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.

Awards – Other See also GCM awards . Award winner names from 1926-1986 are filed in the archives. 2022 Garden Club of New Jersey Yearbook 2021-22 — Award application by Editor, Claire Stepleton. Score 100%. Certificate of Merit with Gold Seal 1st Place YB-1 Yearbook (100-299 members). Website 2021-22 — Sue Young, 2st Vice President and Website Webmaster, and Sarah Stransky. Hanover Garden Club Trophy f or outstanding innovative project. Triangle Gardens (a CivicBeautification project since 1952). Award application by Susan Yu, TriangleGardens Chair, and Sarah Olson. GCNJSpecial Award/Large Club 2023 National Garden Club Arts & Flowers earned the National Garden Club's Flower Show Achievement Award, Certificate of Merit for a Standard Flower Show with a score of 98.5 out of a possible 100. Evaluators stated that the show was "spectacular" and "showcased the talent in design." Top Exhibitor Awards included: Award of Design Excellence: Michele Tomasik Tricolor Award: Michele Tomasik Designer's Choice Award: Tova Narrett Petite Award: Celia Radek Botanical Arts Design Award: Cynthia Corhan-Aitken Educational Award: Celia Radek Recognition Award: Sarah J. Olson Garden Club of New Jersey Mrs. David L. George Silver Cup: Finest judged Standad Flower Show 23-23 Garden Club RFD Trophy: Finest Standard Flower Show Schedule of 2022 Dorothy M. Schick Trophy: Excellence in stating a Standard Flower Show Myra Brooks Memorial Trophy - Creativity in Flower Arranging : Tova Narrett Paricia Grossi Petite Award Trophy: Celia Radek Mrs. Reginald Wilson Memorial Award: Michele Tomasik Garden Club of Montclair President’s Special Recognition Award : Sue Young 2021 National Garden Clubs, Inc. Yearbook 2020-21 — Award application by Celia Radek, Editor. Certificate of Commendation First Place YB-1 Yearbooks (100-299 members). Score 100% Virtual Flower Design Education 2021 — Award application by Workshop Chair, Floss O'Sullivan, Florence Leyssène, and Sarah Stransky. Certificate of Merit First Place and Overall Winner Award FD-2 (Aiv). Floral Design Program/Single Club Garden Club of New Jersey Yearbook 2021-21 — Award application by Celia Radek, Editor Certificate of Merit with Gold Seal YB-1 Yearbooks (100-299 members) Garden Therapy 2021 — Award application by Garden Therapy Chair, Sarah Olson, and Sarah Stransky. Myra Brooks Garden Therapy Trophy #15a Renovated Garden Therapy Program

Letter from the President Sarah J. Olson, President The Garden Club of Montclair Current The very hungry Monarch caterpillar munches on milkweed. Dear Fellow Garden Club Members and Provisionals, It’s been a busy year but that’s not surprising, is it? In the fall, the Club found a new home for program meetings and competitions at Bnai Keshet while continuing to maintain the beautiful Avis Campbell Gardens at 60 S. Fullerton. We will be heading back to our old home for the upcoming year. Last year I challenged you to make an impact and pay it forward. Garden Therapy did that with some of our treasured partners…Toni’s Kitchen, Oasis for Women, and CUMAC. Our Youth Committee is back working in the schools and gardens teaching youngsters about planting, floral design, and plant identification. Avis Campbell Gardens volunteers spent a countless number of hours designing and tending to the garden’s upkeep. Our Club worked with our neighbors at 5 Roosevelt Place and provided the plans for a garden which resulted in a discretionary grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation of $2,500! And our Workshop Committee utilized the skills of our member community who volunteered their time and knowledge to educate us in so many ways. I challenged us to find a way to create an Act of Restorative Kindness to our earth. To that end we started an environment section on our website with educational information, upcoming environmental events and musings from our members; The Environment and Civic Beautification Committees conducted a clean-up in the Upper Montclair business ditrict and assessed the health of the trees in the area; we began using compostable plates and cups at our monthly meetings; our Triangle Gardens Committee designed and presented a new vision for the garden beds on Church Street using native plants and installed it early in June. To help fund this our Club received a grant of $2,000 from the Montclair Foundation; we obtained a new compost machine for Avis Campbell and our Program committee has lined up a powerful group of speakers to address transitioning to environmentally friendly gardening. Lastly, I asked that the Garden Club integrate with the community in a bigger way. All the projects that I just mentioned have done just that and we didn’t stop there! We entered “Mandy” the scarecrow into the annual “Scarecrows in the Garden” contest and won a $500 award! Thirty-one of you designed arrangements for Art in Bloom held by the Montclair Art Museum, and we are working with parent groups at two schools to beautify their sites and create native gardens. Student groups were guided through Avis by our members, pictures of Avis Campbell Gardens grace the Town calendar and the gardens have been the topic of a “Montclair Girl” article and a destination spot cited in “The Garden Tourist.” We capped off the year by celebrating our membership at our annual meeting in May, awarding the coveted perpetual awards as well as the newly introduced ”Bloomie Awards” which highlighted unsung heroes in the Club. Our upcoming year looks to be an exciting one as we begin putting into place the groundwork for our 100th Anniversary year celebration. This Club has really stood the test of time, continuing to influence and support the community in a myriad of ways. I feel privileged to be a part of an organization so full of kind, creative, and fun individuals. Thank you for doing all that you do and being who you are! With appreciation, Sarah Olson, President outgoing

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

Flower Show 2022 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

Ways & Means Committee Reports Committees 2023-2024 — Gretchen Prater, Chair; Lissa Barrett, Vice Chair 2022-2023 — Gretchen Prater, Chair; Lissa Barrett, Vice Chair Due to the wonderful support for the cocktail party and boutique profits associated with Arts & Flowers: A Design Specialty Flower Show, as well as the Club's J. McLaughlin shopping day, it was not necessary for the committee to hold another fundraiser during 2022-2023. Next year, we have planned a progressive dinner for October 13, 2023, which should help raise funds needed for our next fiscal year. We have many new Members, so it's an opportunity for us all to become better acquainted. As the Garden Club grows, we welcome discussion on future fund-raising measures. 2021-2022 — Fran Wong, Chair Rising costs and exceptional expenses, such as those to reestablish our headquarters when the Club moves back to 60 South Fullerton, have had a costly impact on the budget and the Club needs to diversify the funding base in order to avoid a dues increase. With the cooperation of everyone, as we work to maintain the strong financial position our Club has enjoyed, we need to have the ongoing means to continue all of our projects for many years to come. Over the last two years, the Ways & Means Committee has designed a long-term, multi-stage plan to provide a strong foundation to supply additional income streams to support the Club. As a first step, a simple "DONATE" button was added to the home page of the Club's website. The committee designed a more robust version, based on National Garden Club, Inc.'s example which, in combination with a modest, dedicated, giving campaign will encourage donors to participate in new ways. It awaits implementation when technical issues are resolved and promotional materials are developed. The committee has proposed that, to attract donations from the general public who enjoy Avis Campbell Gardens, and perhaps the Triangle Gardens, signage with a QRcode, our website, and mailing address be displayed in the gardens with a notation that donations can be made. We also proposed a guest book, in which visitors can record their reflections on the garden, and would hopefully stimulate a desire to contribute. A waterproof box would house the book. As the pandemic recedes and we learn to live in whatever new environment we are presented, the committee hopes that events like a mystery dinner/cocktail party or progressive dinner will be considered both to raise funds and to build camaraderie in the Club. Similarly, a major trip can be considered along with a return of excursions to nearby sites. Kudos and thanks to the Members of this excellent committee who brought their experience, expertise, and thoughtful consideration to this effort which we hope will blossom into an important support system for the Club. 2020-2021 — Fran Wong, Chair The Ways & Means Committee has designed a long-term, multi-stage plan to provide additional income streams to support the Club. The first stage will appear as a “DONATE” button on the home page of the Club website. Donors will be able to give in three categories: Avis Campbell; In Memory Of /In Honor Of; General Support There will also be a “Comment” opportunity for entry of the name of the individual being honored or memorialized, for guidance on how the donor wants the funds to be directed, or any other input the donor wants to provide. Transfer of funds will be by PayPal, credit card, check, or stock. This phase of the program is designed to be inclusive with no donation amounts designated at this time. The use of unrestricted donations will be determined by the Finance Committee. As we gain experience we will evaluate results that may change, especially in new elements of the plan. As we move forward an expanded range of donation opportunities, such as named giving circles, will be added. To attract donations from the general public who enjoy the Avis Campbell and Triangle Gardens, signage with a QR code, our website, and mailing address will be displayed in the gardens with a note that donations can be made. Pending pandemic developments in the coming year, a Mystery Dinner/Cocktail Party or progressive dinner will be considered both to raise funds and to build camaraderie in the Club. Similarly, a major trip can be considered but is less likely than the return of excursions to nearby sites which will probably come back at some point during the year. Rising costs and exceptional expenses, such as those to reestablish our headquarters when the Club moves back it to the United Way building, have a negative impact on the budget and we need to diversify our funding base. With the cooperation of everyone as we work to maintain the strong financial position our Club has enjoyed, we will have the ongoing means to continue all of our projects for many years to come. Kudos and thanks to the Committee and all the others who contributed their thoughts to this effort. 2019-2020 — Karen Kadus, Chair; Susan Dumont, Vice Chair After two cancellations due to rainy and windy weather, 11 Club members were finally able to visit the High Line, and it was well worth the wait! Our tour guide was Stephanie Ulrich, our 2019 Annual Meeting and Awards Lumcheon guest speaker. She brought along Marek Pundzak, the High Line's Urban Forestry Supervisor. Both Stephanie and Marek shared their vast knowledge of landscape architecture and plants while strolling along the elevated partk and answering our many questions. We stopped at several points along the way to enjoy the incredible views of the City and the interesting plant combinations. We came away with an appreciation of the level of detail that was incorporated into the design process and the complexity of executing the plan in a dense urban environment. Afterwards, we ate lunch at Santina's on Washington Street, right below the High Line, where we enjoyed delicious seafood. December's Holiday shopping trip to Morris County Farms Nursery (repeated by popular demand) was enjoyed by all. Thirteen Club members traveled to the nursery to shop for indoor plants, outdoor greens, and beautiful Holiday decorations. After filling our cars with shopping bags, we set off for the festive Tabor Road Tavern where we enjoyed a fabulous lunch. Our guided tour of The New York Historical Society and lunch at Storico was canceled as the City shut down in mid-March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our April walking tour of the Brooklyn Bridge and the sidewalks of New York, a generous donation from Boutique Chair Susan Benner, was also canceled. Both trips will be rescheduled when restrictions are lifted and it is deemed safe to gather. We used some funds remaining from the 2019 Holland trip to balance our 2019-2020 budget. The High Line trip also earned some money. We thank our Ways and Means Committee members for their involvement in planning new destinations.

Nominating Committee Reports Committees 2023-2024 — Barbara Baletti, Chair The Nominating Committee began its efforts to prepare a slate of Officers and Chairs in early December 2023 and continued through March 2024 through email correspondence, Zoom meetings, and telephone/text outreach. Our “NomCom” made an effort to understand the responsibilities of Committee Chairs which helped to target and recruit members to fill specific Chair positions. The slate of Officer and Chair Positions presented to the Board of Trustees in April included candidates for: 1st VP Membership, 3rd VP Finance, Recording Secretary (one year), Avis Campbell Gardens, Civic/Environment (one year), Facilities, Flower Design, Horticulture, Hospitality, Potpourri, Nominating, Properties, Ways and Means, and Workshops. In addition to these Board/Chair positions, new members were suggested for the Finance Committee. Committee members did an outstanding job, and thanks go to all the Garden Club of Montclair members who agreed to accept these positions. Recruiting such qualified nominees is not an easy task, but the team I had to work with did an amazing job. They were responsive, reliable, and forward thinking.They cast a wide net this year and were able to bring on board both experienced individuals and new bounty. I thank them all: Terri Breen, Tova Narrett, Denise Silverman, Cheryl Slutzky, Amy South, Nancy Stroud, and Virginia Woo. I would also like to give special thanks to Sarah Olson, our President and greatest asset, who does not just preside but who produces. 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! 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.

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 Art in Bloom Art in Bloom is a biennial exhibition that brings spring to life at the Montclair Art Museum. Club members create unique, harmonious, and thought-provoking floral designs to complement their assigned work of art. See the designs of 25 of our members in 2024 , and some of the exquisite past designs on the MAM website , and see the 2022 glories .

Donate Thank you for choosing to support the Garden Club of Montclair. Please use the form below to contribute to our general fund, or specifically to the Avis Campbell Garden, funded and maintained by the Club. You can also choose to make your donation in honor of, or in memory of, someone dear to you. If you prefer to send a check directly to our Treasurer, Bob Chapman, please email him directly for instructions.. You can also talk to Bob at 973-746-0965 about other types of giving, such as a gift of stock or a legacy. Donate to the Club Online First name Last name Email Phone Street Address Street Address Line 2 City State Zip I would like to donate in the name of Please apply my donation to General support for the Club Specific assistance to Avis Campbell Garden Is there anything more you would like to add? Enter the amount you wish to donate: $ Donate Thank you so much for supporting our Club!

Photos from the 2017 Flower Show

Committees Descriptions, Chairs, and Members Click on a committee button, or scroll down to read about them all. Avis Campbell Facilities Horticulture Potpourri Awards Finance Hospitality Program Workshops Botanical Arts Flower Design Membership Properties Yearbook Civic/Environment Garden Boutique Nominating Triangle Gardens Communications Garden Therapy Open Gardens Ways & Means Youth Avis Campbell Gardens Reports 2019-2024 Ana Zalles Moore, Chair; Wendy Stahl, Vice Chair; Barbara Meyer, Rose Chair Members: Olga Bequillard, Susan Dumont, Charlotte Judd, Donna Karanja, Anne Kerr, Nancy Loo, Kem Louie, Maria Matesanz, Barbara Meyer, Debbie Moran, Helene Peck, Celia Radek, Maggie Rothman, Grete Scheidl, Maureen Sprong, Michele Tomasik, Michele Trevenen, Jane Wallace, Karen Whitehaus, Lauren Zodel, 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 Sarah Stransky, Chair Members: Fran Ackerly, Deborah Hirsch, Floss O'Sullivan, Susan Straten, Kate Khachaturian 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 2019-2024 Botanical Arts Reports 2019-2024 Florence Leyssène, Chair; Debbie Moran, Vice Chair Members: Kathy Bachmann, Barbara Baletti, Karen DeLuca, Karen Fricke, Debbie Moran, Tova Narrett, Floss O’Sullivan, Susan van Inwegen 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. Civic/Environment Reports 2019-2024 Deborah Hirsch, Chair; Vice Chair, Michele Trevenen Members: Kathy Bachmann, Andie Bertsche, Jacoba Coes, Karen DeLuca, Marie Donnelly, Susan Dumont, Karen Kadus, Anna Lee, Sydney Milliken, Sheila Curry Oakes, Imke Oster, Brigitte Padberg, Helene Peck, Maryellen Stadtlander, Wendy Stahl, Sonyia Woloshyn, Jane Wallace, Allyn Young, Sue Young The mission of this Committee is to encourage environmentally responsible beautification of our town’s outdoor green spaces. This Committee’s goal is to act as a resource for individual and organizational stewardship for planning and plant selection and to provide physical help where appropriate. We will offer advice on ways to beautify town businesses and create floral displays when requested. We will search for existing gardens that exemplify sustainable practices and businesses whose plantings or containers show significant effort in the use of pollinator friendly and native plants. We will highlight these examples on social media and website platforms. We will interface with other committees of our club to learn, educate, and share ideas. Communications/Publicity Reports 2019-2024 Sue Young, Chair Members: Janice Benton, Terri Breen, Karen DeLuca, Deborah Hirsch, Christine James, Floss O'Sullivan, Ragna Sloane, Maryellen Stadtlander, Amy South, Karen Whitehaus, Fran Wong, Allyn Young 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 blog updates and weekly emails, and links with the public and press through social media and event notifications. Facilities Reports 2019-2024 Karen Whitehaus, Chair Members : Deborah Hirsch, Christine James 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 2019-2024 Bob Chapman, Chair; Vice Chair TBD Members : Lissa Barrett, Susan Benner, Karen Kadus, Imke Oster, Nancy Stroud, 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 are appointed. Flower Design Reports 2019-2024 Barbara Baletti, Chair; Floss O’Sullivan, Vice Chair Members: Fran Ackerly, Kathy Bachmann, Susan Brady, Carol Callahan, Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Karen DeLuca, Karen Fricke, Florence Leyssène, Ana Zalles Moore, Debbie Moran, Tova Narrett, Michele Quinn, Lisa Schweitzer, Cheryl Slutzky, Sarah Stransky, Suzy Straten, Virginia Woo 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. Garden Boutique Reports 2019-2024 Susan Benner, Chair Members: Marie Donnelly, Anna Lee, Kem Louie, Nancy Stroud, Allyn Young, Marilyn Zaret. 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. Garden Therapy Reports 2019-2024 Susan Dumont, Chair; Karen Kadus, Vice Chair Members: Fran Ackerly, Susan Benner, Olga Bequillard, Susan Brady, Elizabeth Burgess, Jacoba Coes, 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. 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 and staff at our local hospitals. Horticulture Reports 2019-2024 Heidi Muschick, Chair; Susan Straten, Vice Chair Members: Karen Carter, Jacoba Coes, Maria Matesanz, Celia Radek, Lisa Schweitzer, Denise Silverman, Karen Whitehaus, Virginia Woo 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 2019-2024 Florence Sinofsky, Chair; Betty Murphy, Vice Chair Members: Elizabeth Burgess, Carol Callahan, Karen Kadus, Kate Khachaturian, Dorothy Meissner, Janet Oscar, Gretchen Prater, 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 2019-2024 Cheryl Slutzky, Chair; Fran Ackerly, Vice Chair Members: Susan Brady, Tova Narrett, Brigitte Padberg, Kathy Sorkin, Sonyia Woloshyn This committee is responsible for recruiting and welcoming new members and managing all aspects of membership in the Club. Nominating Reports 2019-2024 Tova Narrett, Chair Members : Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Marie Donnelly, Celia Radek, Maureen Sprong, Sue Young, Marilyn Zaret The Nominating Committee prepares slates of candidates for Club officers and fills vacancies should they occur. Members of this committee are appointed. Open Gardens Reports 2019-2024 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. Potpourri Reports 2019-2024 Terri Breen, Editor Members: Barbara Baletti, Ragna Sloane, Marilyn Zaret 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 . Program Reports 2019-2024 Cynthia Cohan-Aitken, Chair; Karen Fricke, Vice Chair Members: Susan Brady, Carol Callahan, Charlene Connolly, Deborah Hirsch, Sydney Milliken, Gretchen Prater, Sarah Stransky, Susan van Inwegen, Sue Young 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 2019-2024 Pam Turre, Chair; Melody Brown, Vice Chair Members : Olga Bequillard, Deborah Hirsch, Christine James These behind-the-scenes troupers are responsible for making sure our exhibitions and shows have the right equipment to make everything run smoothly. Triangle Gardens Reports 2019-2024 Betty Murphy, Chair; Janet Oscar, Vice Chair Members: Olga Bequillard, Charlene Connolly, Susan Dumont, Nancy Foster, Nancy Gerber, Helene Peck, Maggie Rothman, Kathy Sorkin, Wendy Stahl, Nancy Stroud, Patt Sullivan-Perry. Triangle Gardens are the raised planting beds along Church Street. 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. Ways & Means Susan Benner, Chair; Vice Chair, TBD Members: Olga Bequillard, Marie Donnelly, Christine James, Kem Louie, Cheryl Slutzky, Amy South, Michele Trevenen, Cynthia Corhan-Aiken, Deborah Hirsch, Kate Khachaturian, Susan van Inwegen, Nancy Stroud, Fran Wong, Virginia Woo, Sue Young This committee searches for ways to generate revenue to support the various club projects. Workshops Reports 2019-2024 Karen Fricke, Chair; Tova Narrett, Vice Chair Members : Fran Ackerly, Barbara Baletti, Floss O’Sullivan, Celia Radek 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. Yearbook Reports 2019-2024 Sue Young, Floss O'Sullivan, and Karen Whitehaus, Editors Members: Janice Benton, Elaine Conti While the Yearbook is moving online in 2024, it continues to be a group project, requiring everything from content creators to eagle-eyed proof readers. Youth Reports 2019-2024 Donna Karanja, Chair; Susan Straten, Vice Chair Members: Nancy Foster, Grete Scheidl, Allyn Young The Youth Committee plans activities that introduce young people from Montclair and surrounding communities to basic principles of gardening, floral design, floral arts, ecology, and conservation. We hope that the children who participate in our activities will develop a life-long love of gardens and an appreciation of the importance of plants for life on our planet.

Workshop Committee Reports Committees 2023-2024 — Celia Radek, Chair; Susan Benner, Vice Chair Beginning with the essentials of exhibiting Horticulture, then on to a deep dive into Elements and Principles of design, with stops along the way to create winter gardens and decorate for the holiday, and finally returning to the garden; the Workshop year was filled with opportunities to learn new skills and refresh best practices. For Provisional members, Horticulture 101 and the Basics of Traditional Flower Design provided a foundation for taking part in flower shows and monthly competitions. A series of workshops reviewing design basics, defining characteristics of traditional and creative design, and understanding point scoring rubrics was offered to develop the more seasoned flower designer skill set. Members created beautiful and bountiful winter container gardens to grace our front entries and we decked the halls, designing festive, period-appropriate decorations throughout the Montclair History Center’s Crane House. In spring, sessions on rose culture and pruning, composting, and the edible garden opened the growing season and closed out the year’s Workshops. With many thanks to all the presenters who generously shared their expertise and a warm welcome to incoming Chair Karen Fricke and Vice Chair Tova Narrett. 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.

Avis Campbell Gardens Committee Reports Committees 2023-2024 — Maureen Sprong, Chair; Wendy Stahl, Vice Chair Avis Campbell Gardens turned 70 in 2023 and our celebrations culminated in a well-attended September party in the gardens. Our own Karen DeLuca designed iconic 70th Anniversary tee shirts. A period of uncertainty about our home base came to a happy conclusion when local real estate developer David Placek Family Foundation became the owner of 60 South Fullerton. Fortunately, he took on the landscaping of the property, thus lifting the costly burden from our shoulders. More change is coming but we believe that we are valued tenants here and that our gardens will remain a treasured part of the location. Continuing Vice-Chair Wendy Stahl led a crew to transfer our tools from the leaky, north shed room to the south shed. Wendy also facilitated the donation of a dual-barrel composting bin from the Northeast Earth Coalition. May of 2024 marked the end of my extended tenure as Chair of the ACG&G Committee. It has been an honor and a joy to serve with my fellow gardeners. We are happy to welcome Ana Zalles Moore as our new leader. Rose Report — Barbara Meyer Our rose season began as usual, with a well-attended indoor workshop presentation on March 17, 2024, highlighting rose care and maintenance as well as notes on tools, rose selection, and resources. Following the program, we went outside for a hands-on training session in best practices for restorative rose pruning. Over the course of the next three weeks, various volunteers helped during late afternoons and weekends to finish all pruning, glueing of canes, and fertilizing with Mills Magic Rose Mix. On April 16, we sprayed all roses with Mancozeb and dormant oil to treat any insect or fungus spores which may have overwintered in the garden. On March 30, six bare root Hybrid Tea roses were planted: Arizona, Centennial Star, two Leanne Rimes, two The McCartney Rose. The rose garden reached peak bloom between May 20 and into June. Routine deadheading, fertilizing, weeding, and mulching went smoothly following closely the suggestions of our work schedule calendar throughout the rest of our season. Deadheading and training the New Dawn climbers on the wall was delayed for many weeks due to the extreme heat and difficult working conditions. The drip irrigation system and rainfall were effective in promoting consistent strong blooms and healthy foliage. 2022-2023 — Maureen Sprong, Chair; Wendy Stahl, Vice Chair We celebrated seventy years at our Avis Campbell Gardens this year with a party on site in September. Many thanks to talented artist and Provisional Karen DeLuca for creating our 70th Anniversary logo which we wear with pride on ACG t-shirts! Arts & Flowers : A Design and Specialty Flower Show at Van Vleck House & Gardens gave us a chance to share ACG history and highlight the volunteers who tend 'Montclair's Secret Garden.' Homestead Sprinklers will continue to fine-tune areas that were not addressed by the revamp of our sprinkler system. Bartlett Tree returned to treat our twin Japanese Snowbell trees, under attack since fall 2021, with a systemic treatment to combat Spotted Lanternfly. Fingers crossed as the season progresses! Two ad-hoc committees were formed to address the brick paths and our compost system. We are grateful to Donna Karanja's grandson Mateo for helping bring the compost area back to full use. 2021-2022 — Maureen Sprong, Chair; Wendy Stahl, Vice Chair The Garden Club of Montclair was approached in spring of 2021 by lrritech Training, an irrigation company based in Virginia that specializes in training and providing continuing education to members of the industry. Part of its business model is to renovate sprinkler systems free of charge to historical gardens, in exchange for the use of the property as a teaching location. In November 2021, lrritech arrived at Avis Campbell Gardens with instructors and attendees who worked together during the day-long session. New sprinkler lines were laid and easily adjustable heads were attached, drip hoses were placed in four of the beds, and a state-of-the-art controller and rain gauge were wired into the electrical system in our shed. We are currently working with our own provider, Homestead Sprinklers, to finish the task and add two lines along the west wall. Early in spring 2022, we treated our Japanese Snowbell Trees with a systemic pesticide to protect them from Spotted Lanternflies. We first called on Bartlett Tree to come in late fall of 2021, after spotting and killing many on these same trees. Luckily, treatments already in use on our roses are effective against this pest. Hopefully, these measures will reduce the impact on the other beds at Avis Campbell Gardens, but we are learning as we go. Once again, we were pleased and honored to host The Garden Club of Montclair's annual meeting in May. With many of our new Provisionals in attendance, we welcomed the chance to be together again face-to-face to honor award recipients, as well as our outgoing President, Florence Leyssène. Thank you, Florence, for your boundless support and love of the gardens during your tenure! We are delighted to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Avis Campbell Gardens this year. Our Bed Captains and committee members work tirelessly to fulfill our mission of beautifying Montclair. We welcome everyone to our celebration taking place September 30, 2022. 2020-2021 — Maureen Sprong, Chair; Wendy Stahl, Vice Chair Many visitors came to the gardens to seek solace and beauty as well as a friendly face during the pandemic. We are grateful to Floss O’Sullivan and Sarah Olson, leaders of GCM Garden Therapy, who gave us very satisfying opportunities to help cheer people. Blossoms from both ACG and home were harvested for the clients at Toni’s Kitchen in fall of 2020. In addition, for Thanksgiving these ladies organized a massive effort to create dried flower arrangements for holiday clients. The breathtaking bouquets donated to the residents inspired uplifting moments. Wendy Stahl, member of the 2020 Provisional class, has agreed to lend her considerable energy and creative spirit to the garden as ACG&G Vice Chair. Wendy is a great addition to our team and her efforts in the garden are most welcome. The challenges of Spring 2021 included, for the first time ever, the incursion of hungry deer to ACG. Luckily, we were able to use a variety of tools to protect the trademark tulip display for which we are celebrated. Barbara Meyer called in experts to begin monthly spraying to protect the gardens long term from the unprecedented deer population. Deer were not the only unwanted creatures, however, for we had to request signs for the many dog walkers who frequent ACG. In May 2021, the volunteers at ACG were proud to host the Club’s Award event, the first large gathering since lock down. We are a tight-knit group: sharing plants, seeds, the latest online sources, and the liveliest garden centers. Our group was lucky to work in-person and to share the victories and milestones in our lives as well as the sorrows that are inevitable. All Avis Campbell volunteers will deeply miss Larry Whitehaus. A calm presence and knowledgeable problem-solver, Larry was always willing to lend a hand in the garden and bridge the gap for us when necessary. 2019-2020 — Maureen Sprong, Chair; Lori Vik, Vice Chair 2020 has been an unprecedented year at ACG. The long-awaited construction at the United Way Building required us to share aspects of the entire outdoor area and its quirks, recommend native plants, protect our gardeners from any safety issues, detail our essential water sources and most recently, uproot Bed Captain Jackie Kling's lovely bed to make way for a new accessible walkway and parking. Jackie has been gracious and creative regarding the disruption. My husband and garden partner, Garry, helped to move the 15-foot Hosta 'Krossa Regal' colony born from a single plant Jackie selected years ago. As the start date for UW work comes near we are still managing the small to large bumps, from the ongoing threat of lily beetles to the expensive replacement of the pump powering our beloved fountain. Kudos to our Rose Diva, Barbara Meyer, for keeping this centerpiece of our garden in working order. Several ACG&G Committee members did double duty this year by conducting the complicated and labor-intensive prep of our Club room for the construction. This huge task was gracefully conducted by Karen Whitehaus, Susan Straten, Deborah Hirsch, Florence Leyssène, and Celia Radek. Thank you, ladies! My Vice Chair and good friend, Lori Vik, decamped to Texas. Always cheerful, funny and undaunted, Lori will be missed. Every volunteer was crucial this season because the Covid-19 pandemic and its multiple uncertainties understandably kept a lot of people home. I am incredibly proud of our bed captains and volunteers who shopped for plants and supplies and came to keep ACG in shape. Gardening while masked is hot work. The closure of local parks due to the pandemic brought new admirers and some challenges. I sent a letter to local media outlets early on asking visitors to wear masks and social distance while respecting the plantings. Our favorite garden centers and nurseries rose to the challenge and kept people safe, even closing early during the busiest and hottest weekend hours out of concern for staff. Our bed captains have kept faith and managed well. Avis Campbell Gardens is having a gorgeous season — thank you all!

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 Garden Therapy Garden Therapy's aim is to aid the physical, mental and emotional health of persons in the community who are facing personal challenges such as physical disability, homelessness, violence, mental illness, old age, and so on. We develop garden-related activities that inspire creativity and personal achievement for the individuals we serve. This is a very flexible committee, so return often to see dates and times for new activities ― such as the annual creation of Thanksgiving decorations for Toni's Kitchen .

Communications Committee Reports Committees Email reports are included by year, below. See also Potpourri editions and committee reports . 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.

Awards Committee Reports Committees See also the full list of GCM awardees and other awards since 1980. 2023-2024 — Deborah Hirsch, Chair Thank you to the Awards team of Floss O’Sullivan, Kate Khachaturian, Celia Radek, Maureen Sprong and Florence Leyssène. Your collective knowledge, wit, compassion and attention to detail were so important to the process. And thanks, too, to Sarah Olson for attending our meetings. As of this writing we are waiting on the State, CAR, and National Clubs for responses to our five applications. We are delighted to announce the following GCNJ award: Certificate of Merit with Gold Seal for our Yearbook 2023-2024. Award Application: Floss O’Sullivan, editor in chief of the Yearbook.. The Garden Club of Montclair Awards were distributed at the Glen Ridge Country Club on May 30, 2024. We introduced a new category, The Bloomies , to recognize many unsung heroes who stepped in to make a difference during the year. Emeritus Awards 2024: Susan Straten, Gretchen Prater, and Barbara Meyer The Till Beatty Allis Award 2024: Deborah Moran The Bauer Horticulture Award 2024: Karen Whitehaus The Louise D. Mann Award 2024: Sue Young 2022-2023 — Celia Radek, Chair Ribbons, rosettes, and silver. This was a very full awards year that included a Flower Show and competitions in Horticulture, Flower Design, and Botanical Arts at monthly meetings. The Club inaugurated a new award in the Botanical Arts Division, joining top point-scored honors in other categories. Thanks to Susan Straten for her gift of the silver bowl for this new award. Silver bowl perpetual trophies earned at the Arts & Flowers : A Design Specialty Flower Show were among the Club awards and special tributes presented at the Annual Meeting in May. The President's Award for Horticulture —Sarah J. Olson The Amy Hatrak Herb Award —Denise Silverman The Barbara Meyer Rose Award —Denise Silverman The Estelle Leibrecht Horticulture Award —Debbie Moran The Bauer Horticulture Award —Maureen Sprong The President's Trophy for Flower Design, lntermed .—Sarah J. Olson The Garden Club Award for Flower Design, Adv .—Barbara Baletti The Kay Maclane Van Deusen Rose Award —Fran Ackerly The Betty B. Merriam Silver Bowl —Debbie Moran The Barbara Slockbower Schaeberle Award —Tova Narrett The Botanical Arts Award —Floss O'Sullivan The Till Beatty Allis Award —Fran Ackerly The Louise D. Mann Award —Deborah Hirsch Special Tributes —Susan Benner, Marilyn & Peter Zaret 2023 President's Special Recognition Award —Sue Young Congratulations to the Yearbook Committee and Editor Floss O'Sullivan for the Garden Club of New Jersey Certificate of Merit for Yearbook 2022-23. Many more GCNJ and NGC Awards are detailed in the report on Arts & Flowers : A Design Specialty Flower Show . With appreciation to the 2022-23 Awards Committee members: Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Florence Leyssène, Sarah J. Olson, Maureen Sprong, and Sarah Stransky, ex officio. 2021-2022 — Sarah Stransky, Chair The Awards Committee is to be applauded for their work on GCM Awards and active participation in National and State Award/Grant applications writing. Many thanks to Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Sarah Olson, Celia Radek, and Fran Wong. We also appreciated the guidance of the GCNJ Awards Chair, Peggy Morrissey, who helped facilitate our application process. We are delighted to announce the following GCNJ Awards: Certificate of Merit with Gold Seal 1st Place YB-1 Yearbook 2021-22 (100-299 members). Award application by Editor, Claire Stepleton. Score 100%. Hanover Garden Club Trophy for outstanding innovative project: Website 2021-22. Award application by Sue Young, 1st Vice President and Website Webmaster, and Sarah Stransky. GCNJ Special Award/Large Club for Triangle Gardens (a Civic Beautification project since 1952). Award application by Susan Yu, Triangle Gardens Chair, and Sarah Olson. The Garden Club of Montclair Awards were given at the Annual Meeting held at Avis Campbell Gardens on May 25, 2022, with the help of the Properties Chair, Nancy Stroud, Membership Chairs, Deborah Hirsch and Cheryl Slutzky, the Awards Committee, and Marilyn and Peter Zaret, who set up and dismantled chairs and tables for the event. The venue location was revised to be outdoors because of a recent outbreak of COVID-19. Emeritus Award 2022 - Brenda Bingham. Dedication to GCM, GCNJ, and NGC through focus on flower design since 1975. Tribute 2022 - Sue Young . Webmaster/renovator of current website. The Till Beatty Allis Award 2022 – Floss O’Sullivan . Flower Design Education through the creation of virtual workshops and exhibitions. The Louise D. Mann Award 2022 - Sarah Olson . Garden Therapy development and expansion of programs involving many more Members and reaching out to more people facing personal challenges in our communities. 2020-2021 — Sarah Stransky, Chair Many thanks to the 2020-21 Awards Committee including Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Karen Kadus, Kate Khachaturian, Michele Tomasik, and Fran Wong for their Zoom input, and collection and cleaning of the silver awards. Special thanks to Michele Tomasik for her assistance writing and editing several of the Emeritus and Tribute Awards. We also appreciate the support of GCNJ Awards Chair, Peggy Morrissey, whose guidance facilitated our state and national award application processes. We are thrilled to announce these GCNJ and NGC Awards received in June 2021 for outstanding achievements in 2020 during the pandemic: Yearbook 2020-21 — Award application by Celia Radek, Editor. Score 100%. Certificate of Commendation First Place YB-1 Yearbooks (100-299 members) awarded by National Garden Clubs, Inc. Certificate of Merit with Gold Seal YB-1 Yearbooks (100-299 members) awarded by Garden Club of New Jersey. Virtual Flower Design Education 2021 — Award application by Workshop Chair, Floss O'Sullivan, Florence Leyssène, and Sarah Stransky. Certificate of Merit First Place and Overall Winner Award FD-2 (Aiv) Floral Design Program/Single Club awarded by National Garden Clubs, Inc. Garden Therapy 2021 — Award application by Garden Therapy Chair, Sarah Olson, and Sarah Stransky. Myra Brooks Garden Therapy Trophy #15a Renovated Garden Therapy Program awarded by the Garden Club of New Jersey. The Garden Club of Montclair Awards were given at the 2020-21 Annual Meeting held in Avis Campbell Gardens on May 26 with the help of the Hospitality, Properties, Membership, and Avis Campbell Gardens Committees. A celebration for Connie Young’s 100 birthday was an important part of the agenda! The Bauer Horticulture Award 2021 — Debbie Moran The Louise D. Mann Award 2021 — Floss O’Sullivan The Till Beatty Allis Award 2021 — Florence Leyssène Tributes — Cynthia Corhan-Aitken, Sandy Sorkin, Karen Whitehaus, Fran Wong Emeritus Award Members 2021 — Bonni Babson, Betty Ann Cannell, Chris Cowles, Firth Fabend, Joan Larkin, Mary McGeown, Fritzi Mills, C.Y. Treene. 2019-2020 — Sarah Stransky, Chair T he 2019-2020 Awards Program, held annually in May, was postponed until fall of 2020. Because we have chosen to honor the recipients in a timely fashion, it is with great pleasure that we announce the following 2019-2020 awards: The President's Award for Horticulture — Denise Silverman The Amy Hatrak Herb Award — Denise Silverman The Bauer Horticulture Award — Maureen Sprong The Elsie Bristol Novice Award — Ginny Demoreuille The Garden Club Award for Flower Design, Advanced — Fran Ackerly The Kay Maclane Van Deusen Rose Award — Sarah J. Olson The Louise D. Mann Award — Claire Stepleton Special Tributes — Sarah J. Olson and Floss O'Sullivan All Awards will be presented at the Awards Program in the fall of 2020. The Awards Committee congratulates the above listed, and all our members, as you further our purposes of Education, Beautification, and Fellowship! And a big Thank You to the 2019-2020 members of the Awards Committee: Fran Ackerly, Karen Kadus, Kate Khachaturian, and Michele Tomasik.

Hospitality Committee Reports Committees 2023-2024 — Michele Quinn, Chair; Betty Murphy, Vice Chair Hospitality had a very busy and deliciously successful year. The program meetings and competition events at Bnai Keshet throughout the year were well attended. The decision was made to have the buffet table available before and during the meetings so that cleanup did not happen too late in the day. As is our routine, every competition that was judged had coffee and a breakfast snack available for the judges and others who participated in the scoring. Our Holiday Tea was graciously hosted at Imke Oster’s beautiful house and many of our members, besides our committee members, brought fabulous sweets and savories that made the holiday spirit soar! Completing the year was a wonderful brunch at Glen Ridge Country Club. I enjoyed being Hospitality Chair for the last two years and couldn’t have done it without my co-chair Betty Murphy and my committee! It takes a village! 2022-2023 — Michele Quinn, Chair; Betty Murphy, Vice Chair The Hospitality Committee was pleased to serve the Judges breakfast prior to our monthly competitions and wonderful teas after the Club's program meetings held at Union Congregational Church. Thank you to our talented and hard-working committee for making all the treats to feast upon! A big thank you to Susan Brady for hosting our annual Holiday Tea at her beautiful home on December 14, 2022. We also thank our Tea/Coffee pourers and Past Presidents: Firth Fabend, Kate Khachaturian, Gretchen Prater, Susan Straten, and Connie Young. Club Members' delectable savories and sweets enhanced the tea table, their exquisite holiday floral designs graced throughout, and boutique vendors enticed us with festive gifts. The event was enjoyed and remembered by all and we look forward to welcoming everyone when programs commence in the fall. 2021-2022 — Janet Oscar, Chair; Gretchen Prater, Vice Chair We thank Gretchen Prater for hosting our annual Holiday Tea at her beautiful home on December 15th. It was so wonderful to see over sixty Members join us to begin the Holiday Season in such a beautiful setting. Thanks to our talented Members who contributed to the tea table, which offered a variety of delicious homemade savories and desserts: Barbara Baletti, Terri Breen, Betsy Burgess, Carol Callahan, Ellen Colton, Peggy Scott Fleming, Kate Khachaturian, Floss O'Sullivan, Patti Sullivan-Perry, Michele Quinn, Cheryl Slutzky, Michele Trevenen, Susan Yu. We also thank our Tea/Coffee pourers: Past Presidents Deborah Hirsch, Kate Khachaturian, Michele Quinn, Susan Straten, Sarah Stransky, and Karen Whitehaus. The Hospitality Committee was so pleased to serve breakfast items to the Judges and Clerks on March 21st, at our first in-person program meeting and Petite Flower Design competition at Union Congregational Church. At our April 25th meeting, our committee served savories and sweets prior to our evening meeting. We thank Karen Whitehaus for her assistance at the Church and we thank Nancy Stroud for assisting our committee. We are forever grateful to our President Florence Leyssène's leadership during the ever-changing conditions and circumstances of our times. We thank our Hospitality Committee Members for their participation in our Hospitality events throughout the year. We look forward to seeing everyone in person when we begin our programs in the fall. 2020-2021 — Janet Oscar, Chair; Gretchen Prater, Vice Chair This has been and exceptionally challenging year for everybody. Since we were not meeting in person, the Hospitality Committee thought it would be nice to remember our members who reside at Crane’s Mill with lovely Thanksgiving Baskets filled with homemade zucchini bread, dessert cart dreams along with nuts, cheese, and crackers. They were so appreciative that the Garden Club members remembered them at this time. Our Committee member, Terri Breen, came up with the clever idea of presenting photos of past Holiday Teas for our December Program on Zoom. Committee member, Floss O’Sullivan, did a fantastic job in presenting the slideshow. We also honored Helen Geyer who was a long time member of the GCM. We made a beautiful Easter Basket with quiche and homemade desserts and delivered it to our longtime member Eileen Butler. She was thrilled that we remembered her at this time, and sent her thanks and appreciation. The Hospitality Committee members were so pleased to finally have a chance to bake for Garden Club members at the Annual Awards Ceremony which was held in the beautiful Avis Campbell Gardens in May. Gretchen Prater, Vice Chair, and I thank our Hospitality Committee bakers Kate Khachaturian, Ginny Demoreuille, Cheryl Slutsky, Patt Sullivan-Perry, and Terri Breen who joined us in making their delicious treats. Terri Breen not only baked but assisted us in filling the sixty goody bags, and also helped with set up and clean up. In celebration of Connie Young’s 100 Birthday we sang 'Happy Birthday' and presented Connie with a birthday cake along with a beautiful floral arrangement from the Avis Campbell Gardens designed by Michele Tomasik. We thank all who participated in our Hospitality events throughout the year. We look forward to seeing everyone in person when we begin our Programs in the fall. 2019-2020 — Maureen Donahoe, Chair This was the first year we were working at Van Vleck and we started off with a bang! A fabulous homemade soup and pasta salad offering from Floss O'Sullivan, the Hospitality Captain for September, was complemented by loads of sweets and savories contributed by the Membership as we were introduced to what life would be like for us in our new home. In the following months the Captains continued our beloved tradition of providing lunches for our Judges, Clerks, and Program presenters, followed by tea, coffee, sweets and savories for our members and guests following the Monthly Program. We also had our first ever evening event after which we offered tea, coffee, sweets and savories to all the attendees. Once again, we were fortunate to have Sam help us in the kitchen during the Program teas. Our Captains did an amazing job and outdid themselves with fantastic meals until our get-togethers were shut down by Covid-19 in March. Our annual Holiday Tea was held in the beautiful Victorian home of Bob Chapman and Florence Sinofsky. There were fabulous holiday floral arrangements throughout the house which were contributed by several of our members. It was a lovely event and everyone who attended enjoyed socializing, the delicious treats, and the opportunity to shop with holiday vendors. Thank you to Charlene Connolly for sending out the invitations, Susan Benner for arranging for fabulous vendors, and Elizabeth Linder for helping out in the kitchen. The Hospitality Committee is grateful for the cooperative effort of our members who take on the task of being a Hospitality Captain and ensuring a wonderful lunch is presented to our guests. Thanks, as well, go out to the members who contribute sweets and savories for our monthly teas. Hopefully, we will be able to resume getting together in person in the near future when we will all be taken care of by our new Hospitality Chair, Janet Oscar.

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

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