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Committees Descriptions, Chairs, and Members Click on a committee button, or scroll down to read about them all. Avis Campbell Awards Botanical Arts Civic Beauty Communications Environment Facilities Finance Flower Design Garden Boutique Garden Therapy Horticulture Hospitality Membership Nominating Open Gardens Potpourri Program Properties Triangle Gardens Ways & Means Workshop Yearbook Youth 2022 Arts & Flowers: A Design Specialty Flower Show See full report of the event with full award list and links to photos of winning entries. Avis Campbell Avis Campbell Gardens 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. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Awards This group of members is responsible for managing which members receive Garden Club awards. See the full list of awards and recipients here . ​ ​ ​ Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Awards Botanical Arts 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 exhib its. Included under the BA umbrella are Botanical Horticulture, Botanical Design, Artistic Crafts, and Photography. ​ Chair and Members BA Civic Beautification Civic Beautification This committee's goal is to promote environmentally responsible existing green spaces and help implement the creation of beautiful new green spaces in the community, including planters in front of town businesses with an emphasis on native and pollinator plants. The committee will act as a resource for projects throughout the town and provide physical help where appropriate. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Communications/Publicity Not only do we need to inform members of all our activities, but we need to reach out to potential new gardeners. The Club runs this website, creates an annual yearbook, produces seven newsletters a year (see Potpourri below), communicates with weekly emails, and ensures the press is aware of all our activities. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Communications Environment 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 in the field of conservation and restoration as well as challenging current standards of beauty and landscape-care habits. Chair and Members Environmental Facilities Members of this committee are responsible for overseeing 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. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Facilities Finance 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. ​ ​ Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Finance Flower Design Flower Design Flower Design is an integral component of the Garden Club. There are opportunities to create traditional designs, as well as those which express more "freedom of style," and exhibit in monthly competitions. Members learn through Workshop participation and the help of our expert designers. Provisional designs are not judged but receive constructive criticism. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Garden Boutique Garden Boutique The Garden Boutique not only provides gardening and flower design tools, caps, aprons, and other eye-catching gifts to members, but it makes a profit and contributes to our annual budget. Our chair is always open to new ideas for items. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Garden Therapy Garden Therapy Garden Therapy is an opportunity to "give back" to the community with visits to nursing homes, senior centers, specialized schools, and refuges. Garden Club members work with the institutions to design programs that will interest participants and members alike, ranging from assistance with planting bulbs and potting plants, to providing floral decorations to Toni's Kitchen's Thanksgiving feasts. ​ Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Horticulture Horticulture involves the cultivation of fruits, flowering plants, vegetables, and ornamental plants wth opportunities for members to exhibit specimens from their gardens or potted plants from their homes. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Horticulture Hospitality One of our three goals is "Fellowship," and the Hospitality Committee ensures that it is never far from any Club event. Sadly, Covid has put a dent in the extraordinary efforts of this committee, but in the past and in the future, we can look forward to the renewed tradition of delicious lunches, teas and all kinds of comforting fare conjured — apparently — out of nowhere. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Hospitality Membership This committee is responsible for recruiting and welcoming new members and managing all aspects of membership in the Club. ​ ​ Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Membership Nominating The Nominating Committee prepares slates of candidates for Club officers and fills vacancies should they occur. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Nominating Open Gardens Open Gardens Connecting our Members, Open Gardens provides an opportunity to sh are knowledge and creativity. With friends included, these periodic social gatherings continue to expand in popula ri ty, and serve as outreach to our community. Organized by Marilyn Za ret. ​ Reports 2019-2023 Potpourri Potpourri Seven times a year, Potpourri provides Club members with detailed information and articles about upcoming and past events from outings and workshops to community service and celebrations. Most members receive the newsletter via email, but a significant number still receive hard copies. See also Communications/ Publicity . Editor and Members Reports 2019-2023 Program 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, Emily Dickinson's garden, and the secrets of the fragrance industry. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Program Properties These behind-the-scenes troupers are responsible for making sure our exhibitions and shows have the right equipment to make everything run smoothly. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Properties Triangle Gardens Triangle Gardens are the raised planting beds along Church Street. Members and provisionals 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. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Triangle Ways & Means Ways & Means organizes trips and outings, both near (the High Line in New York City) and far (the bulb fields of Holland). Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Ways & Means Workshop Workshops are organized throughout the year to help members — provisionals in particular — learn about Flower Design, cultivating and exhibiting Horticulture, as well as other topics related to gardening. Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023 Workshop Yearbook The award=winning Yearbook is the Garden Club member's essential companion. It provides all the information she or he needs to know, from member contact information, to the calendar, award winners, committee reports, and even the by-laws. ​ ​ Editor and Members Reports 2019-2023 Yearbook Youth Youth This committee focuses on specific projects with the youth of Montclair, such as the development of the "Connected Courtyard" at Watchung School, working with local Girl Scout troops, maintaining the pollinator gardens we planted in Montclair's elementary schools. ​ ​ ​ ​ Chair and Members Reports 2019-2023

Finance Committee Reports Committees 2022-2023 — Bob Chapman, Treasurer and Chair The Finance Committee met three times this year by email and Zoom to discuss financial reporting, next year's budget, and investment decisions. ​ It was decided that with the higher interest rates now available in these inflationary times, we should be investing in either T-Bills or CDs. In May we chose CDs of 7-month and 13-month duration. ​ GCM is holding funds that have been donated in memory of several people. One of those amounts was dispensed this year, and we now have a better accounting as to the purpose of the others. ​ The 2023-2024 budget was presented to the Board in March, reviewed and modified through meetings in April and May, and approved at the June Board meeting. ​ We now have a better records-retention arrangement for financial information with solid offsite storage, and improvements in our non-financial records. 2021-2022 — Susan Straten, Treasurer and Chair The Finance Committee met three times this year to discuss the disposition of our savings/endowment, ideas for fund raising suggested by the Ways and Means Committee, and the preparation of the 2022-2023 budget. Our CD at Haven Savings Bank came due February 4th. It was decided not to roll it over and wait to invest the funds, pending improved interest rates. The funds were deposited into our Bank of America savings account. The Garden Club of Montclair was the recipient of many donations in memory of Larry Whitehaus, husband of member Karen Whitehaus, who passed away in May of 2021. The money has been earmarked for repairing the pathways in Avis Campbell Gardens. The Finance Committee presented the initial budget for 2022-2023 at the March Board meeting. Amendments were made then and after further discussions at the April and May Board meetings. The budget for 2022-2023 was approved by the new Board at its first meeting in June. 2020-2021 — Susan Straten, Treasurer and Chair Year-end actual expenses vs income came in $572 under budget due to the lack of activity of a number of Committees. The Finance Committee met several times to create the budget for 2021-2022. It became clear that dues income and random contributions would be insufficient in the future to support the needs of our expanding Committee activities. The Finance Committee recommended that the Ways and Means Committee explore fundraising opportunities which would bring in an additional $3,000-5,000 each year. Ted O'Dell, CPA, is reviewing our books for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and will prepare our 2019 and 2020 Tax returns which are due October 1, 2021. ​ We welcome Class of 2023 Bob Chapman and Maureen Michaud to the Finance Committee. 2019-2020 — Tessie Thomas, Treasurer and Chair When the COVID-19 crisis hit, I was amazed how quickly GCM went digital. When I created the ballot for virtual elections, I was thinking, "This was not in our plans!" Over two years in the Treasurer role (and the previous two as Editor of Potpourri), my mantra was automate and digitize. This pandemic just accelerated the whole plan. GCM continues to celebrate nature and make the world a more beautiful place for all. To me, GCM is a reminder of all that is normal and good in the world. There is a natural selflessness in what GCM does — a powerful reminder that collectively we can overcome anything, even a pandemic. As a mother of two teenagers with active sports and academic schedules, along with my work with other nonprofits, I am grateful for the support and inspiration from GCM Board and the Membership. In the work as Treasurer, we continued to build upon the themes of simplifying and digitizing. Nothing gave me more pleasure than instances where we were able to save many a lot of time and effort - even when it was a simple thing like taking a picture of a bill and emailing it to me rather than dropping the bill to my home or mailing it. We continued using Quicken accounting software and stuck to cash accounting. We filed taxes successfully and in a timely manner. We are on strong financial grounds. Despite all the sudden cancellations of plans and programs, we ended the year with $82,619.67: We made the budgeting process even more transparent with inputs over Zoom and buy-in from all the Committee Chairs before settling on the budget with the Finance Committee. After all that hard work, I handed over the keys to Susan Straten. Needless to say, the transition is straightforward as she has been my helpline and mentor! GCM remains fiscally strong. Account 2019 2020 CD $40,315.00 $41,403.98 Savings account $27,053.00 $25,112.87 Checking account $23,986.00 $16,102.82

Apply for Membership We are delighted that you are considering Membership in the Garden Club of Montclair. Please complete and submit this form to Cheryl Slutzky, our Membership VP. She will contact you, and answer any of your questions. ​ Scroll down below the form for more information. Did someone recommend that you consider Membership? Please let us know their name. Thanks for considering Membership! We will get back to you as quickly as possible. Submit Provisional Requirements and Information Requirements Note: If you have a friend in the Club, she/he will be your "mentor," that is, your guide through the first year. If you found us online, we will assign a Garden Club member as your mentor. Mentors join Provisionals at program meetings, competitions, the Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation in May, and social events, and keep track of their progress. You'll find that everyone is more than willing to help you through the year. ​ Provisional members are responsible for completing the following requirements to become Active members: 1 Program Meeting 3 Workshops 3 two-hour work sessions in Avis Campbell Gardens 1 two-hour work session in Triangle Mall Gardens 1 Garden Therapy visit 1 Flower Design entry (not judged) 1 Horticultural specimen (not judged) Clerk for one monthly competition (may substitute an additional Flower Design or Horticultural entry The above requirements are the minimum required. Provisionals are encouraged to attend all Program Meetings and Workshops and enter additional Flower Design/Horticulture competitions. See more details about the above requirements. ​ Provisional Dues: $100. Dues are payable after the Provisional Informational Coffee held in February. The official Provisional year begins on April 1, but applications are accepted throughout the year. ​ Cheryl Slutzky ​

2022-2023 — Susan Straten, Chair The Nominating Committee met seven times by Zoom to fill the following Officer and Committee Chair positions: President, 2nd Vice President/Communications, Recording Secretary, Avis Campbell Gardens & Grounds, Triangle Gardens, Garden Therapy, Program, and Youth. Working with these committee Chair candidates, we appointed Vice Chairs for each of their committees. In addition, we nominated two members to the Finance Committee and six members to the Nominating Committee. We selected Barbara Baletti from this year's Committee to chair the Nominating Committee next year. Our team was excited to present a strong group of leaders to the membership for their approval. ​ I want to thank the Committee Members Barbara Baletti, Marie Donnelly, Floss O'Sullivan, Marilyn Zaret, and our ex-officio members Cheryl Slutzky, Membership Chair, and President Sarah Stransky for their conscientiousness and commitment to our charge. Their willingness to share their insights and to make some of the "asks" was most appreciated. The way this committee worked together in such a thoughtful and efficient manner is an example of why our Club is so great! Nominating Committee Reports Committees 2021-2022 — Karen Kadus, Chair The 2021-2022 Nominating Committee began its work in June and continued through January to prepare a slate of Officers and Committee Chairs to serve in leadership positions in The Garden Club of Montclair. The nominations were forwarded to the Board of Trustees in February. Due to the ongoing pandemic, all meetings were held on Zoom. The committee filled the following leadership positions of Officers, Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs for 2022-2024: President (one year), 1st Vice President Membership, 3rd Vice President Finance, Recording Secretary (one year), Avis Campbell Gardens, Civic Beautification, Facilities, Flower Design, Horticulture, Hospitality, Newsletter Potpourri, Nominating, Properties,Ways and Means, Workshops, and Yearbook. We also nominated candidates to serve on the Finance Committee and the Nominating Committee. Many thanks to our committee Members Lissa Barrett, Susan Brady, Susan Dumont, Kate Khachaturian, Sara H. Olson and Maureen Sprong for their thoughtful discussions and outreach to potential candidates. Thanks also to ex-officio Members Cheryl Slutzky, Membership, and Florence Leyssène, President, for their invaluable advice and dedication to our Garden Club. Sarah Stransky, who served as President from 2001 to 2003, graciously agreed to accept the position of President for one year. Susan Straten will be the next Nominating Chair. 2020-2021 — Susan Benner, Chair The 2020/2021 Nominating Committee worked throughout the year to prepare a slate of accomplished candidates to serve the Garden Club of Montclair in leadership positions. I would like to thank Deborah Hirsch, Floss O’Sullivan, Karen Kadus, Michele Trevenen, Susan van Inwegen, and Susan Straten for all their hard work over Zoom and through personal calls to members. Special thanks to Florence Leyssène who attended all meetings and provided sound advice and guidance throughout the year. Despite challenges caused by the pandemic, the Committee successfully filled the following positions of Officers and Committee Chairs for the upcoming term: President, Communication, Recording Secretary, Program, Garden Therapy, Triangle Garden, Yearbook, Youth, Avis Campbell Gardens, Nominating and Finance Committee members. Special efforts were made to secure Vice-Chair positions for the following positions: Membership, Program, Garden Therapy, Triangle Garden, Youth, Avis Campbell Gardens. Due to the pandemic, the Committee felt that the Club would benefit if Florence Leyssène could continue as President for a third year. The Committee requested and received a change in the By-laws to allow this extension. Florence graciously accepted the position and we are fortunate that the Club will have her experience for another year. Since the Nominating Committee makes personal contact with members, the Membership Vice-Chair has been asked to participate in future meetings. 2019-2020 — Terri Breen, Chair The 2019-2020 Nominating Committee worked throughout the fall and winter to prepare a slate of accomplished candidates to serve The Garden Club of Montclair in leadership positions. I'd like to thank Fran Ackerly, Claire Stepleton, Jackie Kling, Susan Benner, Lori Vick, and Sarah Stransky for all your hard work. The Committee successfully filled the following positions of Officers and Committee Chairs for the term 2020-2022: Finance, Civic Beautification, Hospitality, Ways and Means, Properties, Newsletter, Flower Design, Workshop, and Horticulture. The new position of 'President-Elect' was created with a job description and responsibilities defined and voted on by the Executive Committee and, then ultimately, the Membership. We were fortunate our President, and previous Nominating Chair, Florence Leyssène, attended every meeting and provided methodical direction and sound advice throughout the year. Thank you, Florence. I'd also like to thank Deborah Hirsch who served as a consultant to our committee to develop the new President-Elect position.

Letter from the President Sarah Stransky President Garden Club of Montclair ​ September, 2022 Dear Members and Provisionals, I am honored to be President of what I imagine must be one of the most successful garden clubs in the country! That success can be directly tied to the dedication, professionalism, and determination of our Members. But why do we do this? We do it because we love to create and share the spectacular beauty of a garden. ​ This love is fostered by many creative events and projects that we offer each year. You will find them all on our newly renovated website and in this Yearbook. This year’s featured event: ARTS & FLOWERS, A Design Specialty Flower Show, will be held at Van Vleck House & Gardens September 16-18. On our website and at the bottom of this page, take notice of our newly refreshed native dogwood blossom logo!! A big thank you to new member Karen DeLuca, for her creative graphic art talent and time! ​ We will also celebrate 70 years of educating our Members and the community through Avis Campbell Gardens, our landscape/horticultural legacy. As my garden club sponsor, Barbara Meyer, wrote in her 1993 President’s letter: "For many years, education has been not only our primary goal, but our greatest strength." I was reminded of this recently in Avis Campbell Gardens as I watched a young mother and her daughter of 6 or 7. They were reading the names of the roses and comparing fragrances, trying to decide which was the most beautiful. I told the mother I thought it was wonderful that her daughter had such enthusiasm for roses. She replied that, yes, her daughter really loved the garden and especially liked learning the names. They came often to enjoy the flowers. She said when she was a child, her mother brought her here, and now she is glad to be able to share this special garden with her own daughter." ​ Love of a garden that spans generations, knowledge, and respect for the beauty of our environment — this is our legacy and our continued challenge. Let us meet the challenges of this year with imagination and energy, so that everyone can continue to enjoy our traditions. ​ Many, many thanks for all you do for The Garden Club of Montclair. Fondly, Sarah ​

Club Projects New Club Projects Environmental Initiative: Our mission as a Club will center on creating an "Act of Restorative Kindness" to our earth within our community. Members will work to restore, improve and protect the quality of our environment with like minded community partners. This will involve embracing new knowledge and science in the field of conservation and restoration as well as challenging current standards of beauty and landscape-care habits. Each committee will work to incorporate these values into their events and activities in the coming years. Continuing Club Projects: Education Provide opportunities for Members and Provisionals to exhibit Flower Designs for competition, judging, and critique. Project Leaders: Fran Ackerly, Barbara Baletti. Provide opportunities for Members and Provisionals to exhibit Horticulture for competition, judging, and critique. Project Leaders: Michele Trevenen, Karen Whitehaus. Provide opportunies for Members and Provisionals to exhibit Botanical Arts for competition, judging, and critique. Project Leaders: Florence Leyssene, Debbie Moran. Offer Programs on landscape and floral design, plants and gardening, history, and pollinators to Members and open to the public. Project Leaders: Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Karen Fricke. Offer Workshops to Members and Provisionals on gardening, flower design, horticulture, and botanical arts. Use photography, video, and technology to visually enhance education and increase accessibility to Members and Provisionals online. Project Leaders: Celia Radek, Susan Benner. Offer Tours of Avis Campbell Gardens and Triangle Gardens for schoolchildren, Scout troops, and other organizations. Educate the community about plants, drought tolerant landscaping, composting, and garden design. Project Leaders: Maureen Sprong, Betty Murphy, Donna Karanja. Maintain website access to photographs of flower designs, botanical arts, and horticulture, video presentations , and maintain a library of books for Club Members. These resources promote education on gardening, flower design, horticulture, conservation, and the environment. Project Leaders: Sue Young, Sheila Curry Oakes. Sponsor Montclair Schools' gardening projects with teacher and student participation. Partner with local Sc out troops on garden related activities. Project Leaders: Donna Karanja, Susan Straten. ​ ​ Continuing Club Projects: Beautification Maintain the 70 year-old Avis Campbell Gardens and Grounds, including the September 11th Memorial Garden. Project Leaders: Maureen Sprong, Wendy Stahl. Maintain Montclair's Triangle Gardens in the Church Street business district. Project Leaders: Betty Murphy, Janet Oscar. Decorate Montclair History Center's Crane House and Historic YWCA for the Holidays. Project Leaders: Celia Radek, Susan Benner. Continuing Club Projects: Fellowship Conduct Garden Therapy projects with community members facing physical disabilities, homelessness, or violence by holding flower arranging workshops and garden-related activities to inspire creativity and personal achievement. Project Leaders: Susan Dumont, Karen Kadus. Maintain a website to enhance our public image, automate business tasks, and facilitate Club communication with an online calendar, instant access to key Club information and applications, so decreasing paper consumption. Provide website links to National Garden Clubs, Inc., Central Atlantic Region-SGC, Inc., and The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. Project Leader: Sue Young. Publish the Potpourri newsletter — a member resource for Club activities, as well as gardening, design, and environmental issues. Project Leader: Terri Breen. Publish the Yearbook — the leadership team, the Club's calendar, competition schedules, and annual reports of the previous year's activities. Includes Club awards history, GCNJ, CAR-SGC, and NGC information, and a directory of current Membership. Cross-referenced with the Club's website. Project Leader: Floss O'Sullivan. Maintain our email database and send regular email notifications of Club activities to the Membership. Project Leader: Fran Wong. Foster fellowship and share gardening knowledge through an Open Gardens program where Members open their gardens for visitation by the Membership and friends. Project Leader: Marilyn Zaret.

Workshop Committee Reports Committees 2022-2023 — Celia Radek, Chair; Susan Benner, Vice Chair Nine workshops averaging over 30 attendees were held during the program year, from June through April, complementing Club activities and projects. Design sessions included a pop-up Boutique and two were recorded for later viewing. Many included information handouts, which can be found on the website. Expenses totaled $366.05. The Committee called upon Club Members to share their expertise and the name of presenter(s) follows the workshop title. ​ "Getting Ready for the Flower Show: Staging and Botanical Arts Design" (Florence Leyssène) "Horticulture 101: Introduction to Exhibiting Horticulture in a Standard Flower Show" (Heidi Muschick) "Flower Design 101 for Provisional and Novice" (Fran Ackerly and Barbara Baletti) "Hypertufa Garden Troughs" (Debbie Moran) "Greens Workshop and Decorating the Crane House & Historic YWCA.' "Botanical Arts Artistic Crafts: Masks, Hats, and Jewelry" (Florence Leyssène) "Flower Design, American Traditional Line: Crescent & Hogarth Curve" (Debbie Moran) "Creative: Underwater Design" (Debbie Moran and Florence Leyssène) "Rose Revival" (Barbara Meyer) "Growing Annuals and Perennials from Seed and Introducing the Estelle Leibrecht Horticulture Project: Growing Zinnias from Seed (Michele Trevenen, Karen Whitehaus, and Celia Radek) 2021-2022 — Floss O'Sullivan, Chair We offered eleven workshops to 205 Members on topics from gardening to flower design to botanical arts taught by our talented judges and expert Members. We happily resumed meeting in person following safety protocols and using Avis Campbell Gardens to meet outdoors for some of our workshops. Our Provisionals learned horticulture exhibition and flower design from Debbie Moran, Fran Ackerly, and Barbara Baletti. Maureen Sprong educated us on Dahlias and led the bed captains at Avis Campbell Gardens with annual and perennial planting advice. The Crane House and Historic YWCA looked wonderful after our 27th year of decorating. We so enjoy partnering with Montclair History Center and helped them secure sixth place in USA Today's 10 Best Historic Home Tours. Exploring Botanical Arts, Florence Leyssène led a 'Galentine's Day' workshop on designing gift boxes using flowers. Debbie Moran's Terrarium workshop taught us how to create and care for miniature glassed-in gardens. Amy South, owner of Moss & More, led a workshop on Japanese moss balls called 'Kokedama' — a new concept for us. A snowy Sunday rose-pruning session led by Barbara Meyer helped produce the glorious roses now in Avis Campbell Gardens. Finally, Brenda Bingham challenged us with multi-rhythmic design by explaining her own dynamic arrangements. Thanks to items donated by Brenda and bequeathed by Joan Crowther, attendees selected interesting containers and design materials, raising a lovely donation benefiting the Garden Club of Montclair. We used technology to capture photos and videos as reference material for future generations. We employed: Zoom, Live iPhone Camera Feeds, iPhone Video, Narration, iMovie, Photography Editing with iPhone, Snapseed and Retouch applications, Microsoft Photo Editor, Google Slides, PowerPoint, and Sign-up Genius. We also added animated commercials and website news posts to increase participation. It has been a delight to expand our workshops and find new methods to educate. Thank you to Sarah Olson, my Vice Chair, Sue Young for her website help, Florence Leyssène for her leadership, and our Members' enthusiastic attendance. Celia Radek, incoming Chair, will lead Workshops with her tremendous knowledge, collaborative approach, and proven dedication, making Workshops an ongoing success for the Club. 2020-2021 — Floss O'Sullivan, Chair In a challenging year, it was inspiring to see how our Garden Club flourished. Workshops went “virtual,” combining experts, slides, photos, videos, audio, and Zoom to make education accessible for members. Heartfelt thanks to NGC Accredited Master Flower Show Judges: Florence Leyssène, Debbie Moran, Brenda Bingham, and Arabella Dane who generously shared their expertise to create informative, beautiful workshops. Sincere thanks to all members who attended workshops - your enthusiasm and engagement resulted in priceless learning experiences for all. Grateful thanks to Fran Wong for e-blast announcements, and Amy South and Sue Young who posted workshops online. Our rosarian, Barbara Meyer, deserves thanks because she offered the only in-person workshop outside this Spring. Thank you all! In September, Florence Leyssène’s narrated video workshop: American Traditional Mass Design and Debbie Moran’s slideshow video: Horticulture–Preparing to Exhibit launched. Intended for new Provisionals, these will serve future Provisionals and established members. To prepare for virtual exhibitions, in October we met the delightful Arabella Dane, who provided guidelines, technology tips, and a judge’s perspective on Smart Phone Photography. November’s American Traditional Line Design featured Florence Leyssène’s superb horizontal and vertical line flower designs, photos, time-elapsed video, and live video demonstration. Our 26th year decorating the Crane House and Historic YWCA was a challenge for a socially distanced world. Thanks to the combined efforts of our members and Montclair History Center’s Jane Eliasof, they won 4th place in USA Today’s 10 Best Historic Home Tours. Congratulations all! In January, Brenda Bingham shared a judge’s perspective on Hogarth Curve Design and her inspiring flower design evolution. During February, Debbie Moran’s amazing precision for Petite Design illustrated scale and proportion. Barbara Meyer’s excellent Roses Workshop provided an education and hands-on practice preparing the roses in Avis Campbell Gardens in March. During April, Florence Leyssène and Debbie Moran conducted Stepping Up to Creative Design including live video demonstrations and creative techniques. Altogether, we had 176 participants in seven workshops taught by five instructors. We depend on one another to grow and appreciate everyone’s contribution. What a lovely community we have built together. It is an honor to be part of this remarkable organization. 2019-2020 — Barbara Baletti, Chair Providing opportunities to learn about gardening, horticulture, flower design, and community give-back are the hallmarks of a dynamic garden club and our Workshops are the conduit that allows this to happen. Despite the fact that our calendar was abbreviated by the global pandemic, we managed to present rich and varied offerings. ​ In addition to our annual Flower Design and Horticulture Workshops for Active and Provisional members, we added new things to the mix to prepare for the Design Specialty Flower Show, now scheduled for the fall of 2021. These included workshops in both Photography and Botanical Arts. I offer special thanks to Florence Leyssène and Debbie Moran for their work in preparing and presenting new workshops to educate our Membership this year. Their instruction and enthusiasm are nonpareil. ​ In early September, we offered a Bed Captains' Tour of our Avis Campbell Gardens where members learned first hand and "hands-on" about the creation, care, and variety of our planting beds from our devoted, hard working bed captains. October brought us Maureen Sprong's annual Dahlia slide show and specimen review which always lures a large group of dahlia addicts who return every year to learn more. ​ Michael Downey, a professional photographer and instructor from Unique Photo Academy, presented to a rapt group of shutterbugs in November. The group learned both photography basics and tips to capture images of gardens and close-ups of flowers and plants. ​ Our Annual Israel Crane House decorating project in early December had overwhelming Club participation both in the preparation of the greens and in creating the festive holiday dressing of the house. Thanks to the Membership and to Jane Elias of of the Montclair History Center. ​ Another addition to our Workshop calendar this year was an "Interior Plantscapes" event at member Amy South's botanical boutique in Montclair, Moss & More, where she took us on a journey through the world of indoor tropical plants. Amy showed us how to grow and maintain them and shared insider secrets about what is trending now. ​ As Workshops Chair, I had the opportunity to explore new areas and get to know Garden Club members so much better. I had the opportunity to work with Mara Harkins, a lovely woman who will be missed. The past year was challenging and fun. I know that Floss O'Sullivan, as she takes the reins next year, will bring her incredible enthusiasm and energy and bring this Committee to even greater heights.

National, Regional, and State Garden Clubs Contact Information and Calendars The Garden Club of Montclair is a member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs, Inc., and The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. These organizations provide opportunities for further education and provide a wealth of resources to garden clubs across America. Contact them for more information, events, and resources. See state and national calendar of events . National Garden Clubs, Inc. Email and Website 4401 Magnolia Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110-3492 Phone: 314-776-7574 President : Brenda Moore President's Theme: Go Green - Plant America ​ ​ ​ Central Atlantic Region - SGC, Inc. Contact and Website Director : Monica Hanson CAR-SGC Director 's Theme: Together We Will Plant America for a Cleaner, Greener, and Healthier World 21 Henning Drive Orchard Park, NY 14127-2816 Newsletters ​ Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. Contact and Website Location: Holly House-Rutgers University 126 Ryders Lane East Brunswick, NJ 08816 President : Beverly Kazickas GCNG President's Theme: Plant America ... Gardening for a Healthy Mind, Body, and Soul District II Director : Julie Morgan Newsletters NGC's "The National Gardener" magazine Winter 2024 Winter 2023 Spring 2023 Summer 2023 Fall 2023 Winter 2022 Spring 2022 Summer 2022 Fall 2022 Winter 2021 Spring 2021 Summer 2021 Fall 2021 See also earlier editions of The National Gardener as well as all NGC publications. Calendar for State and National Events Calendar Date Year Org. Event Location September 21 2023 NGC Fall Board Meeting Virtual on Zoom September 25, 10am 2023 GCNJ Board Meeting Holly House October 18 2023 GCNJ Judges Council Holly House October 23-26 2023 CAR-SGC Conference Corning, NY October 30, 10am 2023 GCNJ Board Meeting Holly House November 18 2023 GCNJ District II Fall Meeting Morristown, NJ November 27, 10am 2023 GCNJ Board Meeting Holly House January 22, 10am 2024 GCNJ Board Meeting Virtual on Zoom February 1 2024 GCNJ Judges Council Virtual on Zoom February 26, 10am 2024 GCNJ Board Meeting Virtual on Zoom March 2-10 2024 PHS * Philadelphia Flower Show Philadelphia, PA March 25, 10am 2024 GCNJ Board Meeting Holly House March 27 2024 GCNJ Judges Council Holly House April 8-12 2024 GCNJ Flower Show School Course 1 Holly House April 22, 10am 2024 GCNJ Board Meeting Holly House May 20, 10am 2024 GCNJ Board Meeting Holly House June 2-5 2024 NGC National Convention Denver, CO June 11 2024 NJGC Judges Council Holly House June 24, 10am 2024 GCNJ Board Meeting Holly House June TBD 2024 GCNJ Annual Meeting TBD October 14-18 2024 GCNJ Flower Show School Course II Holly House * PHS: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society top

Flower Show 2022Awards Click on any of the images to see them larger. "HM" is short for "Honorable Mention." Division I - Design Section A: "All the World's A Stage" Class 1: "West Side Story" A Creative Parallel Design, staged on a 30” high dining table covered with ivory tablecloth. Four (4) exhibits staged in front of a black divider 36” high provided by committee. Staging panel and underlay required and provided by exhibitor, allowable space 32” high x 24” wide x24” deep. First: Michele Tomasik. (Also won Award of Design Excellence and Tricolor Award.) Second: Marie Donnelly Third: Cheryl Slutzky HM: Susan Brady Class 2: "Oklahoma" A Design, freedom of style and type, staged on a 42” high round black pedestal with 14” black square top, provided by committee. Staged in front of a sage green wall and viewed from front. Allowable space 26” wide x 26” deep, no height restriction. Underlay optional. First: Barbara Baletti Second: Cynthia Corhan-Aitken Third: Sarah Stransky HM: Victoria Herrera Class 3: "Madame Butterfly" An American Traditional Design on a 36” high round black pedestal with a 15” diameter black top, provided by committee. Staged in front of a sage green wall, allowable space 26” wide x 26” deep, no height restriction. Underlay optional. First: Patricia Rodio Second: Betty Murphy Third: Nancy Foster HM: Gretchen Prater Section B: "Revelations" Class 4: "Alvin Ailey" A Challenge Design, staged on 30” high x 18” deep conference table, provided by committee. Three (3) per table, allowable space 24” wide x 18” deep. Identical components will be supplied to exhibitors by consultant no later than August 21, except for fresh flowers which will be supplied September 14. Exhibitor must use a minimum of three (3) components provided. First: Sarah Olson Sarah also won Special Arts & Flowers Award Second: Carol Callahan Third: Susan Benner HM: Nancy Stroud HM: Floss O'Sullivan Section C: "Fascinating Rhythms" Class 5: "Symphony" A Low-Profile Design: a 3-D design incorporating three (3) or more design techniques (HB p.81-83). Techniques must be identified on a 3” x 5” index card. Completed design must be at least four (4) times as long and/or wide as it is high. Staged on a horizontal staging panel required and provided by exhibitor, placed on a 26” long x 16” wide x 7.5” high box provided by committee. Allowable space 36” long x 24” wide. First: Florence Leyssène Second: Brenda Bingham Third: Deborah Moran HM: Celia Radek Class 6: "Jazz" A Design, freedom of style and type, staged on a 30” high table covered with ivory tablecloth. Staging panel and underlay required and provided by exhibitor, allowable space 24” wide x 24” deep, no height restriction. First: Tova Narrett (also won Designer's Choice Award and the Barbara Slockbower Schaeberle Award Second: Susan Dumont Third: Marilyn Zaret HM: Sydney Milliken Class 7: "Hip Hop" A Multi-Rhythmic Design staged on a 42” high black pedestal with 14” square black top, provided by committee. Pedestals placed in the middle of the room. Designs are free standing, viewed and judged from all sides. Allowable space 26” wide x 26” deep, no height restriction. Underlay optional. First: Fran Ackerly Second: Barbara Baletti Third: Deborah Hirsch HM: Jessica Fleming Section D: “The Flower as Muse” Class 8: "Contemporary Art" A Tubular Design, staged on a mantel shelf, 54.5” high from the floor x 10” deep. Staging panel and underlay required and provided by exhibitor, allowable space 12” high x 12” wide x 10” deep, wall color is off-white. First: Fran Ackerly Second: Nancy Stroud Third: Susan Benner HM: Dorothy Meissner Class 9: "Impressionism" A Design, freedom of style and type, staged on a glass-topped shelf, 52.5” high x 10” deep. Staging panel and underlay optional, allowable space 12” high x 12” wide x 10” deep, wall and shelf color are off-white. First: Susan Straten Second: Michelle Quinn Third: Sarah Olson HM: Victoria Herrera Class 10: "Pop Art" A Creative Design, staged on a glass-topped shelf, 52.5” high x 10” deep. Staging panel and underlay required and provided by exhibitor, allowable space 12” high x 12” wide x 10” deep, wall and shelf color are off-white. First: Celia Radek (also won Petite Award) Second: Deborah Hirsch Third: Carol Callahan HM: Maria Matesanz Division II - Botanical Arts Section A: "Botanical Arts Design Class 1: "In Honor of Matisse" A Collage, an abstract design with a dominance of components arranged in a non-realistic manner, staged on a board not to exceed 16” x 20”, provided by exhibitor. May be exhibited horizontal or vertical on easel provided by committee and staged on a glass-topped off-white shelf, 52.5” high x 10” deep. All surfaces of board should be covered or painted, freedom of components, some plant material must be included. First: Marie Donnelly Second: Cheryl Slutzky Third: Barbara Baletti HM: Carol Callahan Class 2: "The Garden of Earthly Delights" A Pot-et-Fleur, not to exceed 14” long or wide, staged on a 36” high sage green pedestal with 16” square top provided by committee and placed in the center of the library. Designs are free standing, viewed and judged from all sides. (A Pot-et-Fleur (HB p. 94) is a design combining two (2) or more flowering and/or foliage plants with roots growing in soil or other medium. Fresh cut flower/s must be included. Dried plant material or natural components may be added for interest.) First: Cynthia Corhan-Aitken (also won Botanical Arts Design Award) Second: Susan Dumont Third: Sarah Olson HM: Nancy Stroud Class 3: "Frame Work" A decorated wreath (any shape), traditional or creative, provided by exhibitor, no larger than 16” x 16” hung on a green metal tripod provided by committee, staged on table 30” high provided by committee. First: Deborah Moran Second: Fran Ackerly Third: Sarah Stransky HM: Floss O'Sullivan Section B: "Botanical Arts Photography Class 4: "Rhythms in Nature" Image of plant(s) that illustrates patterns in nature. Color or Black & White. First: Sheila Curry Oakes Second: Betty Murphy Third: Sarah Olson HM: Michele Tomasik HM: Deborah Moran HM: Susan Yu Class 5: "Avis Campbell Jubilee" Celebrate Avis Campbell’s 70th birthday with your favorite image taken in the garden. Color or Black & White. First: Donna Karanja Second: Claire Stepleton Third: Barbara Baletti Class 6: "Poetic Reflections" Image of a botanical subject and its reflection. Color or Black & White. First: Sarah Stransky Second: Susan Straten Third: Sheila Curry Oakes HM: Donna Karanja HM: Deborah Moran HM: Maureen Sprong Division III - Education Exhibit 1: Native Trees, a Few Understories Small native trees are big contributors to a home landscape. By virtue of their smaller size, these trees are suitable for the residential scale and will create an intermediate layer between shade trees and shrub, perennial, and ground-cover plantings. There are many native trees to choose from which will provide interest throughout the year; with spring flowers to summer shade, autumn color, and winter silhouette. Native trees have evolved in the regions in which they grow, adapted to thrive in the local climate, and support pollinators and beneficial wildlife. ​ Exhibit 2: Oh, Captain My Captain , ACG Bed Captains Share Their Stories This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Garden Club of Montclair’s Avis Campbell Gardens, located behind the public library in downtown Montclair. The Wheel of Life design creates distinct beds which are planned and maintained under the good care of GCM members—the Bed Captains. Here is an opportunity to learn about the plants you’ll find there: combinations and sources, maintenance considerations, and how the Captains pull together to keep color and bloom going from April to November. First: Celia Radek (also won Educational Top Exhibitor Award) Second: Maureen Sprong

Visit more of our projects: Art in Bloom Avis Campbell Gardens Boutique Civic Beautification Crane House Garden Therapy Open Gardens Social Events Triangle Gardens Trips and Outings Youth Projects Avis Campbell Gardens What can we say? The Avis Campbell Gardens — our hidden garden open to the public behind 60 South Fullerton Avenue — is our pride and joy. From the first hellebores of spring to the final cleanup in November, members meet on Tuesdays from 9:30am to noon ― as they have done for 70 years ― under the loving leadership of the bed captains to create one of the wonders of New Jersey. ​ See committee reports. As well as watching the tiny, day-by-day changes that slowly usher the garden into its summer glory, many of our members want to freeze time and create memories of those long summer days with spectacular photographs. ​ On this page over the next weeks and months we will feature some of their photos, showing their unique interpretations of the same blooms and views. ​ The slideshow on this page features the vision of one of our newest members, Lauren Zodel.