“The trees encountered on a country stroll Reveal a lot about that country’s soul… A culture is no better than its woods.” ― W.H.Auden Join us at Bnai Keshet on Monday, February 12, for the presentation “Ask the Arborist: Keeping Trees and Shrubs Healthy,” by Brian Rombough. Doors open at 12:30 to see our members' dsigns and exhibits. Our general meeting will begin at 1PM, followed by Brian’s lecture on how to keep trees and shrubs in our landscapes healthy and thriving. He will focus on recognizing the signs of plant decline and how to diagnose and correct common tree and shrub health issues.  Brian will also discuss some of the recent challenging developments in our area; namely, emerald ash borer, bacterial leaf scorch, and the spotted lanternfly. Brian is a Licensed Tree Expert and Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture, as well as co-owner of American Tree Experts, Inc., of Montclair, which will be celebrating its 90th anniversary next year.  Brian runs the plant health care division of American Tree Experts, Inc., where he specializes in diagnosing plant diseases and insect problems.  He is the author of "Sequence of Spring," a book on flowering trees and shrubs. We will be holding a raffle, so please bring cash with you to purchase tickets.

On February 12, 2024, Botanical Arts will offer two sections for competitions. Exhibitors may enter only one entry per section. SECTION A: Botanical Arts ― Photography A Black and White Photograph suggesting Ice/ Frozen Elements. Exhibitors must pre-register with Botanical Arts Chair: florenceleyssene@gmail.com no later than February 8, 2024.  Registration based on first-come, first-served. Refer to Yearbook p.29 for general information, p.30 for rules and staging and p.39 for schedule ― or on this website click here for the schedule and staging and click here for the rules. Drop off between 8:15 and 9:15 am the morning of the monthly competition. Pick up at the conclusion of Program or, at the latest, 3:30 pm. Exhibitor can only submit one photograph. SECTION B: Botanical Arts ― Artistic Crafts An Invitation Card for a Winter Party Card staged on a table 30” high. Exhibitors must pre-register with Botanical Arts Chair: florenceleyssene@gmail.com no later than February 8, 2024.  Registration based on first-come, first-served. Refer to Yearbook p.29 for general information, p.30 for rules and staging and p.39 for schedule ― or on this website click here for the schedule and staging and click here for the rules. Drop off between 8:15 and 9:15 am the morning of the monthly competition. Pick up at the conclusion of Program or at the latest 3:30 pm. Exhibitor can only submit one invitation card.

Awards You are ALL INVITED!  Please consider submitting your nominations for the following GC of Montclair Awards (you can also self-nominate!) The Bauer Horticultural Award:  A silver bowl trophy given by the late Mrs. John Bauer may be awarded each year at the Annual Meeting for major achievement in Horticulture.  The winner is chosen by decision of the Awards Committee. Till Beatty Allis Award:  A silver bowl perpetual trophy, given in her honor by her family, may be awarded to a member who has made an outstanding contribution in Flower Design and Flower Design Education. Louise D. Mann Award:  A silver tray perpetual trophy given in her memory by her family, to be awarded to a member of the Garden Club of Montclair when merited in recognition of her vision and significant accomplishments in a field that advances Garden Club objectives. The winner is chosen by the Awards committee. These nominations should be emailed to Deborah Hirsch, by Thursday, February 29, 2024 and will be reviewed by the Awards Committee.  Many thanks! Emeritus Recommendations The Awards Committee will recommend members for the upcoming year.  We are inviting you, the membership, to send your recommendations with supporting letter to the Awards Committee, per our by-laws. “Emeritus membership may be conferred on a Club Member, at the discretion of the Board and by unanimous vote, for long term and outstanding contributions to the Club.  Emeritus members shall be entitled to all privileges of the Club and shall be exempt from the payment of dues: Per our Standing Rules: Proposal for Emeritus Membership shall be made to the Awards Committee for its approval and submitted by that Committee in writing to the Board two weeks prior to any regular meeting of the Board. Please send your recommendations by Thursday, February 15, 2024 to Deborah Hirsch.

After a brief hiatus in December and January, monthly Flower Design Competitions will be back in February, March and April. The first competition of 2024 will be held on February 12. Perfect timing to forget gloomy January and get re-energized by the beauty of flowers! The design schedule can be found on this website and in the Yearbook, pg.38. All designs must be registered no later than Thursday, February 8. Contact Fran Ackerly to register your design or if you have any questions.

Our program speaker, in the very black and white month of January, was Kelley Forsyth, Horticulturalist at Branch Brook Park, who led us through the principles of color perception to the transitory beauty of a garden awash with an abundance of colorful flowers throughout the year. Using examples from poets and painters and garden designers, she explained how choosing complementary colors for your flower beds can enhance the brilliance of every bloom. Kelley offered us these notes to follow up her lecture. Books "The Gardener’s Palette: Creating Color Harmony in the Garden", Jo Thompson "Contemporary Color in the Landscape", Andrew Wilson "Natures Palette, the Science of Plant Colors", Dr. David Lee Very colorful gardens to visit Chanticleer Garden, Wayne, PA Wave Hill Garden, Riverdale, Bronx, NY Websites and Online Nurseries Andrew’s Greenhouse, South Amherst, MA. It is a hike to get there, Unfortunately they do not sell online, but Andrew’s has a comprehensive catalog of unique annuals for your educational and dreaming pleasure. Bluestone Perennials, is a great online nursery. They send small but mighty plants. The link above sends you to their powerful search engine. I have often used this search engine to help design flower gardens. Select Seeds,  fantastic seed purveyor. Starting seeds are simple and fun. Good starter seeds are Zinnias and Nasturtiums. Select Seeds also sells plants. Branch Brook Park needs you! There are many ways to help support Branch Brook Park. You can become a donor or purchase a memorial tree or park bench. We need help during the Cherry Tree Blossom Festival. Want to be a Cherry Tree Ambassador? Click here.  Or Volunteer at another time, click here. ·      Branch Brook Park is looking for Seasonal Workers.  A great job for anyone who loves to work outdoors. We will train. Please note that we are very flexible in terms of schedule.  For more information click here. Questions or suggestions? Don’t hesitate to contact me at Kelley@jerseycares.org Below, Chevreul’s color wheel, the first chromatic circle containing pure hues, from Cercles Chromatiques de M. E. Chevreul (Paris: Didot, 1861) (Roque, 2018)

The 100th Anniversary Planning Committee would like to hear your ideas for celebrating our anniversary year, 2026.  CLICK HERE to go to the form. We plan to celebrate from April 2026 to December 2026 with a variety of activities that focus on the four areas outlined in the form. Write as much as you want, and, if you like, leave your name and email so we may follow up with you.

Once again, on Thursday, January 18, the dramatic duo of Florence Leyssène and Debbie Moran, our own NGC judges, led a packed workshop in the fine art of judging flower and botanic arts design. They were ably assisted with comments from Brenda Bingham, another Club NGC judge, plus plenty of pithy remarks from the audience. Five intrepid Club members ― Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Karen Fricke, Cheryl Slutzky, Floss O'Sullivan, and Sarah Stransky ― bravely agreed to allow their designs (see their beautiful efforts below, all of which in the opinion of the attendees were worthy of blue ribbons) to be critiqued by Florence and Debbie, who explained exactly how the judges would assign marks according to the strict rules of the NGC. These are laid out in detail in Chapter 11 of the Handbook (click here to see on our site). Enormous thanks to our talented and courageous exhibitors and to our judges for their thoughtful ― and very funny ― explanations of the esoteric ins and outs of point scoring.

Snow will make it impossible to see any garbage, so we are POSTPONING the Upper Montclair cleaning day, originally scheduled for this Saturday, until Saturday, MARCH 2, at 1 PM. Rain or shine -- but not snow. See you all in Upper Montclair Plaza in March.

Too many of our hard-working Hospitality Committee members are out of town! If you can contribute something delicious for the program meeting on Monday, please contact Michelle Quinn at michelecoreyquinn@gmail.com.

Don’t be discouraged by the gloomy weather; the Garden Club will be meeting this month even if there are no competitions!  Come to B’nai Keshet on Monday, January 22, as early as 12:30 for a vibrant presentation by Kelley Forsyth on Color, Color Perception, and Colorful Plants for the Garden. Our brief general meeting will begin at 1PM, followed by Kelley’s lecture on color, which will offer a deeper understanding of color perception and enhance the gardener’s ability to create vibrant outdoors spaces through the seasons. The presentation will include a visual tour of Kelley’s favorite colorful shrubs and perennials. Kelley Forsyth studied landscape design at the New York Botanical Garden. In January of 2021 she earned her master’s degree in landscape architecture from Rutgers University. She wrote her thesis on the importance of flowers and color in public spaces, entitled “Where have all the flowers gone?” She has gardened professionally for more than 20 years, designing, and installing hundreds of gardens. After running her own business, Kelley Garden Design, she welcomed the opportunity to work with a broader canvas at Newark’s historic Branch Brook Park, where she currently serves as the horticulturist for the park. There will be raffles, so please bring cash to purchase your tickets.

Our Environment Committee is inviting ALL CLUB MEMBERS to meet at Moss & More (42 Upper Montclair Plaza for those of you who have never visited member Amy South's wonderful store), where there will be hot chocolate and hot cider at 10 am on Saturday, January 20, rain or shine. Armed with clear bags, we will set about cleaning up the streets and parking lots in the Upper Montclair business district, photographing for township record the amount of trash we collect. Additionally, a couple of us can undertake photographing and recording any vegetative condition that needs attention, including trees. Wendy Lacey of The Corner Store has been petitioning to remove an unhealthy tree which we can look at. A walk through this part of town is all you need to realize how much the township neglects this area. From talking with Amy, the retailers need a boost of attention. Obviously this is not going to solve the ongoing maintenance issues, but in winter, the blown trash, unattended bins and areas dangerous for pedestrians in parking lots is more evident than ever. Come with warm clothes, disposable gloves, grabber claws, and your big hearts. We will supply the clear bags. Amy’s store will be our home base, a business that exemplifies beauty and environmental best practices.

Thursday, January 18th, 9:30-11:30am Garden View Room at 60 S. Fullerton What do judges look for when they critique a design or horticultural entry?  Ever wonder what was meant by a judge's comment?  Join Florence Leyssène and Debbie Moran and learn about the process, criteria, and scale of points that guide award decisions as they critique and score designs created especially for this workshop.   Come and sharpen your skills!   RSVP to celiaradek@gmail.com