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“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the mind.” Luther Burbank

Message From the President

Dear Rake & Hoe Members,
As the new year begins, I hope this letter finds you warm and in good spirits. While the gardens may be resting under a blanket of frost, this season offers us the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past year and plan for the growth ahead.

Looking Ahead
We are excited about our plans for the year ahead! Much of our focus will be on our upcoming
Flower Show in April. There will be workshops to help members with making flower designs and
artistic crafts, and presentations about all the Horticulture classes in the show. We are hoping for
100% participation from members in entering exhibits and helping with all the planning and work of putting the show together. Your ideas and enthusiasm are what keep our club thriving,

In addition, we will be continuing with all our regular activities, like Mobile Meals, maintaining our Community Gardens and our projects for Veterans.

Thank you for being a part of this wonderful community. Winter may feel long, but spring is always just around the corner, and with it comes the joy of tending our gardens and growing together.

Stay warm and happy gardening!

Sharon Shiraga
The Rake and Hoe Garden Club of Westfield
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Our mission is to educate our members and the public in horticulture, floral design, nature and wildlife.  We host workshops, field trips and plant exchanges in addition to presenting informative monthly meetings.  Our talented members are more than willing to share their expertise with the group.  

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Members are dedicated to the community through their work with the Jardine Academy, Mobile Meals, Veterans and by maintaining three public gardens in Westfield.  Rake and Hoe is a member of the Central Atlantic Region of the National Garden Clubs, Inc.

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If you have an interest in joining the Club or would like additional information, please contact our membership chair,  Nina Sylvester.

GENERAL MEETINGS

Held Noon at the

Shady Rest Golf Course
820 Jerusalem Road

Scotch Plains
Second Wednesday

of the month

    Officers of the Club
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2024-2025


President, Sharon Shiraga

 

Vice President, Nina Sylvester
 

Treasurer, Sue Feldman

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Asst. Treasurer, Betsy Chance

Recording Secretary, Margot Partridge

Corresp. Secretary, Mary Lou Nolas

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Director, Beth Siano

Join Us!

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Embrace the beauty of gardening and nature by joining our Garden Club. Connect with fellow enthusiasts who share your passion, making enduring friendships along the way. Engage in fulfilling community service projects in our area and neighboring towns. Plus, with every meeting, expand your knowledge and skills, always learning something new to enrich your gardening journey. Come be a part of our vibrant community, where growth, both in gardens and friendships, is our constant goal.

For more information, please contact

Nina Sylvester

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CLICK TO OPEN
YEARBOOK

Upcoming Meetings

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May 14 - “Gardening Can Be Murder”. Marta McDowell. A program on some horticultural connections to crime fiction. Our speaker is a well-known American author who has served as horticulturist at Reeves-Reed Arboretum, and serves on the Board of the NJ Historical Garden Foundation at the Cross Estate.

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June 12- ANNUAL LUNCHEON at Echo Lake Country Club.

Get Inspired Flower Show
April 26, 2025

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                                          SPECIAL AWARDS

Division I
Class 4 Artist--Linda Parker;   Designer’s Choice and Award of Design Excellence.  
Class 8 Dancer--Carmen Skolesky;  Table Artistry Award
 
Division II
A2--Inge Bossert:  Award of Merit
B9--Betty Round;  Award of Merit
C10--Regina Kelly;  Award of Merit
D14--Margot Partridge;  Arboreal Award
E19--Betty Round;Arboreal Award and Horticultural Excellence Award.
F23--Phil Round;  Grower’s Choice Award
G29--Gayle Lechner;  Grower’s Choice Award
 
Division III
A1--Karen Fricke;  Botanical Arts Artistic Crafts
B6--Barbara Spellmeyer; Botanical Arts Photography
 
Division IV Youth
A1 Design--Margot Betancourt, Mae Pinger, Lena Siano;  Youth Award
B2 Artistic Crafts--Vivienne Betancourt, Grace Yu, Arabella Morabito
B3 Artistic Crafts--Cecily Betancorp, Grace Yu, Arabella Morabito
C Hort--Cecily Betancourt, Vivienne Betancourt        (no third award)
 
Division V Education
Sharon Shiraga;  Award of Appreciationding 2

Friday Prep - Members Racing Against Time

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Pre-Flower Show Members Working Hard

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Remembering Peggy Smith

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​Margaret Jane Smith, 86, of Mountainside, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Born February 20, 1939, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to William Woodbury Ford and Jane Elizabeth (Croyle) Ford, Peggy grew up in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, graduating from Shaler High School, Carnegie Institute of Technology (BFA) and the University of Michigan (MA). She later attained an MBA from Rutgers University Newark.
    Peggy was a devoted mother and homemaker who pursued artistic endeavors in a variety of media. She was active in many community organizations and activities, including The Rake and Hoe Garden Club, Inc. of Westfield and the local chapter of Questers. She was a master in Landscape Design and a Flower Show Judge. 

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