Garden clubs from Hunterdon and Somerset counties attended the 15th annual Standard State Flower and Garden Show held in late February at the Raritan Convention Center in Edison.
By Kathleen Turpin
Garden clubs from Hunterdon and Somerset counties attended the 15th annual Standard State Flower and Garden Show held in late February at the Raritan Convention Center in Edison.
"Kaleidoscope" was the title of the state flower show as part of the New Jersey Garden and Flower Show's overall theme of "Color Your World."
This year's show included a new Award of Distinction for 12 designs that were made solely from dried plant material. There were also competitions for "Themed Gardens" for both adults and youth.
There were three club competitions:
- an al fresco table for six, called "Pop of Color"
- the Anderson Windows temporary gardens
- and displays of related plants. Returning this year was a section of flowering branches and the Photography competition for both adult and youth.
Hunterdon and Somerset County garden clubs are part of
- District 4 - Skylands (Hunterdon, Neshanic, Raritan, Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Somerville and Warren)
- And District 5 - Watchung (Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Westfield and Watchung)
- District 6 - Foothills, includes Princeton, East Brunswick, Piscataway, New Brunswick, and Woodbridge while District 7 - Delaware Valley, includes Lawrenceville, West Trenton and Trenton.
The Garden Club of New Jersey is the state affiliate and a charter member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc., a non-profit organization. Founded in 1925, it is a federation of individual local garden clubs throughout the state with over 5,000 members from ages 6 to adult.
For more information on the Garden Club of New Jersey, go to gardenclubofnewjersey.com.
Jeannie GeremiaJeannie Geremia, a member of the Neshanic Garden Club was awarded a second place for her "Veggie People At Play In An Herb Garden." She also was awarded a ribbon for her potted plant display.
Bob Geremia, a member of the Neshanic Garden Club, was awarded a first place in photography for his natural wildlife photo of two bald eagles.
Bob Geremia was awarded a first place in photography for his natural wildlife photo of two bald eagles. Jeannie also serves as Community Gardens Chair, the Butterfly & Bee GAP Chair and the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Chair for The Garden Club of New Jersey.
According to Jeannie, the club's newest project was to develop a set of Pollinator signage that local garden clubs could provide to their local garden centers and nurseries, establishing a winning partnership that would benefit the public.
The goal is to create pollinator centers throughout the state, in commercial and public garden settings, as well at schools and educational facilities via a series of six pollinator signs and educational materials. Template' gardens have been established with local garden clubs, as part of the introduction to Pollinator Centers throughout the state.
In Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties, the Pollinator Centers include:
- Hionis Greenhouses & Garden Center (Whitehouse),
- Kingwood Gardens (Flemington),
- J&J Landscaping and Garden Center (Flemington),
- Williams Nursery (Westfield),
- Karen Nash Memorial Butterfly Garden (Warren),
- Four Seasons Greenery (Lebanon),
- The Gardeners' Nook (Hillsborough),
- Ambleside Gardens & Nursery (Hillsborough),
- Blooms of Belle Mead,
- Ann Van Am Middlesworth Sensory Garden (Hillsborough),
- Great Swamp Greenhouses,
- Leonard J. Buck Garden,
- Colonial Park
- and Environmental Education Center at Lord Stirling Park.
Susan O'Donnell, president of the Garden Club of New Jersey, is shown with Smokey The Bear at the children's Zucchini Race, an annual event sponsored by the the club's Youth division. Susan O'Donnell, president of the Garden Club of New Jersey, welcomed members and guests at the show (February 23 - 26). O'Donnell, a member of the Community Garden Club of Hunterdon County, also won a ribbon for her terrarium.
As part of her presidential theme of "Youth Lead The Way," club members and Bob Markey, the club's youth chair, mentor youth to grow plants, create floral designs and artistic crafts for the State Standard Flower Show.
According to O'Donnelln, one of the exciting things that the club is becoming involved in is the 2021 National Garden Club Convention, which will be held in New Jersey. The convention hosts up to 10,000.
Mary Warshaver, from Fair Haven, currently second vice president of the club, will become its president in 2021.