and design. Some plant material must be used but there is no restriction on what can be done to the plant. Note that this is the only class permitting treatment of fresh plant material such as painting, flocking or dyeing. Staged on a dark green pedestal 36” high with 14” square top with a maximum of 24” allotted width for the design. Underlay permitted. See results. Shouts/Whispers January 13, 2025 Register with Florence Leyssène by Thursday, January 9 Botanical Arts Horticulture Dried and Preserved Flowers. 3 to 4 different dried, preserved or pressed plant material specimens staged on 11” x 14” card stock provided by exhibitor, correctly named by binomial or currently accepted scientific designation. Staged on a table using an easel provided by exhibitor. No dyes, glitter, spray paint, or manipulation permitted. Photography A Black and White Photograph of a Winter Landscape. Must be 8” x 10”, matted in white, with a maximum size of 11” x 14” including the mat provided by exhibitor. Staged on a table using an easel provided by exhibitor. See results. Friends/Lovers February 10, 2025 Register with Florence Leyssène by Thursday, February 6 Design (4 entries max) A Mobile. Freely moving and suspended in a black frame 36" x 24" provided by committee, using fresh and/or dried plant material and other components. The frame is the frame of reference, no plant material or components are allowed outside the frame. Staged on a 30”high table, covered with ivory linen. Artistic Crafts (6 entries max) A Heart-Shaped Brooch no larger than 4”x 3” staged on a 5” off-white cube placed on a 30” high table covered with ivory linen. Designer’s choice of plant material and components. Brooch must be wearable, ready to wear with a brooch pin attachment. Non plant material may be used for construction/structure of the brooch but must not show. Clipping, cutting or shaping of plant material is allowed. See results. Harmony/Asymmetry March 10, 2025 Register with Florence Leyssène by Thursday, March 6 . Design A Plaque. A design organized in a natural manner using dried plant material and other optional components attached to a 11” x 14” background serving as the frame of reference, provided by exhibitor. Staged on a table either vertically or horizontally in upright position on an easel provided by exhibitor. Artistic Crafts A Bird House. To be provided by exhibitor no larger than 12” in height, width and depth, and embellished with fresh and/or dried plant material (no other components allowed) staged on table. Allotted space 18” x 18”. See results.

Thank you, Donor Name We are so grateful for your generous donation of $0. Your donation number is #1000. You’ll receive a confirmation email soon.