MONTHLY PROGRAMS
5September 25, 2025 Program: "Autumn Harvest",
Linda Williams
Members of the club are encouraged to bring in their harvested vegetables to present for evaluation. National Garden Club scale of points will be used to critique the member's harvest and will be given suggestions or guidelines to help them pick a perfect specimen worthy of a blue ribbon at a Flower Show.
Linda Williams is a 20+ year member of the Community Garden Club of Hunterdon County, which she is currently their treasurer. She is a National Garden Club Accredited Master Flower Show Judge, a National GC Landscape Design Consultant and a National GC Garden Study Consultant. She is currently the Garden Club of New Jersey Corresponding Secretary for a 3rd term. In addition to working part-time, she enjoys spending time in her gardens as well as many of her clients. She grows both flowers and vegetables. Her new interest is growing dahlias and hopes to get better at the process.
October 23, 2025 Program: “Coping with Deer”, Jean Miller
White-tailed deer were virtually extinct in the late 1800s in New Jersey. Learn about the reasons for their current population, and how understanding their biology and behavior can help the gardener with strategies to mitigate deer damage.
Jean Miller graduated from Lehigh University in Industrial Engineering and at first worked for a food manufacturer. Later became a substitute teacher in the Flemington area for 20 years She traveled three times to Kenya to study honey bees there. She spent a month in Thailand in a study abroad program. She has been a lifelong naturalist and traveler having hiked over 50 National Parks and have traveled to all continents except Antarctica.
November 20, 2025Program: “Design Pointers for the Holidays”, Patti Cerrato
Patti Cerrato will be creating a group of three designs How to make Wheat Shock and two live pumpkin designs.Patti Cerrato is a member of the Bridgewater Garden Club and is passionate about flowers. She works as Floral Designer at Wegmans and is a Flower Show Award-winning designer.
December 18, 2025 Program: Holiday Social There will be a short business meeting followed by our holiday luncheon. Members will also enjoy a social game about White Elephant. If you would like to participate, please bring a $5.00 item to trade. This can be purchased item or homemade.
January 22, 2026 Program: Knowing and Growing Chrysanthemums, Cindy Hedin
A slide presentation illustrating the history of the premier fall flower, the chrysanthemum and its many varieties, and detailing its culture. See photos of the magnificent 1,000 bloom plants and other very special mums. Care and handling of garden mums and exhibition varieties, especially disbuds, will be explained and illustrated.
Cindy Hedin, a retired school librarian and history teacher, has been a gardener since childhood. Her interest in Monarch butterflies developed significantly when she participated in a Teacher’s network trip to monarch sanctuaries in Mexico during winter break in 2004. She has been using monarchs and related materials in her teachings ever since. As a Master Gardener, she helps provide livestock for the Somerset 4H Fair and works in the Teaching Garden.
February 26, 2026 Program: “Medicinal Garden Herbs”,
Caroline Kuster
The role of garden herbs in medicine, nutrition and natural healing will be presented. Herbal combinations, best herbal preparations and herb contraindications/ safety will also be addressed for each herb. There will be a herbal tea and salve sampling for those interested with “recipes to try at home.
Caroline Kuster is a clinical herbalist based in Central New Jersey, specializing in plant medicine, Vitalism, Nutrition, and Nature Cure traditions. With a deep passion for the wilderness and natural healing, she is dedicated to educating and empowering individuals on their personal health journeys. Caroline has completed 1,775 hours of formal training through the Acorn School of Herbal Medicine and the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, grounding her practice in both tradition and clinical experience.
March 26, 2026 Program: “Workshop on Miniature Designs”, Teddie Falcone
The workshop will be on 4 X 4 miniatures with fresh, dried or combination of both materials. It will instruct on the differences between creative and traditional design principles and form.Teddie Falcone has been a member of Garden Club of Long Valley for fifteen years. Early on she discovered a passion for design and took many classes including those with the New York Botanical Gardens. She has completed courses with the several World Designers and continues to further her education classes. She is now an accredited Master National Flower Show Judge, and a member of the GCNJ board. In addition, she is an active gardener at her home and with her club, working with nature finds, recycled goods and de-structured flowers.
April 16, 2026 Program: Business Meeting
April 23, 2026 Ways & Means Event
May 21, 2026 Program: Plant Auction
Our annual fund-raising plant auction will be held at Station House. Are you planning to re-organize your garden, thinking of thinning out those perennials, shrubs, trees etc. bring them to our plant sale and let your fellow members enjoy growing something new? For those of you who can’t bear to part with a single multiplying perennial, or other plants, herbs, bushes, trees, etc., here are a few reasons to share.If you bring them to this yearly event, they will become treasured acquisitions to some of your fellow-members’ gardens.You may find something you’ve always wanted to plant into your own garden.You’ll help bring in some “green” for the garden club.You can be part of the (hopefully) good-natured bidding that will add to the day’s fun.Garden questions will also be answered before the auction.
June 18, 2026 Program: Tour of Frelinghuysen Arboretum with Lunch TBD
