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Story and photos by Jeff Tryon   On the morning of April 11, I led a wildflower hike along the trails at Heritage Preserve Park, on the border of Ewing and Hopewell. The long, narrow loop trail begins by going through a former farm field and it continues through young red maple forest, and then a mature beech forest. This preserve has outstanding spring wildflowers, and I’ve been monitoring them for several weeks prior. We had a nice group of 9 people in attendance, including

Spring in New Jersey brings one of the most cheerful sights in the garden—the bright pink blooms of the Eastern Redbud. This year, the West Trenton Garden Club is helping more of those beautiful trees find a home in our community. A Gift to the Community To celebrate Arbor Day, the West Trenton Garden Club is giving away free redbud tree seedlings to local residents. Event Details: Date: Friday, April 24 Time: 9:30 AM Location: Mercer County Library – Ewing Branch This event

Photos by Jeff Tryon, Iliana Okum, Terry Palise, and Rita Obed This spring, several members of the West Trenton Garden Club spent a lovely day in Philadelphia enjoying the annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival. The event brought together the beauty of peak bloom season with a wide range of cultural activities, creating a relaxed and inspiring outing that many gardeners would appreciate. Club members Jeff Tryon and spouse Cristina , Iliana Okum , Terry Palise , and friend Rita

WTGC Member, Barbara Lear (center right) and WTGC President, Anne Skalka (right) WTGC President, Anne Skalka, and member, Barbara Lear, recently acted as judges at the 49th New Jersey Future Farmers of America (FFA) Horticultural Exposition, held at Mercer County Community College on March 13. Anne and Barbara worked alongside two additional judges to evaluate entries across several categories, including Magical Miniature Gardens, Flowering-Holiday arrangements, Cactus and Su

Photos by Elle Belcheff Spring gardening season is just around the corner, and the West Trenton Garden Club is excited to announce that our 2026 Annual Spring Flower Sale  is underway! View the order form here: 2026 WTGC Flower Sale Order Form  (PDF) Each year our members organize this sale to help support the club’s community projects, educational programs, scholarships, and local beautification efforts. When you purchase plants through the sale, you help us continue caring

Photos by George McElrath The West Trenton Garden Club kicked off the first Birmingham Park Spring Cleaning Day on March 11, 2026, and the results were impressive. Ten volunteers gathered to begin preparing the park for the growing season. In just two hours, the group made remarkable progress and demonstrated the spirit of teamwork that defines our club. Volunteers worked to prepare all of the front garden beds, clearing winter debris and refreshing the area with new mulch. T

Photos and story by Jeff Tryon I had a chance to visit the Philadelphia Flower Show this year, and overall, I really enjoyed the theme, “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening.”  I went on Sunday, which I knew would be extremely busy with wall-to-wall people. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised that the show actually felt easier to move through than in past years. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society made some changes to the layout that seemed to spread things out better acr

Highlights from the March 2026 WTGC Meeting Presenters: Angela Proctor-Weaver, Linda Gerasimowicz, Virginia (Ginny) Sari, Carol Bozarth, Zofia Jablonski Feulner, George McElrath, photo by Jeff Tryon At our March 2, 2026 general meeting, six West Trenton Garden Club members took us on a delightful tour of their gardens by sharing their favorite plants. Each presenter chose one or two plants that bring them joy — explaining why they love it, how they grow it, and what makes it

Photography by Jeff Tryon The 2026 Deep Cut Society Orchid Show was held February 20–22 at Dearborn Market in Holmdel, New Jersey. It was an exciting weekend filled with beautiful plants and great learning opportunities. Hundreds of blooming orchids were on display, showcasing an incredible variety of colors, shapes, and fragrances. I participated in the Central Jersey Orchid Society  display, exhibiting three of my blooming plants. Several other orchid societies created impr

Photos and text courtesy of the Cotsen Children’s Library   Community families were invited to spend a day with Peter Rabbit, literature’s most enduring radish-eater. This was our first foray into Saturday programming specifically aimed at children ages 2-6, and oh my goodness was it a rousing success. We were also delighted to be joined by our friends from the West Trenton Garden Club.  Pictured are Barbara Lear and Anne Skalka from the West Trenton Garden Club! These two

This summer marks a big moment in our nation’s history — the 250th anniversary of American independence — and the West Trenton Garden Club is joining in the celebration!

This past December, the West Trenton Garden Club proudly participated in the annual Drumthwacket Holiday Open House, a beloved seasonal tradition at the New Jersey Governor’s Mansion. Each year, member clubs of the Garden Club of New Jersey are invited to decorate the public rooms of the historic home, delighting visitors with creative displays that reflect both the beauty of the season and the heritage of our state. This year’s theme honored the upcoming 250th anniversary of

The West Trenton Garden Club is thrilled to announce that our mantel design, To Everything There is a Season , earned First Place in the Mantel category  at the 20th annual Morven Festival of Trees! This beloved holiday tradition, held at Morven Museum & Garden in Princeton, brings together local clubs, organizations, and designers to create festive displays that light up the museum galleries from mid-November through early January. Our entry told a story of nature’s gentle p

The West Trenton Garden Club is proud to continue its tradition of supporting the next generation of environmental stewards and plant lovers through our annual Scholarship Program. As we look ahead to Spring, we invite you to join us in both celebrating and contributing to this meaningful effort. Scholarship Breakfast – March 7, 2026 Mark your calendars! Our Scholarship Breakfast will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m at the Ewing Community Center, 32