Club Programs
2024 – 2025 WTGC Meeting Programs
Meetings take place on the first Monday of the month at 6:30 PM and are open to guests, except for June and December, which begin at 6:00 pm and are member-only meetings.
Meetings are held at the Hollobrook Community Center in Ewing
Flower Show Prep: From Creative Practices and Ideas to Fabulous Designs
Get ready for the WTGC Flower Show with an inspiring and interactive session on floral design! This program will cover the basics of creating competitive floral arrangements, including essential design principles, color theory, and presentation tips. You’ll also have the opportunity to create your own table design and explore your creativity in a supportive setting.
Leading the session is Ingrid Fair, a longtime WTGC member and award-winning designer. Ingrid has earned numerous blue ribbons and top honors in the Flower Show’s Design Division. Her imaginative tree toppers have brought home multiple awards at the Morven Museum’s Annual Christmas Tree Show. Known for her artistic eye and flair for floral and vegetable garden design, Ingrid will share her favorite tips and techniques to help you shine in the show.
We’ll also take a moment during the meeting to announce and celebrate our 2025 WTGC Scholarship winners!
Grow to Show: Horticulture Know-How
What is required to enter your houseplants and garden horticulture specimens at our flower show? How do you correctly complete your entry tags? Then make sure to attend this program to learn how to submit top exhibits at the show. Also learn tips on identifying and cutting horticulture specimens from your garden and review the criteria used by National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC) accredited judges to award ribbons. Several members will also share sample exhibits for demonstration. Copies of the flower show schedule Horticulture Division and entry tags will be available for practice.
Alice Dickson, our presenter for this program, is an NGC Accredited Flower Show Judge. She has been a member of the Garden Club of Long Valley since 1993. During these 32 years, she has acted as treasurer, corresponding secretary, and yearbook editor. Since 2015, she has held the position of Garden Club of New Jersey Horticulture Chair which involves directing the horticulture section at many Flower Show Schools and Judges Council Flower Shows. Alice works full-time yet maintains an extensive garden both indoors and outdoors. Her favorite subject is horticulture, which is why her NGC blue ribbons and top exhibitor awards in that category are too numerous to count!
Petal to Pearls, Crafting Floral Jewelry and Designing a Fall Mask for the Flower Show
Botanical Arts is a relatively new division within National Garden Clubs (NGC) flower shows. It focuses on creative exhibits using plant material and other natural components. It encompasses four categories, namely, Botanical Horticulture, Botanical Design, Artistic Crafts, and Photography. There will be 3 Classes each featuring Artistic Crafts and Photography in the schedule. This program will teach us NGC Artistic Crafts rules with an emphasis on methods and materials. In addition, there will be a small demonstration on how to craft a masquerade mask which is one of the Classes in the Artistic Crafts Section of the show. Tips for the other Classes will be offered.
Our presenter, Linda Williams, has been a member of the Community Garden Club of Hunterdon County for over twenty years where she currently serves as their treasurer. She is an NGC Accredited Master Flower Show Judge with countless NGC blue ribbons and top exhibitor awards. An NGC Accredited Master Judge is an individual who has achieved the highest level of accreditation in the NGC Flower Show Schools program. In addition to working full-time, Linda spends her spare time as a landscape design and garden study consultant. Yet, her favorite pastime is creating jewelry and ornamental accessories using plant and other types of materials.
Holiday Table Chic: Floral Arranging for Entertaining
Learn how to build a beautiful seasonal floral centerpiece and functional table design that will dazzle your guests—just in time for the holidays! Debra Pomroy will review Principles for Floral Design using the GC Guidelines prior to making her design. Three members will share a Functional Table for Two with a floral design. Each design will be discussed to highlight GC Guidelines for a WTGC flower show exhibit.
Easy Care Perennials for your Garden
We have all been in a garden center looking for plants when we see one that wins us over. After reading the glowing description on the tag we buy it, bring it home, and plant it, only to find that it wasn’t suited for our growing conditions. We feel the pain as we watch our hopes and dreams slowly die. This lecture is designed to show case perennials that thrive in most garden conditions with little care. I will be highlighting perennials that you may not know or have not considered as well as the garden workhorses.
Our Favorite Garden Plants, Flowers and Trees: and Plant Swap
Enjoy a cozy evening of inspiration as several members their favorite garden plants and more with a beautiful photo slideshow. Hear their tips, stories, and favorite plants. We'll wrap up the night with a friendly houseplant swap—bring one, take one!
Fragrance in the Garden
Back by popular demand, horticulturist and past favorite Steven Kristoph returns to present “Fragrance in the Garden”—a delightful exploration of scented plants and their powerful role in garden design. Steven will share the science behind plant fragrances, how they attract pollinators and influence human emotions, and guide us in choosing flowers and foliage to create a personal fragrant oasis. Attendees will learn how to thoughtfully incorporate these plants into their gardens to maximize impact through placement and seasonal timing. Prepare to be inspired to turn your own outdoor space into a sensory retreat.
Steve Kristoph is widely known for his encyclopedic knowledge of plant material. He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in horticulture from Rutgers University, and he has been an adjunct instructor at Rutgers for more than 25 years.
Petite Designs for the “Color Me Autumn” Flower Show
The WTGC Flower Show “Color Me Autumn” will have 3 classes of Petite Designs which range from 3” to 12”. Our presenter, Pat Bowker, will bring all the staging panels for these classes. The members who signed up for the Petite Designs can take home their staging panel to start practicing. In addition, Pat will briefly go over the other Design and Botanical Arts Classes and discuss how they are judged. Members should review the flower show schedule and bring their questions relating to these two topics.
Pat Bowker, WTGC member since 1996, is an NGC (National Garden Clubs) Accredited Flower Show Judge. She has won numerous NGC blue ribbons and top exhibitor awards. Pat wrote the schedule for “Color Me Autumn” and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in preparing our membership to meet the requirements of an NGC flower show. We are very grateful to Pat who now lives in Shohola, PA (~ 2.5 hrs. from Ewing) for coming to help us prepare for the show. See you then!
End-of-Year Dinner & Installation
Celebrate the close of the season with a relaxed dinner and installation of new officers. Recognition of service by board members and committee members. No program, just good food and great company.
Jersey Fresh & Flower Show Planning Party
Our annual Jersey Fresh raffle—bring a farm stand find, garden goodie, or homemade treat to share! We'll also shift gears toward Flower Show season with tips, encouragement, and time to start planning your entries for the September show.