Calendar Garden Club of Montclair events have green dates; NGC, CAR-SGC, and GCNJ events appear as purple dates.

Garden Boutique Committee Reports Committees 2025-2026 — Susan Benner, Chair The mission of the Garden Club Boutique is to support gardening and design needs while generating revenue. We continue to sell items at programs and workshops. In the fall, the “Waxed Amaryllis,” a great holiday gift, was a popular item. While we use an “at cost” pricing strategy as a service to our club members, keeping costs below retail prices, the Boutique still generated $450 in profit. Exciting Boutique items were for sale at “Great Escapes,” the Small Standard Flower Show held in September, and the Boutique will sell 100th Anniversary Celebration bags, notecards, and various gardening and other gift items at this year's Standard Flower Show. Boutique items are now stored in the club’s storage room. 2025-2026 Committee : Susan Brady, Ellen Colton, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Dorothy Meissner, Sara Olson, Brigitte Padberg, Nancy Stroud. 2024-2025 — Susan Benner, Chair The mission of the Garden Club Boutique is to support members’ gardening and design needs while contributing revenue. Items are sold at our Program Meetings and Workshops. Although a Basket Raffle wasn’t held this year, we hope to hold one for the 100th Anniversary. The Boutique generated $450 in profit. Boutique items are now stored in the Club storage room. 2024-2025 Committee : Marie Donnelly, Anna Lee, Kem Louie, Nancy Stroud, Allyn Young, Marilyn Zaret. 2023-2024 — Susan Benner, Chair The mission of the Garden Club Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs while contributing revenue to the Club. Once again, flexibility is the key for the Garden Club Boutique. We continued selling items at our Programs and Workshops and had another successful “Basket” program. We generated $1,895 in profit this past year (Revenue: $3,188, Expenses: $1,293). Awards luncheon vendor donations from 2023 appear as income for 2023-2024. We have not received all the donations from the recent awards program, so they will appear as income for 2024-2025. Vendors donated over $450 from sales at our Holiday Tea. We anticipate similar donations from vendors at the Awards Luncheon. Special thanks to all those members and local businesses which donated items and bought tickets for our Baskets at the Luncheon, which contributed $760 to the Club. For those who got a basket, please thank the businesses who donated when you visit their shops. Special thanks to the members of the Boutique Committee for all their efforts. We welcome any new members to the team. All items are stored at the home of Susan Benner. If an item is needed, just ask Susan. 2022-2023 — Susan Benner, Chair The mission of the Garden Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs with flexibility, while contributing revenue. We continued our "Basket" sales and started selling items at our Program and Workshop meetings. We generated over $4000 in profit this past year. With revenue from a large donation of items from Brenda Bingham, we started off the year with $1,351 at our July "Garage Sale." Arts & Flowers : A Design Specialty Flower Show generated over $2,200 in sales ($1,700 in profit). We sold flower show notecards and bags. Special thanks to all our Members who contributed art for sale, which generated $702 in pure profit, along with our gorgeous photo flower dress, which generated over $142 in donations. Vendors generated over $800 from sales at our Holiday Tea and Awards Luncheon. Special thanks to all those Members and local businesses that donated items and bought tickets for our raffle at the luncheon, which contributed over $500 to the Club. Special thanks to the Boutique team and we welcome new Members to join us. Contact Susan Benner for needed items. 2021-2022 — Susan Benner, Chair Once again, our need for a flexible meeting place has challenged the revenue generation of the Garden Boutique. The cancellation of our in-person meetings, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limited opportunities to sell boutique items and vendor contributions. We did not meet our budget of $1,000 but contributed a profit of $492. The Garden Boutique page on the Club's website was set up last year, but few new items were purchased. The boutique focused on selling our current inventory with a focus on demand items: Oasis, AgraWool, gloves, and garden utensils. "Basket" sales were the primary means of selling. For 2022-2023 our strategy will focus on sales during the 2022 ARTS & FLOWERS, A Design Specialty Flower Show, and providing items for sale as a service to our Members. We continue to use the "at cost" pricing strategy as a service to our Club Members by keeping the costs of tools for design and garden below general retail price. Look for exciting unique Garden Boutique items for sale at September's flower show! Vendor participation was inhibited during the past year, and we hope for more involvement in the upcoming year. Special thanks to the Garden Boutique team who helped with set up and sales. All items are stored at the home of Susan Benner. Just contact Susan Benner if you need anything. The boutique will need help at the 2022 flower show and to "reset" the boutique in the Club room after the remodeling. Please join the team. The mission of the Garden Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs. If an item is needed, JUST ASK. 2020-2021 — Susan Benner, Chair The Garden Club Boutique contributed $570 to the Club this year, less than the budgeted amount of $1,000. The cancellation of our in-person meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic limited opportunities for Boutique item sales and vendor contributions. The Boutique set up a page on the Club’s website. Few new items were purchased as the Boutique focused on selling current inventory. “Basket” sales were the primary selling mechanism. The 2021-2022 marketing strategy will focus on vendor contributions and sales at the 2022 Flower Show while providing items for sale as a service to our members. We continue to use the “at cost” model as a service to our Club members by keeping the prices of tools for design and gardening below general retail levels. Special thanks to the Boutique team who helped pack up Boutique items in anticipation of the United Way Building remodeling project. All items are now stored at the home of Susan Benner. Contact Susan if you need anything. The Boutique will need help next year for the 2022 Flower Show and then to "reset" the Boutique in the Club Room after remodeling is complete. Please join the team. The mission of the Garden Club Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs. If an item is needed that we don't stock, JUST ASK. 2019-2020 — Susan Benner, Chair The Garden Club Boutique exceeded its projected income of $500 and contributed $1,257 to the Club this year, despite the cancellation of our in-person meetings starting in March due to the Covid-19 emergency. We continue to use the "at cost" pricing strategy as a service to our Club members by keeping the cost of tools for Flower Design and gardening below general retail price. Our profit was achieved by selling unique items such as insulated gardening gloves, Therapy Dough, and Jellyfish air plants, as well as our holiday plants. The biggest revenue comes from the donations from vendors who sell products during our Holiday Tea and Annual Awards Luncheon. The new Make Earth Green Again caps were a success. We donated the profits from the sale of these MEGA caps to A Lot to Grow and NorthEast Earth Coalition — both nonprofit organizations support sustainability and the protection of the environment in Montclair ($108 each). We will order more caps next year for sale during the 2021 Specialty Flower Show. Many of our talented members are once again painting pictures inspired by the flowers in the wonderful Avis Campbell Gardens. The Boutique will sell them next year during the 2021 Flower Show. Special thanks to the Boutique team who helped pack up the Boutique items in anticipation of the remodeling of the United Way Building. All items are now stored at the home of Susan Benner. Contact Susan if you need anything. The Boutique will need help next year for the 2021 Flower Show and then to "reset" the Boutique in the Club room after the remodeling. Please join the team. The mission of the Garden Club Boutique is to support your gardening and design needs. If an item is needed, don't hesitate to ask.

Program Committee Reports Committees 2025-2026 — Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Chair; Karen Fricke, Vice Chair The Program Committee scheduled five educational programs for the year, although we only ended up holding four due to a snowstorm in February. Sam Hoadley will be scheduled for next year. Here is a list of our programs and speakers: October 20, 2025 , Ethan Dropkin: Urban Landscape Inspirations from Native Plant Communities November 17, 2025 , Linsey Vandevier: Foam-Free Flower Design January 26, 2026 , Dani Scanella: Planning Your Kitchen Garden February 23, 2026 , Sam Hoadley: Wild Hydrangeas for the Mid-Atlantic Region CANCELLED March 23, 2026 , Duncan Himmelman: Gardening for Hummingbirds Our programs were well attended and our raffles brought in extra money that we put to good use for our April program. Rather than an educational lecture, our final program of the year was an evening event, held at the Montclair Art Museum, to mark our 100th Anniversary Celebration. In lieu of our April monthly competition, the Flower Design Committee presented arrangements inspired by each decade of the club’s history. The hallmark of the evening was a legacy film produced by the Program Committee titled “A Century in Bloom.” The film documents the history of our club and is a testament to its impact on the membership and the community. Our thanks and appreciation to our 2024-2025 committee members. Comittee Members, 2025-2026: Barbara Baletti, Charlene Connolly, Sydney Milliken, Amy Poster, Sarah Stransky. 2024-2025 — Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Chair; Karen Fricke, Vice Chair Our monthly meetings returned to the auditorium at 60 South Fullerton Avenue. Below is a list of our speakers. September: David Daehnke, The Gardening Guru, hosted an Open Forum, answering questions and inspecting specimens from members. October: Yulia Bellinger presented “Wild and Free: The Art of Naturalistic Planting.” November: Ethan Kauffman, Director of Stoneleigh Garden, presented “Stoneleigh and Using Natives in a Formal Setting.” January: Lindsey Taylor, well known author and designer, presented “Art in Flower: Finding Inspiration in Art and Nature,” based on her recently published book. February: Caitlin Boyle, principal of Dirt Diva Designs, presented “Better Together: Plant Combinations that Wow.” March: CeCe Haydock, landscape architect, presented “Beyond Gatsby: The Fabled Gardens of the North Shore of Long Island.” We continue to work to find interesting and informative programs for the membership and hope we are fulfilling that mission. Our thanks and appreciation to our 2024-2025 committee members: Susan Brady, Carol Callahan, Charlene Connolly, Deborah Hirsch, Sydney Milliken, Sarah Stransky. 2023-2024 — Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Chair; Karen Fricke, Vice Chair Our monthly program meetings moved to a beautiful new space in Bnai Keshet synagogue. With so many new members joining our Club during Covid, we decided to start off the year with an overview of all that our Club has to offer. Our September program, “Swap & Share,” introduced members, new and old, to what each hardworking committee hopes to achieve in the upcoming year. We shared our treasures in a swap of design items and gently used garden tools at this evening event. Award-winning landscape designer and author Jan Johnson, showed us in our October program, “The Spirit of Stonescaping,” how to use stone in the garden as a durable and sustainable landscape element, for rock gardens and dry streams, as benches, paths, and more. November brought Dan Benarcik, horticulturist at Chanticleer Gardens, and an international consultant, speaker, and writer, who presented his program, “Pot with a Purpose,” about the exciting world of container gardening. He shared his knowledge about styles, techniques, types of containers, and favorite plants. In the dreary month of January , Kelley Forsyth, the head horticulturist of Branch Brook Park, brightened our day with her program, “Color, Color Perception, and Colorful Plants,” as she helped us gain a deeper understanding of color perception and theory in order to create vibrant and seasonal outdoor spaces. Brian Rombough, a licensed state tree expert and co-owner of American Tree Experts, Inc., a Montclair company owned and run by the Rombough family for three generations, spoke at our February program. His presentation, “Ask the Arborist,” explained how he diagnoses and corrects typical health issues in trees and shrubs and showed us how to look for distress in our own plants. March brought Horatio Joyce, Director of Public Programs and Education at The Garden Conservancy, to speak to us on the topic, “Restoring, Rescuing, and Rehabilitating Our Nation’s Public Gardens.” He shared with us the story of The Garden Conservancy and their beloved program, Open Gardens. Our April program focused on three of our own talented and creative members: Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Tova Narrett, and Lauren Zodel, women who found their way to the glories of gardening after (or during!) careers in the garment industry. Each designer displayed a garment representing her niche in the industry, as well as a floral design, inspired by her garment. Each shared reflections on her career in the world of fashion, and ruminated on how she transferred that same creativity to the world of gardening and floral design. This evening program was accompanied by refreshments. Monthly raffles brought in donations totaling $700. Members 2024-2025 : Susan Brady, Carol Callahan, Charlene Connolly, Deborah Hirsch, Sydney Milliken, Gretchen Prater, Sarah Stransky, Susan van Inwegen, Sue Young 2022-2023 — Susan van Inwegen, Chair; Ginny Demoreuille, Vice Chair Our speaker programs began in October this year due to September's Arts & Flowers : A Design Specialty Flower Show. In October the delightful Marc Hachadourian, author and Curator at the New York Botanical Garden kicked off the season with a wonderful presentation on orchids. The passionate Deb Ellis, environmental activist, Master Gardener and founder and co-leader of the Essex County Chapter, Native Plant Society of New Jersey, followed in November with her aptly timed talk, "Fall and Winter in the Native Garden." Next, Master Gardener, local beekeeper and owner of Stately Hyland Apiaries, Eileen Hyland regaled us with information about bees and sold the tasty honey from her apiary. Our own Amy South, owner of Moss & More, spoke to us about houseplants at our March evening meeting. We were pleased that several beautiful items from her shop were raffled. Author and City Gardens Club of New York City member, Sydney LeBlanc led us on a wildly colorful and pictural tour of "The Secret Gardens of Santa Fe." In May, Deb Ellis opened her garden and spoke briefly about the spring beauties for biodiversity that lie within. We were fortunate to be able to host our programs live this year. 2021-2022 — Susan van Inwegen, Chair; Ginny Demoreuille, Vice Chair We hoped to return to in-person meetings this year, but a resurgence in COVID-19 numbers caused us to turn to Zoom. Samir Dalal, September 's speaker, is the planning manager at the Philadelphia Landcare program. He oversees more than 12,000 previously empty lots in Philadelphia which have been turned into green spaces. These have drawn residents and pollinators, benefitting the community and the environment. Our October speaker, Bruce Crawford, guest lecturer in the landscape architecture department at Rutgers, showed many commonly used plants, and then suggested interesting and lesser-known alternatives. Steve Kristoph, nursery owner and adjunct professor of horticulture and landscape design at Rutgers, presented in November. Steve was a passionate speaker, and his talk, "Garden Getaways," caused us to start planning visits to the many wonderful gardens in the Northeast that he showcased. Lindsey Taylor, January's speaker, is a floral designer who writes the column "Flower School" for The Wall Street Journal. Each column focuses on a floral design that she creates in response to a sculpture or painting. This talk was very well attended, with a lot of questions and discussion. Hilda Krus, February's speaker, is the Director of the Horticultural Society of New York's GreenHouse Program on Rikers Island. Incarcerated men and women receive horticultural therapy, classroom training, and year-round experience in the gardens. This program touches lives, provides rehabilitation, internships, and life and job skills to the participants. In March we had our first live program of the year. We gathered in a large and well-lit space at Union Congregational Church. Jennifer Bakshi, owner of Urban Oasis Landscape Design, showed us how plantings can refresh a landscape when all the surrounding elements — building structure, driveway, porches, and other features of a home — work harmoniously together. Our final program in April, held at Union Congregational Church, was a well-attended evening meeting. Local florist Anna Coy was an enthusiastic speaker, discussing her approach to floral design while creating one of her signature hand-tied bouquets, as well as an artful compote centerpiece, and a contemporary sculptural design. 2020-2021 — Charlene Connolly, Michele Trevenen Co-Chairs Our Club embraced Zoom programs as the best way to keep Membership connected this year. With the assistance of our Committee and Zoom master Florence Leyssène, members were kept engaged with a variety of subjects from the world of gardening and flowers. Our October Zoom program featured local aviary authority and world traveler Sandy Sorkin presenting “The Birds, the Bees, the Flowers and the Trees of London” facilitated by member and spouse Kathy Sorkin. After so many months confined to our homes, we were ready for a virtual tour of London’s gardens. In November, we hosted an evening Zoom meeting featuring artist Chips (Hank) Feeley from his home in Vero Beach, Florida. Chips’s artistic talents, art history expertise, and hands-on approach educated Membership about the grand masters and their unique painting styles. We enjoyed Chips's engaging enthusiasm for his discipline. Kathy Kauhl, head archivist of Essex County Parks, gave a historical tour of our county parks in her presentation, “Not Just Cherry Blossoms — the History of Gardens in Essex County Parks”. We gained an appreciation for the vision and planning of our county forefathers in the creation of our county park system. A snowy February afternoon introduced us to Deb Ellis, founder of the New Jersey Native Plant Society, Essex County chapter. During her presentation, “Feeding Butterflies, Not Bambi: Deer Resistant Native Plants”, we learned best garden planning practices for the coming season. In March, Linda Williams introduced us to the art of jewelry design using botanical specimens. Linda presented an overview of the techniques used to create one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry from our garden’s bounty. Our final Zoom program featured Marta McDowell, a favorite Garden Club speaker. Her presentation, “Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life” included excerpts from her book about the famed American Poet. Marta shared interesting stories about Emily Dickinson and her gardening life in Amherst, MA. We received such a favorable response from our members that we expect the Club to plan a trip to the Dickinson Family homestead when we are able to travel again. 2019-2020 — Charlene Connolly, Michele Trevenen, Co-Chairs The Program Committee scheduled a diverse and rich offering of presentations this past year. Our intention is always to capture the many and varied floral and gardening interests of our Membership. The programs were well attended with more than 60 members and their guests participating at each meeting. Although we hit the pause button in mid-March, we are excited to announce that our March and April 2020 speakers are now scheduled for the 2020-2021 programming year. Our first Program Meeting on October 21st featured Althea Llewellyn, a Master Gardener who is a certified instructor in Square Foot Gardening. Althea shared her enthusiasm for gardening in a limited space as she demonstrated the principles of square foot gardening which, we learned, produces a bountiful yield of vegetables, flowers, and herbs. The Garden Club returned to its home base, the United Way Building, on November 12, when we proudly introduced our first evening Program Meeting that welcomed over 110 members and guests. Coleen Christina Burke, author, designer, and historian, presented "Christmas with the First Ladies." Coleen served on the White House Holiday Decorating Team working under the guidance of Laura Bush and Michelle Obama. While sharing her experiences working with our nation's First Families, Coleen gave the audience an insider's view of how the White House occupants prepare for the December celebrations. The holiday spirit was embraced by all in attendance that evening. On February 24, the Garden Club returned to Van Vleck House & Gardens when Bruno Leyssène, husband of one of our own, shared his expertise as a perfumer with his program, "From Flowers to Fragrances." Bruno presented an overview of the many facets of the fragrance industry and how flowers, herbs, and spices are processed. We sampled fragrances while Bruno infused his presentation with interesting facts of how industry professionals develop the fragrances and scents for the products we use in our everyday lives. We wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to our very able Program Committee members: Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Debbie Fitzpatrick, Sue Lotz, Sydney Milliken, and Patricia Rodie for their willingness to help take attendance, set up, and reassemble the space for every Program. We thank Chuck Fischer, Executive Director of Van Vleck House & Gardens, for his assistance and guidance on using the space and the audio/visual equipment for Programs.

Church Street Gardens Committee Reports Committees This committee was formerly known as the Triangle Gardens Committee. 2025-2026 — Kathy Bachmann, Chair; Maggie Rothman, Vice Chair This year, Triangle Gardens was renamed to Church Street Gardens and, going forward, maintenance will include the circle at Valley Road and Church Street. The new native design installed in the Church Street planters two years ago is doing well. Unfortunately the plants in the Church Street planters generally do not get enough water. Replacements are necessary each spring as well as planting SunPatiens annually and tulips seasonally. The "Christmas tree bed," located at the intersection with Fullerton Avenue, suffered the most with heavy human traffic: we will plant it anew in the spring with a different design. It has been a pleasure to work with all the dedicated and hardworking members of the Church Street Committee, and I look forward to working with Sue Young, the new chair. 2025-2026 Committee: Charlene Connolly, Nancy Foster, Deborah Hirsch, Anna Lee, Betty Murphy, Janet Oscar, Val Slamka, Wendy Stahl, Nancy Stroud, Pamela Turre, Jane Wallace. Special thanks to Michael de Castro, who was a provisional and helped tremendously. 2024-2025 — Betty Jagoda Murphy, Chair; Janet Oscar, Vice Chair Triangle Gardens had a transformative year. After the completely new native design was installed in the Church Street planters (and one planter on South Fullerton Avenue) last spring, the committee worked hard to keep the planters looking fresh all summer. Unfortunately, some of the shrubs in the large Triangle didn’t get enough water and had to be removed. A few of the ilex in the planters also had to be replaced but, for the most part, Cynthia Corhan-Aiken’s wonderful native redesign worked beautifully, and the maintenance of the planters should now prove to be less arduous. The committee planted tulip bulbs in November 2024. In May 2025, we lifted the bulbs and planted SunPatiens in the specific color palette for each planter. We worked closely with the BID regarding watering the plants adequately so the blooms would beautify Church Street throughout the summer season. It has been a pleasure to work with all the dedicated and hardworking members of the Triangle Gardens Committee, and I look forward to working with the new Co Chairs, Kathy Bachmann and Maggie Rothman. 2024-2025 Committee: Olga Bequillard, Charlene Connolly, Susan Dumont, Nancy Foster, Nancy Gerber, Helene Peck, Maggie Rothman, Kathy Sorkin, Wendy Stahl, Nancy Stroud, Patt Sullivan-Perry. 2023-2024 — Betty Jagoda Murphy, Chair; Janet Oscar, Vice Chair BIG NEWS: Triangle has seriously entered the “native plant” arena! Inspired by GC President Sarah Olson’s impassioned speech at last year’s awards meeting, I asked Cynthia Corhan-Aitken if she would create a new design incorporating native species for Church Street. After several meetings with Celia Radek, Janet Oscar and me, Cynthia created a brand-new planting scheme incorporating native and perennial plants to beautify and bring Church Street into the environmentally conscious century! The drawings, complete with examples of envisioned plants, were presented to the BID for approval. The BID agreed to support the work with a $4,000 contribution and The Montclair Foundation granted an additional $2,000. Along with several personal donations, the $6,500 project was fully funded. The ever-committed Triangle Committee has always shown up! Planting tulips in the fall, removing the bulbs in the spring (great thanks to co-chair Janet Oscar) and, following the heavy work that was shouldered by Cynthia’s landscape crew, the committee met on Church Street to implement Cynthia’s design, the first week in June. 2022-2023 — Susan Yu, Chair; Betty Murphy, Vice Chair Triangle Gardens had a beautiful pink spring display of the "Pink Impressions" tulips collection (early and mid-spring blooming Darwin varieties) this year. Calendar days were dashed when Mother Nature gave us some over 80-degree, summer-like April days coupled with torrential downpours in early May. The hot and rainy days finished off our pink flowers ahead of our usual timetable and left us looking only at green stalks. A great crew assembled at the last minute to lift the bulbs on Thursday, May 4 and then plant the rose pink and peppermint white Vincas, dark purple Elephant Ears, white and purple Astilbes, and Rose Cannas on Friday, May 12th, just in time for Mother's Day. It was wonderful to meet and see many of our Provisionals join in alongside our devoted "regulars." Our summer maintenance schedule begins soon, and we hope to see you throughout the season. Hands will be needed for mulching and adding more native plants. COVID-19 presented new challenges on Church Street, including construction that eliminated three of our longtime raised beds, but also wonderful new opportunities outdoors, like meeting when much of life was on Zoom. We team with the Montclair Center BID, namely director Jason Gleason and new manager Jerry Rafalovich. We were honored to be recognized with a GCNJ Civic Beautification award last year. Thanks to the incredible Betty Murphy and Janet Oscar who will now take over chairing Triangle Gardens — a continuance of seventy plus years of beauty and excellence. 2021-2022 — Susan Yu, Chair; Jamie Chase, Vice Chair This is a special year for Triangle Gardens. Not only is it our 70th anniversary of tending the large planters of the "triangular intersection" of Church Street, Bloomfield, and South Fullerton Avenues, but we were also honored by the Garden Club of New Jersey this June with a special Large Club Civic Beautification award. We could not have achieved this without our wonderful, enthusiastic, and dedicated committee and our longtime, expert guide Jamie Chase, who helped us implement a new matrix planting method this year. Last November 6th, into our nine large planters went 1,500 tulip bulbs. This winter, the town removed three of the bulb-filled planters (in front of the now defunct Hampton House and the Pure Energy Salon corner), while undertaking road construction on Bloomfield Avenue. They were deemed hazardous after conducting a quick pedestrian safety study. Also, in early April, the town considered a proposal to require all public spaces be 70-90% native plantings. Special thanks to Betty Murphy, Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, and Celia Radek for representing GCM at the April town ordinance meeting. We plan to incorporate more native plants with Jamie's new matrix system as the season progresses. We hope to see more Provisionals during our summer maintenance schedule and for mulching. May 16th, right after Mother's Day, we removed all the faded red-edged Hocus Pocus and white-tinged Golden Parade yellow tulips from our remaining six planters. The following Monday morning, on May 23rd, we planted Maui Gold elephant ears, pink and white periwinkles (Vinca minor), some native pollinators of coral bells and Jacob's Ladder, and replenished some soil. Thank you to our wonderful crew: Susan Benner, Jamie Chase, Susan Dumont, Maria Matesanz, Penny McCook, Betty Murphy, Sheila Oakes, Janet Oscar, Maggie Rothmann, Kathy Sorkin, Maureen Sprong, Wendy Stahl, Lauren Zodel, and our favorite duo-Charlene & Terry Connelly. All their invaluable help provides another year of beautiful plantings! We are grateful to the Montclair BID, who still supports us with funding and maintenance help, and all the local businesses and public that thank us and appreciate our efforts! 2020-2021 — Susan Yu, Chair; Jamie Chase, Vice Chair In late October our intrepid Triangle Committee enthusiastically turned out to quickly remove the annuals despite COVID conditions and a chilly, misty, steady drizzle. In less than four hours we lifted the pink and white vincas, purple salvia, red cannas and enormous elephant ears. As befitting the challenging year, our tulip bulbs were held up in delivery so we waited for their arrival and planted them mid-November. They bloomed beautifully in the spring. In mid-May, our fantastic Triangle crew removed the spent waves of yellow tulip bulbs and planted the multicolored annual varieties (rose periwinkle, purple astilbe, various cannas) all on a beautiful spring day, and in record time. Normally these tasks, bagging over a thousand tulips and planting hundreds of annuals, would take more than one work day. Later, Jamie Chase planted the crowd favorite — Maui Gold elephant ears. We will continue the summer maintenance of mulching, light weeding, pruning, and rubbish removal. Occasionally we get an extra surprise set of hands via some husbands, and we hope to see more Provisionals. We are excited to welcome the wonderful Betty Murphy, who has agreed to be our new Vice Chair next year. 2019-2020 — Susan Yu, Chair; Jamie Chase, Vice Chair Covid-19 has been a strange and challenging situation and I am especially grateful this year's committee braved the quarantine to enthusiastically help lift, plant, and mulch the Triangle planters. While most of Montclair turned into a virtual ghost town this spring, Church Street lit up downtown with its cheery waves of bright Big Smile yellow tulip blooms that our autumn 2019 committee and Provisional members planted. The tulips were soon offset by the colorful shrubs and white flowering Venus Dogwood planted in 2015. Mid-May, our Triangle crew arrived gloved and masked to lift the 1,600 spent tulips and plant the annuals and later mulch all the raised planter beds. This year's two vinca varieties were Cooler Rose and Cooler Peppermint and were again interspersed with the magnificent elephant ears, Colocasia esculenta "Jack's Giant. " Cannova Rose cannas and Sizzler White salvias were also featured in the Hampton House bed. The planters are maintained through the summer, mostly light weeding and pruning. Montclair Center Business Improvement District (BID) continues to kindly assist us with funding and maintenance. I am thankful to Debbie Moran who generously shared her many skills, especially organizing the Triangle Gardens Committee. Extra thanks are due to Kathy Parsons for transporting the tulip bulbs and helping remove and dispose of the giant elephant ears last fall, and especially to Jamie Chase, current Vice Chair and longtime Committee Chair who continues to provide her expertise and invaluable assistance.

Annual Dues 2026-2027 Select ONE of the TWO options in the green boxes below to pay dues, select committees, and update your contact information. PAY DUES ONLINE Update Member info, choose committees, pay dues online . MAIL CHECK AND FORM Fill out PDF , print it out and mail it with check to the address on the form. Any questions? Contact our Membership Chair, Tova Narrett .

Working With Our Youth This committee is unique — offering the opportunity to spark the same enthusiasm that brought us to join the Garden Club in a new generation. Through activities that introduce young people to the basic principles of gardening, design, ecology, and conservation we hope to encourage participants to develop a life-long love of gardens, a direct appreciation of horticulture's therapeutic effects and an understanding of the importance of plants to our planet.

2017 Flower Show

Membership Committee Reports Committees 2025-2026 — Cheryl Slutzky, Chair Membership in the Garden Club of Montclair remains stable. Sadly, three longtime members passed away during the year. Our website provides the opportunity for interested parties to apply for membership. Both the membership chair and the website manager receive the application via email almost instantaneously. It has been my policy to respond by email inviting those individuals to join while providing them with the list of requirements to become a provisional member. Sometimes this is a lengthy process and sometimes it is very quick: it depends on the interest level of the applicant. On that note, we moved up four individuals to active status this year and now have five provisionals in the pool. There are several more in the wings. The primary obstacle to membership is personal obligation to other activities including work schedules. I have heard that often this past year. Eventually it deters individuals from keeping commitments. Daytime activities are difficult to fulfill for some of our interested provisionals. Perhaps our bylaws need to be looked at once again. In October 2025, I hosted an evening event at my home for provisionals and anyone interested in learning more about flower design. It was well attended and very appreciated. Thank you to Barbara Baletti, Fran Ackerly, and Celia Radek for being wonderful instructors. A big thank you to all the committee chairs, especially Flower Design, Horticulture, Avis Campbell Gardens, and Garden Therapy. You all helped to keep our provisional members current and on schedule. Once again dues collection was a bit of a drag but we overcame it with many reminders and telephone calls as well as emails. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve the Garden Club of Montclair for the past four years. It has been my pleasure even through all the bumps. Congratulations to new Chair and VP Tova Narrett! 2025-2026 Members: Sarah Olson, Brigitte Padberg, Kathy Sorkin, Sue Young. 2024-2025 — Cheryl Slutzky, Chair Membership remains steady at 130, including five Provisionals. In April, our flower designers wowed crowds at MAM’s Free First Thursday, attracting interest — and at least one very active new Member. At our May Awards Brunch, we honored three former Presidents as new Emeriti: Janet Oscar, Sarah Stransky, and Karen Whitehaus. Each of these wonderful women have made and continue to make extraordinary contributions to the Club. Dues collection for 2024–2025 followed the usual pattern — early birds and late bloomers — and I am happy to report all payments have been received. Thanks to all Committee Chairs, especially Flower Design, Horticulture, Avis Campbell, and Garden Therapy, for guiding Provisionals and making them welcome. A special plea: please pay dues by credit card and choose committees via our website. Save time and save a tree! 2024-2025 Members: Susan Brady, Tova Narrett, Brigitte Padberg, Kathy Sorkin, Sonyia Woloshyn. 2023-2024 — Cheryl Slutzky, Chair Membership in the Garden Club of Montclair is stable. Sadly, several beloved members have passed away, a few have resigned for personal reasons, and a few provisional members have had second thoughts due to work schedules. That being said, we continue to attract many interested individuals by way of recommendations from friends and through discovering our truly amazing website. Our website shows off our Club’s accomplishments and describes all we do as a vibrant organization that is constantly evolving. We began the year with 19 provisional members and it is exciting to be moving 10 of these members into active status. They have all worked hard to get there, each in their own individual way. We need every one of them to take an active role especially as we near the celebration of the Club’s 100th anniversary! The Membership Committee is a small group. It does not share the popularity of Garden Therapy, Avis Campbell Gardens, Hospitality, etc. For that reason, I will be welcoming a Vice Chair this year, Fran Ackerly. Fran, who is known for being the Chair of Flower Design and also a floral designer par excellence, will be joining the Membership Committee. She and I will be doing our best to reach every single member and to engage every member on this Committee to fully participate. If you decide to be on the Membership Committee you will advocate for new members. I am hoping to have participation at each and every monthly program as well. To my surprise, I’ve signed up for a second term. I guess I like my job. A big thank you to all the Committee Chairs, especially Flower Design, Horticulture, Avis Campbell, and Garden Therapy. Once again, you all helped to keep our provisional members current and on schedule. Your watchful eyes and encouraging words are appreciated! And once again, kudos to Communications Chair Sue Young for making the membership database available to me. Thank you to Floss O’Sullivan for diligently keeping all Committee Chairs and Officers up to date with her detailed meeting minutes. And a big Thank You to our President Sarah J. Olson for her patience and back-up. All I need now is the ability to deposit checks remotely, and I’m set. 2022-2023 — Cheryl Slutzky, Chair Without Members, we would not have our wonderful Garden Club of Montclair. We saw an influx of nineteen new Provisionals throughout this past year. Several had to withdraw for personal reasons, but we left the door open for their return. From this class, we welcome three new active Members ready to share their talents: Kathy Bachmann, Jacoba Coes, and Karen Fricke. It is vital to the Club's growth to have a rolling admissions policy. If someone is interested in becoming a Member in November or January, we want to welcome them so they can start fulfilling Provisional requirements. While Horticulture might be on hold during winter, there are plenty of workshops, events like Crane House decorating, and clerking for judges. Garden Therapy opportunities were very popular with Provisionals, building camaraderie and helping the Club to do community outreach. Thanks to Sue Young for making the Membership database available and simplifying sending out correspondence, renewing memberships, keeping the database current, and staying on track. I so appreciate all the Committee Chairs, especially Flower Design, Horticulture and Avis Campbell Gardens. You worked with me to keep our Provisionals current and on schedule. Your input and team effort helps us do our best to get to know new people while strengthening relationships with current Members, making everyone feel at home in The Garden Club of Montclair. 2021-2022 — Deborah Hirsch, Chair Despite our continued health crisis, our Membership continued to grow, with an outstanding group of new Provisionals and a wonderful new leader of Membership, Cheryl Slutzky, for the coming two years. This year we did enjoy some time together, and it was without doubt a welcome time. The kindness of our Committee Chairs provided two workshops on two weekends for Provisionals in the fall at Avis Campbell Gardens, in Flower Design and Horticulture. I learn something from every workshop and going back to basics is always informative. Our incredible team of leaders have brought us new Members, maintained a steady calendar of Programs, Workshops, Flower Design, and Horticulture shows, Garden Therapy events, opportunities to work in our gardens, and exceptional communication through our emails and first-rate website. We are working to make evenings and weekends a regular part of our offerings, as we have many Members working full-time who will stick with us if we do! I look forward to working on many committees and under the leadership of our new President, Sarah Stransky, even as we bid adieu to our dear Florence. Take a moment to review the list of new and ongoing Provisionals, as this year we will have an opportunity to get to know them in person, as they will get to know all our Active Members and Committee Chairs. 2020-2021 — Deborah Hirsch, Chair Would you like to know how it feels to be a member of the Garden Club of Montclair during the Pandemic? Remember when the Titanic was sinking and the band continue to play? Well, we are that band. Our members have been impacted in a myriad ways but the coming together for our in-person Awards meeting this May reminded us all of the importance of our relationships to one another, to our beautiful Avis Campbell and Triangle Gardens, to the educational yearning we seek, to the community we serve, and to the amazing resilience of our members, young and old. Welcome to the new Provisional class: Tracey Alampi, Betty Murphy, Virginia Woo, and Lauren Zodel. Inquiries continue to roll in and last year's Provisional class has for the most part stuck with us, lending a helping hand where they could during this shutdown in our lives. We will meet again in May of 2022 to celebrate our new members properly. Until then, thank you to the Membership committee who willingly reached out to our membership to check in throughout the year. 2019-2020 — Deborah Hirsch, Chair Our Membership has proven robust and flexible during this challenging year. Twenty-two Provisionals participated with enthusiasm from the beginning of the year. The Executive Committee unanimously agreed that they all be invited to become Active members for the coming year, since they were unable to complete their requirements because of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. The response was a rousing thank you! Please welcome our new Active members: Susan Brady, Elizabeth Burgess, Christina Cattell, Robert Chapman, Ellen Colton, Jessica Fleming, Sharon Karlson, Dorothy Meissner, Maureen Michaud, Sarah H. Olson, Jacqueline Rondeau, Barbara Schiavone, Florence Sinofsky, Wendy Stahl, and Sue Young. Thank you to their sponsors, and I hope you will continue to support them in their first year Active status. Please welcome our new Provisional class for 2020-2021 who have already taken advantage of opportunities to work outdoors in the Avis Campbell Gardens and Triangle Gardens: Joan Byrne, Nancy L. Herron, Eleni LaSenna, Laela Perkins, and Maryellen Stadtlander. Remember, we encourage Membership applications year round, so if you know of someone who would enjoy our Club, send them my way. I hope all our members will embrace the new year in its virtual form for the time being, as our Committee Chairs work hard to spin their magic in Design, Horticulture, Programs, Workshops, Education, and Garden Therapy for us to enjoy. Thank you to my Membership Committee for their support this year: Carol Callahan, Sarah Olson, Brigitte Padberg, Gretchen Prater, Denise Silverman, Kathy Sorkin, Judy Voccola. To Fran Wong, database wizard, for keeping our information up-to-date, thank you!

This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. < Back How technology can help curb attention disorders Sarah Jones Mar 19, 2023 This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Previous Next

Open Gardens Reports Committees 2024-2025 — Marilyn Zaret, Moderator The Open Gardens Experience continued to thrive this spring as it entered its 8th year with a new entry featuring Marie Donnelly’s “Ode to the Weeping Cherry Tree” and a welcome repeat of Kathy Bachmann’s “Farm to Fable” festivities. Kazy Varnelis, the head of the NJ Native Plant Society, shared his rocky terrain and favorite natural gardening tips. Last year our hosts beat the heat with a moon garden, tested short notice invitations, and even welcomed devoted guests on rainy days. Our non-member friends, George Long and Patty Sullivan, once again joined our host list of repeat performances along with members Marilyn Zaret, Brigitte Padberg, and Bob Chapman with Florence Sinofsky. We look forward to our future Open Garden hosts taking the opportunity to determine their favorite days and themes for new and repeated venues. 2023-2024 — Marilyn Zaret, Moderator Open Gardens began its seventh year with a waiting list of excited volunteer hosts, all non-members, anxious to show off their spring blooms. Yet dozens of our Garden Club members were otherwise engaged with Art in Bloom, channeling their inner gardeners to create floral interpretations from Montclair Museum’s art collection. Consequently, we look forward to those potential hosts inviting us on any summer or fall day of their choosing. Over 40 events have built a large community of fellow gardeners, and we continue to be rewarded by invitations from our friends outside the Club. During the 2023-2024 season, these included Deb Ellis, John Suskewich, George Long, and Patty Sullivan. From our membership, first-timer Imke Oster charmed us with pink and purple blooms and yellow ducklings. In June we saw the first stages of Cynthia Corhan-Aitken’s landscape design at Karen Fricke’s garden and how beautifully her plans develop over several years when we visited Cynthia’s home later that season. Tova Narrett treated us to daffodil designs at her new home and I chose the sunset hours for my August party. Early May of 2024 brought rainy weather, yet Brigitte Padberg welcomed guests to her one-woman terraced monument that towers over her home. She personally led every climber to the summit where so many of us viewed the Manhattan skyline three years ago. During the last weekend of May, Susan Straten tested the instant Open Garden with one day’s notice and nearly two dozen spontaneous guests showed it can be done. As the friends we include continue to expand our program and our members shift to casual gatherings, we look forward to a wonderfully relaxed year in 2024-2025, where all kinds of gardens are welcome. 2022-2023 — Marilyn Zaret, Moderator Open Gardens branched out in unexpected ways by including non-member hosts, on-site tutorials, and a house and studio tour for over a dozen garden events this past year. Tova Narrett opened the season at her new home with her fourth year of daffodil glory. One of her guests, George Long, shared his Japanese style garden and was delighted by the inquiries about his extensive collection of rare plants. Deb Ellis, who heads the local native plant society, gave a tutorial in her back yard. Neighbor John Suskewich showed us his wild ensemble of specimens collected during his thirty years at New York Botanical Garden. Four days after lmke Oster's favorite tree peaked in pink blooms we had guests enjoying desserts on the deck while ducklings played in the grass. Karen Fricke stunned us with the one-year renovation of her house and garden, courtesy of Cynthia Corhan-Aitken of Twig & Vine Design. Karen's quilting studio, the core of her creativity, capped a wonderful Open Garden experience. We had our first Nopened (non-member) Garden at Carol Mahoney's beautiful Beatrix Cottage Fantasy, followed by Patty Sullivan's Walk on the Wildwood Side showplace of her personal projects that included a rustic archway, bluestone patio, and lily pond fountain. Bob Chapman and Florence Sinofsky generously hosted their third event at their Shangri-La in the Shade last July. Peter and I hosted an Anderson Park outdoor movie event, but the real show was the 25-foot-high rustic arch designed by Chuck Baum and enhanced by forty-foot bamboo supports thanks to Susan Yu's donation. The real WOW factor of 2022 took place pre-Halloween at Maureen Sprong's where dozens of dahlias reached their peak. The converted garage, (another Chuck Baum influence), provided the perfect perch for lemonade in that beautiful Victorian style venue. We have celebrated over 30 Open Garden events to the delight of our hosts and hundreds of their garden guests. The seed has been planted and all are welcome to showcase their own treasured gardens. 2021-2022 — Marilyn Zaret, Moderator "You are at your very best when things are [at their] worst," a quote from the movie "Starman," describes our Garden Club during the past two years. Always an engaging place to share ideas, nurture friendships and celebrate beauty, this group had to suddenly shift all programs to a virtual world. Open Gardens became our safe and social gathering place. As the pandemic caused travel plans and cultural events to shut down, we saw a significant rise in attendance from those who were happily grounded, at least for our garden parties. Cheryl Slutzky joined Provisionals Virginia Woo and Anna Lee in treating their neighborhood to July's Fernwood Avenue Stroll. Brigitte Padberg surprised us with a terraced rock mountain that she had assembled by hand over 20 years and Deborah Hirsch's 1880 Victorian Craftsman home staged a fairy tale setting with Cynthia Corhan-Aitken's expertise. Our Members met Provisional Kathryn Bachmann when she showcased her family's COVID-19 project — a new raised swimming pool — where we watched a video of the process on an outdoor television. September wrapped the season as I shared my own COVID-19 project, a 25-foot-high rustic archway, designed by Chuck Baum and made possible by Susan Yu's bamboo stalks. Now in transition as pandemic warnings are waning and schedules fill up, Open Gardens will continue to adapt and welcome all formats and ideas to accommodate past and future hosts from our amazing Garden Club, along with their families and friends. 2020-2021 — Marilyn Zaret, Moderator If there ever was a challenge to the Open Gardens Program, it was the summer of 2020. While our Club’s programs and meetings continued through Zoom technology, it looked like doom for our special garden parties. However, this challenge was met in mid-July when Florence Leyssène offered her garden to reunite our members. Masked guests poured in and stayed for hours to admire this botanical paradise, and to look over the photos of her thirty year process. October was my chance to embrace a Halloween theme in my own garden featuring costumed mannequins. We even invited families to join us from nearby Anderson Park. With an Opener and Closer, the summer of 2020 was a memorable one. Travel bans continued in 2021 and attendance increased as many newcomers joined the faithful regulars. In early May, Brigitte Padberg opened her garden to share her personal monument of multiple terraces and paths composed of the rocks she rearranged on her steep hill 30 years ago. Lucky climbers were treated to a Manhattan skyline view. Tova Narrett hosted her third party in four years with a Victorian venue of white blossoms while her daffodil field went dormant. In June we entered through a white picket fence to the fairy tale scene of Deborah Hirsch’s 1870 Gothic Carpenter home. With the help of Cynthia Corhan-Aiken, this cottage garden was transformed into a year round charmer and had over 60 delighted guests. This program has survived and thrived during this past year with its 20th Open Garden event and exceptionally high attendance as the pandemic winds down. I am overwhelmed by success and grateful to the hosts and the hundreds of exceptional people who came together during the challenges of 2020 and 2021. 2019-2020 — Marilyn Zaret, Moderator Open Gardens, an idea born from the pleas of our Membership to see the magic behind our fellow gardeners' workshops, celebrated its second successful year with eight beautiful venues open during the warm months. Open Gardens provides a platform of creativity by and for our members. All are encouraged to share their personal spaces and vision. Yet it seemed natural to branch out and include our neighbors, families, and friends. Gardens of all sizes and styles were showcased to crowds that ranged from 20 to 50 per event, likely reaching hundreds of exuberant guests through the season. Several gracious hosts found the experience so gratifying that half of those from the previous year signed up for an encore. In fact, some were invited to participate in the 2019 Van Vleck "Roses to Rock Gardens" tour which made the experience even more precious to our Club to have first dibs. As moderator, I've opened my own garden and will do so again. I have found the greatest joy in the Club's response to this simple idea, particularly with the gracious hosts whom I regard as my revolving committee: Tova Narrett, Nancy Stroud, Maureen Sprong, Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Barbara Meyer, Denise Silverman, Karen and Larry Whitehaus, Victoria Herrera, Stacie Gray, Sarah Olson, and Bob Chapman, who met Florence Sinofsky at his own Open Garden event, only to co-host again, his new wife at his side.

Galleries Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony May 28, 2021 Provisional Flower Design Workshop September 26, 2021 OASIS - A Haven for Women and Children October 13, 2021

Communications Committee Reports Committees Email reports are included by year, below. See also Potpourri editions and committee reports . 2025-2026 — Celia Radek, Chair; Sue Young. Vice Chair In January, the anniversary logo, A Century in Bloom, debuted on the Garden Club website. Developed by 100th Anniversary Celebration Committee members Karen DeLuca and Lauren Zodel, the logo appears on email, social media, letterhead, tabletop signs, and a new brochure, as the Club celebrates its centenary year.. The Club is reaching out far and wide with our social media presence thanks to the outstanding efforts of Amy South along with Tracy Reilly and media savvy members who provide videos and photos showcasing our work, our members, and the camaraderie we share. Under Sue Young’s direction and spirited prose, we continue our main method of sharing news through email and digital posts. Sue continues to maintain the website as a permanent record of Club activity. Sign-up Genius helps committee chairs manage event communication through head counts, email reminders, and as-needed follow-up. The Communications team rolled out a new feature, Monthly Line-Up, sent via email near the end of the month to provide details of upcoming Club events, workshops, meetings, and happenings. This anniversary year, the Line-Up included club history under the headline Did You Know? highlighting the role of the Club in the community, along with brief profiles of members who shaped that history. Many thanks to Deb Hirsch, our generous and knowledgeable guide. Information about the upcoming Garden Club year, including program speakers, competition schedules, calendar dates and descriptions for committee activities, and the year-end reports (all previously provided in a printed Yearbook) was updated on the website through the stellar teamwork of Sue Young, Janice Benton, Floss O’Sullivan, and Tova Narrett. A new brochure outlining our mission and describing the many and varied activities of the Club was created this year. Offered as a ‘take-away’ from numerous public facing activities, the brochure is helping to build awareness and encourage new membership. 2025-2026 Committee : Janice Benton, Karen DeLuca, Deborah Hirsch, Tova Narrett, Tracy Reilly, Amy South, Lauren Zodel 2024-2025 — Sue Young, Chair Over the past few years, the Communications team has focused on strengthening our website as both a digital archive of our Club’s history and the primary way we share current news with members. This year, to improve email delivery and avoid spam filters used by major providers, we successfully transitioned to a commercial email platform as our main method of sharing news while maintaining the website as a permanent record. We’ve also expanded into social media—thanks to the outstanding efforts of Amy South and Tracy Reilly —allowing us to connect with the broader community and attract new members. This was also the first year we offered an online printable PDF Yearbook, replacing the printed version we’ve used since 1950. Looking ahead, we’re developing systems to support Club Committees with their communications as they plan projects for our 100th Anniversary. 2024-2025 Committee : Janice Benton, Terri Breen, Karen DeLuca, Deborah Hirsch, Christine James, Floss O'Sullivan, Tracy Reilly, Ragna Sloane, Maryellen Stadtlander, Amy South, Karen Whitehaus, Fran Wong, Allyn Young. 2023-2024 — Sue Young, Chair We went a long way this year to achieving our goal of documenting all our activities on the website in words and photos. This would not have been possible without the amazing talents of the whole Communications committee, and of course our amazing photographers: Susan Yu, Barbara Baletti, Nancy Stroud and all the members who brought the activities of their committees to the whole membership. We have many plans for the new year, the most momentous of which is the transfer of the Yearbook to an online version with a shortened, printable PDF of the most popular sections. We are proud of our members who voted overwhelmingly to take advantage of the digital world and save the significant cost of printing the Yearbook. We will also be using “In the News” rather than traditional emails to notify members of upcoming events. And we plan to reach out more to the community through social media, attracting more visitors to our programs, and more members to our Club. Finally, our website address will change from https://gardenclubofmontclair.COM to https://gardenclubofmontclair.ORG (more appropriate for our non-profit status) and our email address will change to info@gardenclubofmontclair.org . After several years of a multi-pronged communication approach the board made the decision to consolidate communications to one source of communication which will be the website "In the News" emails. Potpourri and all announcements will come from our website address. Many, many thanks to Fran Wong who has managed the emails coming into and out of the Club for so long and who we are sure will continue to contribute her technical expertise to the committee and our members for many years to come. 2022-2023 — Sue Young, Chair This year we made a good start on our plan to record all our activities on the website. Seventy-five people have signed up to have these stories delivered to their inboxes the moment they are published. So far no one has asked to cancel! We are also using the website to collect dues and fees online, which is a big help to the Finance Chair. Over 100 Club Members have now signed up to use these options! None of this would have been possible without the photos and event accounts contributed by our members. Please everyone, keep them coming! In particular, many thanks to Susan Yu for her glorious pictures. I would also like to thank Floss O'Sullivan for her meticulous documenting of the competition entries, her videos that add so much to our workshops, and her quiet maintenance of the ever-changing calendar. Next year our committee will look at how to publicize our activities, so Montclair gets to know us better — and learn where the Avis Campbell Gardens are located! Email — Fran Wong Weekly email updates to Club Members, known as "e-blasts" are an important part of our Communications strategy. More than 50 email updates a year are delivered to the entire Membership on Wednesday mornings ranging from notifications of upcoming events, calls for volunteers, or Members who have passed. These year-round emails help drive attendance at Programs, Workshops, and Garden Therapy events, and help Members stay connected over the summer. With the website's "In the News" alerts, these weekly e-blasts, and the Potpourri newsletter published eight times a year, this three-tiered strategy helps keep members reminded, engaged, and up to date. If you want something sent to the Membership please submit it as you would like it to appear in a .doc file attachment to fewong@comcast.net. Photos should be sent as a separate JPG file. While PDF files can be sent, they will almost always be delivered as an attachment. The deadline for a given week is Monday at 11:59 pm, but emergencies can be accommodated as appropriate. 2021-2022 — Sue Young, Chair Thanks to the dedication of our previous creative Communications Chair, Amy South, and our technologically gifted President, Florence Leyssène, we can report that the Club flourished during COVID-19, thanks to the electronic tools of Zoom, email, the new website, and the extraordinary skills of our photographers: Barbara Baletti, Victoria Herrera, Wendy Stahl, Claire Stepleton, Michele Tomasik, Susan Yu, and many others. Early this year, like Punxsutawney Phil, we emerged cautiously from our lockdown to meet again for multiple events and to record these get-togethers on our new website. This website, which won the GCNJ's Hanover Garden Club Trophy (presented to a member club "for a successful, innovative project of merit that does not apply for an award under any other category") marks a new addition to our communication arsenal. As well as our informative weekly email (thank you Fran Wong!), and our rich and illuminating Potpourri (thank you Terri Breen, Claire Stepleton and Karen Whitehaus!), we have added many new features to our website, including last year's entire Yearbook. Our goal has been to make it easy for all our Members with varying levels of social media experience to: view the site on a phone or a laptop; access a constantly updated calendar; use a searchable directory of all Members, from Active to Provisionals to Emeriti; receive immediate posts about anything and everything in their email inboxes as events happen; browse through two years of committee reports; keep up with changing information about workshops and programs; watch sophisticated how-to videos (thank you Debbie Moran, Florence Leyssène, and Floss O'Sullivan!); enjoy slideshows and galleries of shared events; check out all award winners back to 1987 (soon to stretch to our founding in 1926); and feel comfortable that security has been upgraded to the highest level. Use of the site has been growing throughout the year, and we want all our Members to feel that our electronic forms of communication add to our central tenets of Education, Beautification, and Fellowship. Email — Fran Wong Even through the COVID-19 pandemic, The Garden Club of Montclair has worked hard to maintain an active calendar and keep its Members engaged. This necessitates adequate communication in order to be successful. Given the need to be flexible during the ever-changing challenges of maintaining the activities of the Club during the pandemic, weekly emails have become essential to keep the membership informed and up to date. Whenever possible, articles and notices are congregated to avoid encouraging a common habit of ignoring email due to high volume. Attractive stationery is used to bring attention to the content. When we send information, we want Members to read it! Every effort is made to make sure current email addresses are maintained and undelivered email is investigated and resent. Membership cooperation in notifying the Club of changes is always appreciated and is critical to the mission. Unfortunately, some Members have recently experienced delivery failures for unknown reasons. Some have found Club emails in their spam folders, but others have been unable to determine the problem. Members should expect a weekly update email between September 1 and June 1 and check their spam folder if necessary. Problems should be reported to the Club email address: gardenclubofmontclair@yahoo.com. Emails are sent on an as-requested basis during the summer months. Finally, incoming emails to the Club email address were distributed to the appropriate individuals for their action. 2020-2021 — Amy South, Chair Traditionally, Communications reports on current and future Club activities but because of COVID, we were re-directed to design a process to share individual photos for competitions anonymously. We also worked closely with Workshops to help share communications regarding workshops and fabulous videos produced by Floss O’Sullivan, Florence Leyssène, and others. Floss O’Sullivan also created an invaluable step-by-step video tutorial on completing an entry form. I am so impressed by the energy and dedication of those who continued to create magic in Avis Campbell Gardens, the Triangle Gardens, Garden Therapy, Workshops, Programs, Youth, Open Gardens and more! Additionally, thanks to Deborah Hirsch, we were able to grow our Membership during a year of lockdown. Special thanks to the photographers who jumped in and shared photos: Barbara Baletti, Claire Stepleton, Susan Yu, Marilyn Zaret, Michele Tomasik, and others. My successor, Sue Young, helped us work around the frustrating challenge of an “absent webmaster” to post on our website a new dues renewal form with a Paypal link. She is very experienced with website design and her determination and wit will surely benefit the Club. It has been my pleasure to transition Sue and I look forward to staying on the Committee to help with the website rebuild. Recently, at the request of the Ways and Means Committee, we added a 'DONATE' button that will hopefully catch the attention of website visitors — more to come! Thanks to Celia Radek for supplying Yearbook content for the annual website update. Thank you to our President, Florence Leyssène, for her knowledge and leadership during this challenging period. Her knowledge and experience, coupled with a kind heart, have helped make all we do possible. I am thankful for this amazing organization and feel inspired by the talents, energy, and dedication of our members. My heart is exceptionally heavy when I reflect on the many losses and hardships this past year but my mind is bright with the future of our extraordinary Club. Thank you to all — it is my honor to have served as your Communications Chair and I confidently pass the baton to Sue Young. Email — Fran Wong The Club is fortunate to have a robust calendar and Active membership and this necessitates adequate communication in order to be successful. Given the need to be flexible during the ever changing challenges of maintaining the activities of the Club during the pandemic, weekly e-mails were instituted to keep the membership informed and up-to-date. Whenever possible, articles and notices were congregated to avoid encouraging a common habit of ignoring email due to high volume. Appealing stationary is used to attract attention to the content. When we send it we want members to read it! Email notices and reminders have become essential to keeping the membership informed and engaged. Every attempt is made to make sure current addresses are maintained and undelivered email is investigated and resent. Membership cooperation in notifying the Club of changes is always appreciated and is critical to the mission. Finally, incoming messages to the Club email address were distributed to the appropriate individuals for their action. 2019-2020 — Amy South, Chair Communications has continued to report to local papers, publications and social media regarding both our future activities and our accomplishments. lnstagram continues to be a very useful tool to spread word about events and highlight our accomplishments. We continue to use Smugmug for photo storage. I would like to thank Susan Yu, Marilyn Zaret, Susan Straten, Michele Tomasik, Barbara Baletti, and Victoria Herrera for helping cover photographing events. Claire Stepleton continues to provide wonderful, consistent support with photography and tech related questions. The temporary transition to Van Vleck for some of our events this year went smoothly in the communications arena. Attendance was strong for the fabulous Programs which might suggest that the publicity with the Montclair Local , Montclair Times , Baristanet , and Facebook was helpful. We supported some of our partners with advertisements in publications (Montclair Art Museum, Van Vleck, and 'May in Montclair'). Unfortunately, the pandemic brought a halt to all events (March -June) but we did submit a 1/8 page ad to the ·"We Care" section of the Montclair Local in support of the community and "May in Montclair". The website requires a considerable amount of time to be updated and I appreciate all the assistance provided by Claire Stepleton. We will continue to share interactive forms (dues and Annual Luncheon responses) and to take payment on line via credit cards (with a nominal fee) through the website. Some future goals are to increase Membership engagement with the website and to work with Claire Stepleton to update the History and Award information. Thanks to Celia Radek for supplying Yearbook content for the annual website update. This year was exceptionally complicated by Covid-19 and our temporary move to Van Vleck. I am thankful to Florence Leyssène for her knowledge and leadership as President during these challenges and I look forward to another year as Communications/Publicity VP. I am thankful for my Membership and feel inspired by the talents, energy, and dedication of Garden Club members. Email — Fran Wong The Club is fortunate to have a robust calendar and active Membership and this necessitates adequate communication in order to be successful. At least two blast emails were sent each month during the year. Whenever possible, articles and notices were congregated to avoid encouraging a common habit of ignoring email due to high volume. Attractive stationery is used to attract attention to the content. When we send it we want members to read it! Special invitations such as that to the Holiday Tea were also sent. Email notices and reminders have become essential to keeping the Membership informed and engaged. Every attempt is made to make sure current addresses are maintained and undelivered email investigated and re-sent. Membership cooperation in notifying the Club of changes is always appreciated and is critical to the mission. Finally, incoming emails to the Club were distributed to the appropriate individuals and Committee Chairs for their action.

Flower Design Committee Reports Committees 2025-2026 — Barbara Baletti, Chair; Florence Leyssène, Vice Chair The Flower Design Committee had a very active year, from start to finish. It began with our Small Standard Flower Show in September, “Great Escapes,” planned and executed by Debbie Moran and Florence Leyssène, and ended with the 100th Anniversary Celebration of our club at the Montclair Art Museum (MAM). In each event our designers were called upon to rev up their creative juices and they did not disappoint. Twelve flower show awards were given by National Garden Club judges in the September show alone. For the 100th Anniversary Celebration in April, we showcased eleven “Decade Designs” at MAM, each reflective of a particular decade in the history of the garden club, from the 1920s to the 2020s. They were placed on pedestals in Leir Hall and admired by all who attended the 100th Anniversary Celebration. You can see these beautiful designs on our website at any time. Sandwiched between these two major events was a calendar year of four successful flower design competitions. Designers submitted a variety of designs that spanned American Traditional, Petite, Creative, Transparency, Cascade and more. We presented a total of 73 designs despite some snow days that caused competition cancellations. We also presented new themes in our schedule which we hoped would compel our designers to think “outside the box” and come up with some design ideas that challenged their creativity. The results were impressive. Excitement could be felt from both judges and members in the garden club room when the designs were viewed. In addition, we designed a schedule that we hoped would propel our designers to think about sustainability and we challenged them with options to use recycled materials in their work. As expected, they came through with ingenious and striking designs. Although not a specific activity of our Flower Design Committee, the Art in Bloom event at MAM was graced with art interpretations by 23 of our members. Finally, I want to thank Vice Chair Florence Leyssène who has been an invaluable partner in the planning and execution of every flower design event this year. Her savvy and skills are remarkable. Committee Members 2025-2026 : Fran Ackerly, Barbara Baletti, Susan Brady, Carol Callahan, Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Karen Fricke, Tova Narrett, Deborah Moran, Amy Poster, Michele Quinn, Cheryl Slutzky, Sarah Stransky. 2024-2025 — Barbara Baletti, Chair; Floss O’Sullivan, Vice Chair We experienced an innovative and diverse Flower Design year which was quite successful. We eliminated the use of green floral foam and challenged our designers to utilize alternative techniques in their creations. We maintained a focus on the basic design types for Provisionals and Novices as they continue to learn the importance of the Principles and Elements of Design. We introduced new challenges for our Intermediates to test their skills with Petite, Multi-rhythmic and Creative designs. Our Advanced and Advanced Plus designers did amazing work with Abstract, Transparency, Tapestry, and Armature designs, just to name a few. The move into more difficult and challenging designs would not have been possible without the technical advice and assistance of our resident accredited judges, Florence Leyssène, Debbie Moran, and Brenda Bingham. We exhibited 87 floral designs in our competitions this year, 16 for our Holiday Tea and 15 for our Awards Luncheon. This speaks to a vibrant group of designers who love what they do, and a Club membership that appreciates and enjoys it all. Special thanks to Floss O’Sullivan, my Vice Chair, for her invaluable assistance and expertise. 2024-2025 Committee : Susan Brady, Carol Callahan, Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Karen Fricke, Florence Leyssène, Tova Narrett, Debbie Moran, Amy Poster, Michele Quinn, Cheryl Slutzky, Sarah Stransky. 2023-2024 — Fran Ackerly, Chair; Barbara Baletti, Vice Chair In keeping with one purpose of the Garden Club of Montclair, education, the Flower Design committee chose to go “back to basics” this year. In September, a two-part workshop was given exploring the principles and elements of design and how to apply them in creating a flower design. Later in the year, a point-scoring workshop was held to show how flower designs are judged in a competition or flower show. Trial Run was brought back which gave designers an opportunity to do a design new to them to be critiqued only. Thanks to our member NGC judges, the Invitational showcased more advanced designs as examples of what was ahead on the design schedule. Thank you to each member of the committee for her valuable contributions in planning this year, to Barbara Baletti who was there every step of the way, and to the 28 designers who participated by exhibiting 64 designs this year. 2022-2023 — Fran Ackerly, Chair; Barbara Baletti, Vice Chair It was an exciting year for Flower Design. Inspired by the success of our award-winning flower show, Arts & Flowers : A Design Specialty Flower Show, the committee made some changes to the design schedule for monthly competitions. The format was altered to follow the schedule of an actual flower show, allowing Members more freedom in choosing a design class and type. New workshops were offered, interesting challenges in Flower Design were introduced, and Botanical Arts made its debut. Members enjoyed the new opportunities, and Club competitions were replete with decorated hats and boxes, dazzling masks, and necklaces. These new additions were enthusiastically embraced by designers. We exhibited fifty-two Flower Designs and twenty-five Botanical Arts designs in five competitions this year. To educate new Members and increase participation in Flower Design, we are going "back to basics," returning to our original flower design format. Botanical Arts will become a separate division and have its own committee. 2021-2022 — Fran Ackerly, Chair; Barbara Baletti, Vice Chair Concerns about COVID-19 had an impact on Flower Design events again this year. Virtual Design Exhibitions were held in October, November, January, and February. Designers took a photo of their flower design, attached the photo to the online entry form, and sent their entry to The Garden Club of Montclair 's website. The judges were able to view the design photos and add their comments. I want to thank our own judges, Florence Leyssène and Debbie Moran, for the countless hours they spent critiquing the designs each month, and Sue Young for putting each Exhibition on the website for Members to enjoy viewing. To everyone's delight, in March and April there was a return to inperson Design Competitions. March brought us lovely Petite Designs ranging in size from 3 inches to 12 inches. In April, designers rose to the challenge of a Multi-Rhythmic Design. I want to thank all designers for participating and for sharing their creativity and talent. This year, 28 designers entered a total of 72 flower designs. A thank you also must go to Barbara Baletti, Vice Chair of Flower Design, whose ideas, suggestions, and support were invaluable. Working together this year was great and Flower Design survived and thrived. 2020-2021 — Fran Ackerly, Chair; Barbara Baletti, Vice Chair Many things were different this year due to the pandemic and Flower Design was no exception. The monthly Flower Design Competitions became Virtual Design Exhibitions. Each month, designers took photos of their designs and submitted them electronically to the Club’s website. Once submitted, they were critiqued by our own member Judges and each designer was awarded one point for participation. No Flower Design awards were given this year. The aim was to keep members connected and involved during the difficult time of COVID-19. In all, 23 designers submitted a total of 95 designs. This success would not have been possible without the support of Vice-Chair Barbara Baletti, Flower Design Committee members, Workshops Chair Floss O'Sullivan, and the Communications Chair Amy South. Thank you to all. 2019-2020 — Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Fran Ackerly, Vice Chair This will serve as my last report as Chair of Flower Design as I pass the baton to Fran Ackerly and her Vice Chair Barbara Baletti. I have loved every minute of serving as Chair of this committee mainly due to the fact that I have always had an enthusiastic group of volunteers with whom to work. My sincerest thanks go to Fran Ackerly who served as my Vice Chair during my second term and took a huge weight off my shoulders by always being willing to help and advise. Much gratitude and many thanks go to Florence Leyssène and Debbie Moran for always being there to support me, answer my many questions and, in general, encourage me every step of the way. To my Flower Design Committee members: Barbara Baletti, Brenda Bingham. Joan Crowther, Firth Fabend, Sharla Blanz, Carol Callahan, Tova Narrett, Floss O'Sullivan, Michele Quinn, Sarah Stransky, and Marylin Zaret; you have all always been willing to help and have taken on the many tasks that go along with this Committee with willingness and grace. Most importantly, thank you to all the designers who have participated in our monthly Flower Design Competitions. Your creativity has never failed to impress and amaze me. Without you all there would be a lot less beauty in the world! This has been a difficult spring for everyone. Who could have predicted that the world would go into lockdown in March and that life as we know it would change so extremely? Sadly, we missed two competitions for Design and Botanical Arts in March and April and, of course, there was the cancellation of our Design Specialty Flower Show scheduled for September. I look forward to the day, hopefully in the not too distant future, when we will all be back together again doing the things we love and sharing it with all of our Garden Club friends.

This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. < Back Entering a new era of IoT Derek Wells Mar 18, 2023 This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Previous Next

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. Events & Festivities We’re celebrating our anniversary with events throughout the year. Check back often because, as you can see, event details are still developing. Our full Calendar with these and all other Club activities is always available HERE . February 2 1:00pm Anniversary Kickoff. The celebration gets underway with a delicious tower of 100 mini cupcakes at the January Program meeting February 11 6:00pm Club President Fran Ackerly, in partnership with the Adult School at the main branch of the Public Library, leads a flower design demonstration in time for Galentine's Day. March 17 1:00pm Club Member Karen Fricke will present “An Introduction to Native Gardens” at the Montclair Library Bellevue Branch. April 27 6:00pm Our gala 100-Year Brithday Party for Members and spouses/ partners takes place at the Montclair Art Museum. Offering small bites, libations, and fun with our friends, the event will include a viewing of a movie highlighting the impact of GCM over the decades, currently being filmed. May 13-17 All day While participating in Montclair Art Museum’s biennial celebration of floral design “ Art in Bloom” is a Garden Club mainstay, this year our Club will be one of the honorees at the MAM's spring benefit luncheon on May 14. A video presentation featuring the contributions of Julia Berrall and Howard Van Vleck will be featured throughout at the event. June Two guided tours of Avis Campbell Gardens will be offered to the public scheduled to coincide with peak rose bloom in summer and the great array of dahlia varieties blooming in fall. Dates to be determined. September 24-27 The Club will be presenting an NGC Standard Flower Show at Van Vleck House & Gardens entitled "A Century in Bloom." All our Members will be involved in creating the event to showcase Flower Design, Horticulture and more, under the leadership of Club Members Sarah Stransky and Karen Fricke. October In partnership with the NJ Tree Foundation, we will be planting ten trees in Montclair, one for each year of our existence. The location and date of planting of these trees has not yet been finalized. December Our celebratory year will come to a triumphant close at our annual Holiday Tea. The date has not yet been determined.

Garden Therapy Committee Reports Committees 2025-2026― Olga Bequillard, Chair; Sheila Curry Oakes, Vice Chair The Garden Therapy Committee organized a series of engaging programs fostering creativity, well-being, and community. Three events were held at Oasis in Paterson, along with a smaller program at the Montclair Library-Bellevue Avenue Branch. In October, a Botanical Arts workshop invited participants to decorate 8 x 4 inch keepsake boxes using dried flowers, leaves, grasses, and ribbons. Our leader introduced materials and discussed texture, form, and mood. After a guided demonstration, each participant created a box unique in style and form. The workshop celebrated the beauty of creativity, expressing emotion, and finding moments of peace through the process. In February, a Galentine’s Day floral workshop featured five flower varieties, various types of greens, colorful ribbons, and glittery heart accents. With full participation, 20 clients and 10 volunteers created personalized arrangements reflecting their individual styles. At the outset, our leader discussed and guided the participants in mechanics, color combinations, and plant materials. We believe that engaging with fresh blooms elevates one’s mood. It is a wonderful and popular form of creative therapy. In March, at the Montclair Public Library-Bellevue Avenue Branch, Member Karen Fricke presented a talk on native plants. The presentation highlighted practical ways to support ecological health through home gardening. It was well attended and there was much discussion during the Q&A session. In April, a workshop on aromatherapy engaged 18 clients and six volunteers. Participants created potpourri jars and custom teabags using materials and blending herbs that have aromatherapy properties. We started the session by discussing aromatherapy, emphasizing memory (especially of a cherished one), scent, and well-being. The goal was to learn about using aromas and herbs to help reduce stress. It was likely achieved as there was strong engagement throughout. The workshops encourage creativity, connectivity, and joy and continue to provide positive experiences for both attendees and volunteers. Committee Members 2025-2026: Fran Ackerly, Susan Benner, Olga Bequillard, Susan Brady, Betsy Burgess, Susan Dumont, Susan Gloeckner, Anna Lee, Maria Matesanz, Betty Murphy, Sheila Oakes, Imke Oster, Patricia Rodio, Denise Silverman, Lisa Sweitzer, Cheryl Slutzsky, Wendy Stahl, Michele Tomasik, and Provisional Jane Wallace. 2024-2025 — Susan Dumont, Chair; Karen Kadus, Vice Chair The Garden Therapy Committee organized four large events this year. Our programs were dedicated to the organization, Oasis, a haven for women and children, in Paterson, NJ. Our objective was to maximize our impact on a select group of participants, provide a sense of accomplishment, promote social interaction and improve a participant’s mood, sense of well-being, and satisfaction in a safe and supportive environment. An aromatherapy workshop opened our season of programs. Fragrant therapy jars were filled with lavender, dried roses, calendula and sunflower petals. February found us celebrating “Galentines’ Day” with a flower design workshop using floral themed material and roses. April’s workshop engaged participants in the technique of creating collages using dried flowers and leaves. Wrapping up our scheduled events for the season was the planting of the Oasis rooftop garden. We provided both planting guidance and education on horticulture care. Working side by side with the Oasis clients, 16 raised beds were successfully planted for a summer’s bounty of blooms! Members 2024-2025: Maria Matesanz, Betty Murphy, Sheila Curry Oakes, Sara H. Olson, Imke Oster, Floss O’Sullivan, Helene Peck, Patricia Rodio, Grete Scheidl, Wendy Stahl, Suzy Straten, Eugenie Temmler, Michele Tomasik, Susan van Inwegen, Jane Wallace, Sue Young. Provisionals. 2023-2024 — Susan Dumont, Chair; Karen Kadus, Vice Chair The Garden Therapy Committee organized four large events this season, engaging both Club members and clients in therapeutic activities. November found us gathered in the Garden Club room, where we created beautiful floral arrangements with a fall holiday theme for the Toni’s Kitchen dining tables. In-house dining had happily returned after a three-year Covid closing and it was a joy to be part of welcoming Toni’s clients back to their dining room to enjoy their meals. Aromatherapy, a new outreach program offered in February to our clients of Oasis, allowed them to take away a breath of spring after creating their fragrant therapy jars filled with lavender, dried roses, and sunflower petals. April found our volunteers meeting in Paterson to hold a flower design therapy session for members of the CUMAC community. Both men and women learned about basic design technique and then indulged in using five different types of flowers to create their own masterpieces. Our final event of the season in May found us back at Oasis to help clients plant herbs and annuals in 16 large rooftop planters. Providing both planting guidance and education on horticulture care, volunteers and clients worked side by side to install over 200 annuals and herbs! 2022-2023 — Sarah Olson, Chair; Susan Dumont, Vice Chair This season Garden Therapy continued to build relationships with organizations we worked with in the past and added outreach to several new facilities. We reinstated monthly deliveries of flower arrangements designed by our members for the nurses at Mountainside Hospital, to recognize their commitment to healthcare. Our very popular flower arranging workshops were held at The Cliffs at Eagle Rock and Freedom Village, both senior living facilities, as well as at Oasis - A Haven for Women and Children. We created almost 300 seasonal floral arrangements for our Sharon's Harvest Thanksgiving event for Toni's Kitchen patrons, and seasonal winter arrangements for Park Methodist food pantry patrons, and Human Needs Food Pantry shut-ins. And we got back in the dirt for our workshops with a visit to Freedom Village where we guided clients in creating windowsill herb gardens, and a repeat visit to Oasis to assist in planting their rooftop containers. 2021-2022 — Sarah Olson, Chair; Floss O'Sullivan, Vice Chair This season, Garden Therapy expanded outreach to serve additional populations. Our work included projects creating content to be used virtually, cheerful floral gifts for those high-risk groups that couldn't risk in-person contact, and, when appropriate, spreading cheer through active project engagement. September 2021 saw us working outdoors with a small group of clients at the Canterbury Village Senior Center, planting succulent cactus container gardens. In October, we began a new monthly program for the nurses at Mountainside Hospital to recognize their commitment to healthcare. GCM Members worked alone or in small groups to design a floral arrangement that was delivered to nursing stations at the hospital. Our outreach in October was leading a flower arranging workshop at Oasis; again, a huge success as we worked with 19 clients. We repeated our Thanksgiving event for Toni's Kitchen, with a new twist to honor GCM member Sharon Karlson. Renamed "Sharon's Harvest," we teamed up with Van Vleck House & Gardens "Good Grows Here" event. GCM Members sourced and prepped materials and then assisted families on the day of the event in the design of their flower arrangement. Over 180 arrangements were delivered to Toni's Kitchen. February saw the launch of our YouTube video, "Botanical Journeys." Beautiful botanical images were set to music for the enjoyment of seniors. GCM Members supplied and curated the photos and then created the video. Connections at Home, an organization that caters to "shut-ins," was one of the recipients. March and April were active with additional flower arranging workshops for two organizations: Nassan's Place, an autistic youth program, and Oasis. In addition, GCM Members made 100 May Day baskets for Canterbury Rehab Center in Cedar Grove. We got our hands dirty with our season wrap up on June 1st by planning and planting six raised rooftop containers at Oasis. Clients and GCM Members enjoyed planting annuals and herbs. Thank you to the Garden Therapy committee for all of your support this year. And a huge thank you to the Club membership for their enthusiastic support and participation in all of our events! 2020-2021 — Sarah Olson, Chair; Floss O'Sullivan, Vice Chair Like so many other aspects of our lives, the COVID-19 pandemic affected how Garden Therapy was able to operate and achieve its mission. Our face-to-face interactions with clients had to be curtailed but we were able to spread floral good cheer due to the terrific participation of our Club members. In September 2020, Club members prepared 60 bundles of flowers for Toni’s Kitchen which had become a food bank site for the community due to COVID-19. Much of the plant material was cut from the Club’s Avis Campbell Gardens. In November, the Club delivered a windowsill hydroponic edibles project to the seniors at Canterbury Village in West Orange so those who had been confined indoors for months could enjoy a garden brought to them. Our 2020 Thanksgiving project offered an abundance of beauty to the clients of Toni's Kitchen. Club members, with foliage from Avis Campbell Gardens, designed 150 Thanksgiving floral arrangements that were given to the clients. Our Club delivered 140 May Day flower baskets to the seniors at Job Haines in Bloomfield and Canterbury Rehab in Cedar Grove. After a winter of minimal in-person interaction, our members enjoyed the social, therapeutic affects of this outdoor work session, and the seniors were thrilled to receive the cheerful arrangements. Also in May, a small group of members assisted residents of First Montclair House in planting windowsill herb gardens. The residents enjoyed talking to fellow plant lovers and showing us their raised beds planted with vegetables. Thank you to the Garden Therapy committee members for all of your support this year: Betsy Burgess, Ellen Colton, Susan Dumont, Donna Karanja, Vicky Kearns, Maria Matesanz, Maureen Michaud, Helene Peck, Peg Scott-Fleming, Wendy Stahl, Patt Sullivan-Perry, and Sue Young. And a huge Thank You to the Club Membership for your enthusiastic support and participation in all of our events. 2019-2020 — Sarah Olson, Chair; Floss O'Sullivan, Vice Chair Garden Therapy reviewed its mission and established the goal of expanding its outreach to include not only nursing homes and assisted living facilities but other groups facing personal challenges or where garden therapy would make a positive impact. To that end we created new activities and reached out to more groups in a wider geographic network. In August, four GCM members played flower Bingo with eight residents at First Montclair House in Montclair. Amy South's Moss & More supplied the succulent plants that were awarded as prizes. Canterbury Village in West Orange was our destination in September. Eight GCM members assisted thirteen senior residents in crafting artificial floral arrangements in raffia pouches that would hang on their apartment doors. Residents made their own choices from our offering of artificial and dried flowers and live greens. Our group visited Job Haines in October. Seven members assisted nineteen senior residents in creating floral arrangements for their rooms.We worked with a combination of artificial and dried flower material as well as live greens. Residents were encouraged to select their own materials from the assortment brought by the Club. In November, we shifted gears and visited Oasis in Paterson, a domestic violence support center. Our mission was to teach and create live floral arrangements with their clients. Fran Ackerly led the demonstration and six additional GCM members assisted 14 clients with their creations. Everyone was able to take home their beautiful designs. Vases and flowers were generously donated by Bartlett's Florists . Eight GCM members visited SOFIA in Montclair in February and celebrated "Gal-entine's" Day with 11 clients at this domestic violence support facility by creating live floral arrangements that the ladies could take home with them. Susan Benner led the demonstration and taught the basics of floral design. Vases were donated by Bartlett's Florists . Our March event at The Safe House was canceled due to Covid-19. We want to thank all of the GCM members who participated in our events and are counting on your support as we accept the challenge of continuing our mission of outreach during the Covid-19 era. We are grateful for the Garden Club's warm support to expand our program this upcoming year.

Flower Design Division Rules 2026-2027 Back to main Flower Design page. See also the online NGC Handbook for Flower Shows See Clerking Guidelines All Club Members are encouraged to enter flower designs in the monthly competitions as listed on the Flower Design page and in the Yearbook. RULES The NGC Exhibit Policies are printed in the Handbook for Flower Shows, Chapter 7, Exhibiting in the Design Division p. 79-81. Exhibitors may enter one (1) entry in Flower Design in each monthly competition. Designs should be dropped off downstairs in the Garden Club Room between 8:15am and 9:15am Designs must be picked up no later than 30 minutes after the end of the program meeting. Judging will begin promptly at 10am. Designs arriving late will not be judged. Decisions of the judges are final. Awards/ribbons may be withheld if not merited. Advanced registration with the Flower Design Chair is required no later than four (4) days before each Design Competition by emailing Flower Design Chair Barbara Baletti at bbaletti@me.com . Entry cards are available in the garden club room. Some plant material must be used in every design. Fresh plant material may never be treated; no artificial plant material is permitted in any exhibit. Refer to the NGC Handbook for Flower Shows pp. 80-81 for a complete list of plant material and non-plant material that is permitted and not permitted. Plant material on the New Jersey Conservation List may not be used unless it has been grown by the exhibitor or legally acquired and is so stated on an accompanying 3"x 5" index card. All plant material used in a design must be identified on a 3"x 5" index card and included with the entry card. Common names of plant material are acceptable. Plant material need not have been grown by the exhibitor. Exhibits must conform to the design type named in the schedule. Designs must be the work of one individual. (Exception: Companion Exhibits.) Flower Designs are judged using the Design Scale of Points found on p.130 in the Handbook for Flower Shows . Designers are not permitted to use floral foam in any designs with the exception of Oasis Renewal, Oasis TerraBricks, or Sideau Natural No Plastic Flower Foam (Agrawool). We continue to encourage the use of chicken wire, flower frogs (kenzans), pebbles, tape, or moss to anchor plant material. For questions about rules, design schedule, or specific designs, please consult with Flower Design Chairs or club judges (Florence Leyssène, Debbie Moran, Brenda Bingham.) FLOWER DESIGN LEVELS Provisional: Flower Designs exhibited by Provisionals are critiqued, not judged. Designs do not qualify for points or awards. Provisionals who are interested in moving to the Novice Level MUST submit at least one design during their term. Novice: Includes those who have earned up to nine points in Flower Design. Novices are eligible to receive The Elsie Bristol Novice Award (see award description ). Intermediate: Includes Members who have earned ten or more points in Flower Design. Intermediate designers are eligible to receive The President's Trophy for Flower Design, Intermediate (see award description ). Advanced: Includes Members who have progressed from the Intermediate Level by earning 20 points and one blue ribbon within a three year period in Flower Design. Advanced designers are eligible to receive The Garden Club Award for Flower Design, Advanced (see award description ). Every member of this level is expected to exhibit once a year. Advanced Plus: A competitive level for those who have won The Garden Club Award for Flower Design, Advanced twice. Advanced Plus designers are eligible to receive the Elsie Bristol Flower Award, Advanced Plus (see award description ) for achieving the highest points score and the winning of one blue ribbon. Invitational: Open to nationally accredited judges, professional flower designers, and Members at the Advanced Level invited by the Flower Design Committee. Participants exhibit for educational purposes and are critiqued. POINT SCORING 1st Blue 5 points 2nd Red 4 points 3rd Yellow 3 points Honorable Mention 2 points Unawarded Exhibits 1 point Tea/Luncheon Table 1 point

Committees Descriptions, Chairs, and Members Click on a committee button, or scroll down to read about them all. Avis Campbell Facilities Hospitality Awards Finance Membership Botanical Arts Flower Design Nominating Ways & Means Church Street Garden Boutique Open Gardens Workshops Civic/Environment Garden Therapy Program Communications Horticulture Properties Youth Avis Campbell Gardens Reports 2019-2026 Maria Matesanz, Chair; Kem Louie, Vice Chair; Barbara Meyer, Rose Chair Members 2026-2027: Guita Behbin, Olga Bequillard, Diane Bersen, Ann Bismal, Pru Borland, Karen Carter, Ellen Colton, Michael De Castro, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Susan Gloeckner, Maria Teresa Guanabara, Donna Karanja, Ana Moore, Deborah Moran, Betty Murphy, Sarah Olson, Helene Peck, Angel Pollack, Celia Radek, Patricia Rodio, Maggie Rothman, Grete Scheidl, Lisa Schweitzer, Elizabeth Seebode-Zazzali, Valerie Slamka, Amy South, Maureen Sprong, Pat Sullivan-Perry, Michele Tomasik, Michele Trevenen, Pamela Turre, Donna Uher, Jane Wallace, Susan Yu, Loren Zodel, and provisionals. The Avis Campbell Gardens and Grounds Committee maintains the grounds and the display gardens located behind 60 S Fullerton Ave. The gardens are open to the public. Designed by landscape architect and Garden Club member Avis Campbell and installed in 1952, the gardens are inspired by the Wheel of Life and feature a pedestal fountain surrounded by roses and beds of flowering perennials and annuals. The grounds include a memorial to Essex County residents who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Volunteers are welcome to join committee members who garden every Tuesday morning from April through mid-November. Awards Karen Fricke, Chair Members 2026-2027 : TBD This group of members is responsible for managing which members receive Garden Club awards. Click here for the full list of awards and recipients since 1980. Member of this committee are appointed. Reports 2019-2026 Botanical Arts Reports 2019-2026 Florence Leyssène, Chair; Debbie Moran, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Fran Ackerly, Barbara Baletti, Karen DeLuca, Karen Fricke, Victoria Herrera, Debbie Moran, Heidi Muschick, Floss O’Sullivan, Marilyn Zaret. Recently joining the line-up of Club activities, Botanical Arts (BA) offers additional opportunity for creative expression and presentation of other types of horticulture, design and exhibits. Included under the BA umbrella are Botanical Horticulture, Botanical Design, Artistic Crafts, and Photography. Church Street Gardens Reports 2019-2026 Sue Young, Chair; Kathy Bachmann, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027: Ann Bismal, Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Charlene Connolly, Michael De Castro, Nancy Foster, Maria Teresa Guanabara, Deborah Hirsch, Diane Kinney, Anna Lee, Leslie Meeks-Wohl, Betty Murphy, Sara Olson, Janet Oscar, Helene Peck, Angel Pollack, Celia Radek, Maggie Rothman, Lisa Schweitzer, Kathy Sorkin, Wendy Stahl, Nancy Stroud, Patt Sullivan-Perry, Pamela Turre, Jane Wallace. Church Street Gardens include the raised planting beds along Church Street and the traffic circle at the corner of Valley Road, planted in the summer of 2025. Active and provisional Members plant in the spring and maintain through the summer and fall, turning downtown Montclair into an oasis that residents take for granted. The Business Improvement District partners with the club, supplying funds and maintenance assistance during the growing season. Civic/Environment Reports 2019-2026 Sarah Olson, Chair; Deborah Hirsch, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Kathy Bachmann, Barbara Baletti, Guita Behbin, Meredith Bergmann, Ann Bismal, Karen Carter, Jacoba Coes, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Nancy Elliott, Anna Lee, Maria Matesanz, Sydney Milliken, Sheila Oakes, Imke Oster, Helene Peck, Susan Straten, Jane Wallace, Sue Young. This Committee's mission centers on creating an Act of Restorative Kindness to our earth within our community. Members work to restore, improve, and protect the quality of our environment with like-minded community partners. This involves embracing new knowledge and science to the field of conservation and restoration as well as challenging current standards of beauty and landscape-care habits. Communications/Publicity Reports 2019-2026 Celia Radek, Chair; Sue Young, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Janice Benton, Deborah Hirsch, Tasha Madhok, Karen Meneghin, Floss O'Sullivan, Amy South, Lauren Zodel. Not only do we need to inform members of all our activities, but we need to reach out to new gardeners. This committee runs this website, blasts out social media, updates our history online and with an annual printable Yearbook, communicates with blog updates and emails, and links with the public and press through social media and event notifications. It also helps all committees with publicity and other communications requirements. Facilities Reports 2019-2025 Karen Whitehaus, Chair, Deborah Hirsch, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : No current members Members of this committee oversee the very important maintenance of the Club’s physical plant. They are responsible for maintaining the Club's meeting rooms, whether at 60 South Fullerton Avenue or elsewhere. Finance Reports 2019-2026 Bob Chapman, Chair; Vice Chair TBD Members 2026-2027 : Class of 2027—Lissa Barrett, Karen Kadus; Class of 2028—Fran Wong, Amy Poster. President (ex officio)—Fran Ackerly. As in any organization, this committee is responsible for collecting dues, creating and managing a budget, and ensuring we meet all legal and ethical standards concerning our finances. Members of this committee are appointed. Flower Design Reports 2019-2026 Barbara Baletti, Chair; Florence Leyssène, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027: Guita Behbin, Diane Bersen, Susan Brady, Carol Callahan, Alison Christmas, Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Karen Fricke, Dee Hall, Alexandra Kilduff, Deborah Moran, Tova Narrett, Floss O'Sullivan, Amy Poster, Michele Quinn, Cheryl Slutzky, Sarah Stransky, Flower Design is an integral component of the Garden Club. Monthly competitions provide opportunities for new and experienced designers to showcase their designs, receive feedback from judges, and earn ribbons and design credits. By attending the many workshops offered each year by our expert designers, members can improve their design skills, learn about the different design types, staging, and mechanics. Garden Boutique Reports 2019-2026 Susan Benner, Chair Members 2026-2027 : Susan Benner, Susan Brady, Ellen Colton, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Dorothy Meissner, Sara Olson, Brigitte Padberg, Nancy Stroud. Assist Chair in maintaining store. Help set up off-site Boutique events twice a year and perform other duties as needed. Garden Therapy Reports 2019-2026 Olga Bequillard, Chair; Sheila Oakes, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Fran Ackerly, Guita Behbin, Susan Benner, Betsy Burgess, Alison Christmas, Ellen Colton, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Nancy Gentile, Susan Gloeckner, Dee Hall, Deepa Khosla, Clare Kuch, Anna Lee, Mary Anne Link, Maria Matesanz, Betty Murphy, Sara Olson, Imke Oster, Patricia Rodio, Lisa Schweitzer, Denise Silverman, Cheryl Slutzky, Amy South, Wendy Stahl, Michele Tomasik, Michele Trevenen, Jane Wallace, and provisionals.. The Garden Therapy Committee brings nature, creativity, and connection together through a variety of engaging programs, including Aromatherapy, Floral Design, Botanical Arts, and hands-on rooftop gardening. These initiatives offer a meaningful way to give back to the community through visits to Oasis in Paterson and the Montclair Public Library, where we will inspire and engage participants from Life Long Montclair’s dementia program. Through the healing power of plants and the arts, we cultivate moments of joy, discovery, and well-being.” Horticulture Reports 2019-2025 Kathy Bachmann, Chair; Heidi Muschick, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Jacoba Coes, Celia Radek, Denise Silverman, Susan Straten. Horticulture involves the cultivation of fruits, flowering plants, vegetables, and ornamental plants with opportunities for members to exhibit specimens from their gardens or potted plants from their homes. Hospitality Reports 2019-2025 Florence Sinofsky, Chair; Janet Oscar, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Betsy Burgess, Carol Callahan, Karen Carter, Charlene Connolly, Karen DeLuca, Karen Kadus, Dorothy Meissner, Betty Murphy, Amy Poster, Michele Quinn, Elizabeth Seebode-Zazzali, Cheryl Slutzky, Patt Sullivan-Perry. One of our three goals is "Fellowship," and the Hospitality Committee ensures that it is never far from any Club event. Our members look forward to the tradition of delicious lunches, teas, and all kinds of comforting fare conjured — apparently — out of nowhere. Membership Reports 2019-2026 Tova Narrett, Chair; Susan Dumont, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Olga Bequillard, Susan Brady, Deborah Fitzpatrick, Anne Kerr, Clare Kuch, Sarah Olson, Brigitte Padberg, Cheryl Slutzky, Kathy Sorkin, Nancy Stroud, Pam Turre, Judy Voccola, Virginia Woo, Sue Young, Susan Yu. This committee is responsible for recruiting and welcoming new members and managing all aspects of membership in the Club. Nominating Reports 2019-2026 Chair: Sarah Olson Members 2026-2027: Olga Bequillard, Clare Kuch, Betty Murphy, Maureen Sprong, Michele Trevenen, Karen Whitehaus. The Nominating Committee prepares slates of candid ates for Club officers and fills vacancies should they occur. Members of this committee are appointed. Open Gardens Reports 2019-2025 Marilyn Zaret, Chair Connecting our Members, Open Gardens provides an opportunity to share knowledge and creativity. With friends included, these periodic social gatherings continue to expand in popularity, and serve as outreach to our community. Programs Reports 2019-2026 Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Chair; Karen Fricke, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Barbara Baletti, Deborah Fitzpatrick, Deborah Hirsch, Karen Kadus, Amy Poster, Sarah Stransky. Program meetings are held monthly from September to April for members and guests. Speakers come with an extensive knowledge of gardening, flower design and horticulture as well as topics as varied as the history of Essex County parks, color theory, tree therapy, and the relationship of the fashion industry to gardening. Properties Reports 2019-2026 Pam Turre, Chair; Angel Pollack, Vice Chair Member 2026-2027 : Mary Anne Link These behind-the-scenes troupers are responsible for making sure our exhibitions and shows have the right equipment to make everything run smoothly. Ways & Means Reports 2019-2026 Susan Benner, Chair; Olga Bequillard, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Marie Donnelly, Deborah Hirsch, Anna Lee, Janet Oscar, Cheryl Slutzky, Susan Straten, Nancy Stroud, Michele Trevenen, Marilyn Zaret. Plan and implement fundraising activities and field trips. Workshops Reports 2019-2026 Lisa Schweitzer, Chair; Karen DeLuca, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Barbara Baletti, Susan Brady, Susan Dumont, Karen Fricke, Alexandra Kilduff, Clare Kuch, Florence Leyssène, Dorothy Meissner, Barbara Meyer, Heidi Muschick Workshops are organized throughout the year to help members — provisionals in particular — learn about flower design, cultivating and exhibiting horticulture specimens, as well as other topics related to gardening. Youth Reports 2019-2026 Jacoba Coes, Chair; Susan Yu, Vice Chair Members 2026-2027 : Karen Carter, Nancy Foster, Nancy Haven, Donna Karanja, Ali Kilduff, Sarah Olson, Helene Peck, Susan Straten. The Youth Committee offers members the opportunity to spark that “green enthusiasm” that brought us to join the Garden Club in younger generations. We introduce young people to gardening, design, ecology, and conservation. The enjoyment of our program participants and their pride in their gardening accomplishments touch our hearts. We know they will continue to appreciate gardens in the future!

Properties Committee Reports Committees 2025-2026 — Pamela Turre, Chair; Melody Brown, Vice Chair It has been an incredible two years partnering with Vice Chair Melody Brown and creating a new storage space for the club: moving all of the items to a clean, painted and accessible space with shelves, and setting up for meetings, monthly floral arrangements, horticultural, and botanical competitions. Two years of teamwork with Melody ended due to family obligations. Angel Pollack is the new vice chair and will serve for the next two years. I am looking forward to working together for this period. 2024-2025 — Pamela Turre, Chair; Melody Brown, Vice Chair 2024-2025 was a busy year for the Properties Committee. Last summer we thoroughly revamped the Properties room at 60 South Fullerton Avenue to its current condition. The room was emptied, scrubbed, and painted, and all properties/inventories were organized in groups and placed on newly installed shelves. As a result, the monthly set-ups for routine meetings, workshops, and competitions were much easier. A special thank you to Sarah Olson, Karen Whitehaus, Floss O’Sullivan, Debra Hirsch, Barbara Baletti, and Christine James for their support and participation throughout the year. Looking forward to an exciting year in the fall. 2023-2024 — Nancy Stroud, Chair It was goodbye to Properties storage at Union Congregational Church and the Van Vleck basement; time to consolidate. Much thanks to those helping hands that moved pedestals, glassware, and many additional items to our Properties Room in 60 South Fullerton and down the street to Bnai Keshet. This move was a breeze because of the elevator there. Setups and breakdowns for the remaining competitions included repositioning chairs in the beautiful Temple and helping set up tables for floral designs, horticultural specimens, and botanical arts. Much gratitude to our members who graciously pitched in to assist. We assisted with pick up and return of pedestals for our Art in Bloom designers. Inventories are up to date. Best of luck and thanks to incoming Properties Chair Pam Turre and Vice Chair Melody Brown. 2022-2023 — Nancy Stroud, Chair 2022-23 glided by with ease for the Properties Committee. Union Congregational Church handled all our Program setups. Volunteers helped move some items out of Van Vleck House & Gardens and into Union Congregational Church's basement. Volunteers also assisted with moving photo display racks and pedestals in and out of basements. Workshops and meetings at 60 S. Fullerton were handled by presenters and attendees. The major effort went into the set-ups and breakdowns for our Arts & Flowers: A Design Specialty Flower Show held at Van Vleck House & Gardens in September. Many, many helping hands were greatly appreciated. All inventories are now complete. Properties are located at Union Congregational Church and in our properties room at 60 S. Fullerton. Thank you to all our Members who stepped up to haul our display properties up and down basement stairs. We are a team! 2021-2022 — Nancy Stroud, Chair As in-person activities and events progressed throughout the year, Properties stepped in for setups. Assistance from members of the Union Congregational Church staff, one GCM Member's husband, and many Club Members helped to lighten our work. Setups for competitions, workshops, Art in Bloom pedestal pickup and drop off, and our Annual meeting in the Garden were smooth and easy. Much gratitude to Florence Leyssène, outgoing President, for her advice and support, to Peter Zaret, Committee Members, and all who helped. Thank you to all. 2020-2021 — Nancy Stroud, Chair The Committee set up for our Awards Program, held in May in the beautiful Avis Campbell Gardens. New, lightweight folding tables were purchased for this as well as future events. Folding chairs were also set up. Recognition is due to Marilyn Zaret for her assistance carrying more than fifty metal folding chairs from the basement Club Room to the Garden, as well as to Deborah Hirsch for purchasing and delivering the new tables. Thanks to the members who stepped up to help us put everything away. Otherwise, it was a quiet year for Properties due to the COVID-19 lockdown. 2019-2020 — Debbie Moran, Chair The properties identified to go to Van Vleck for the year were taken over on "Moving Day" last summer and stored in the basement. Properties remaining in the storage room at the United Way Building were identified as either "keep" or "discard." Tables from Van Vleck made set up for Horticultural Competitions relatively fast. Using only lightweight pedestals was a boon because they had to be brought up from and then back down to the basement storage room. A set of four new pedestals for Design classes was made to add to the properties on hand at Van Vleck. There was no activity in March or April due to the corona virus lockdown.