One Year Closes and another begins

               On Tuesday, June 17th, the Garden Club R.F.D. held its closing luncheon at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, ending a successful 2013-2014 year under the Presidency of Trish Sullivan. (See picture) At the luncheon, new officers were installed by The Garden Club of New Jersey President, Barbara Mullin.  The new officers are President, Jacquie Nelson, First Vice President, Helen Yorke, Second Vice President, Linda Paula, Recording Secretaries, June Smith and Nancy Canade. 

               Martha Marcickiewicz and Lydia Wikoff was once again honored as the recipients of the Perennial Bloom Award that honors long-time members for their years of dedicated support and service to the garden club of which they are a member.  Martha has been a member for 35 years while Lydia has been in the club for 39 years. (See picture) Trish Sullivan and Joyce Chappell present orchids to the honorees. Flowers were also presented to Linda Paula, for an award received from the Garden Club of New Jersey, for the yearbook she created, and to Ruth Korn, for the First Prize Award she received from the National Garden Club, for the newsletter she created for the Central Atlantic Region and the Tommy Donnan Certificate of Merit for a Newsletter from the Central Atlantic Region Garden Club.

               Garden Club R.F.D. is celebrating 74 years of existence in Middletown in September, 2014.  Drawing members from Holmdel, Highlands, Red Bank, Freehold, Wall, Colts Neck, Manalapan and Monroe as well as Middletown, we are a diversified group of women interested in flower arranging to landscaping to environmental issues.  We meet on the third Tuesday of the month for breakfast, our business meeting and to listen to a special program.  Join us to see what we are about.  Call June Smith at 732-671-9216 or email her at jwsmith35@aol.com. Our first meeting is September 16, 2014, when Tanya Ashuck, a National Garden Club Accredited Judge, will lead a session on flower arranging.

               Our official meeting place is The Little Red Schoolhouse, an historic site, located on the corner of Middletown Lincroft and Dwight Roads in Middletown and is the spot for stimulating talk, good speakers, hands-on projects and learning situations connected to the world of gardening and floral design.  Be with us on November 13th , at the Middletown Arts Center, to hear Bruce Crawford, Director of Rutgers Gardens, speak about “Exotic Plants and Unusual Bulbs”.