Garden shed with rakes and hoes and work boots
Pink flowers being pollinated by a bee
Woman checking on plants
Garden shed with rakes and hoes and work boots
About Us
Our mission is to educate our membership and the public in horticulture, floral design, nature, and wildlife. To that end, our monthly meetings will have interesting speakers on relevant topics. We host workshops, field trips and plant exchanges. Some of our very talented members are also more than willing to share their expertise with the group. Our garden club members are very community minded also and work with the Lyons Hospital, Cerebral Palsy, Mobile Meals, and four community gardens in Westfield. The Rake and Hoe Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club of NJ, which is also a member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc. For more information about the club, contact Membership Chair Sharon Shiraga.
JOIN US
Rake and Hoe meets in the Scotch Hills Country Club at 820 Jerusalem Road in Scotch Plains every second Wednesday of the month at 12:00pm. Please join us if you enjoy nature, plants and design! Please contact Membership Chair Sharon Shiraga
Announcements
Please view our Facebook page for a very comprehensive view of gardening and the Rake and Hoe Garden Club. Click here or on the icon.
Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.
- Luther Burbank
*
Officers of the Club
President, Beth Siano
Vice President, Sharon Shiraga
Treasurer, Kathryn Ciurczak
Assistant Treasurer, Betsy Chance
Recording Secretary, Irene Greenstein
Corresp. Secretary, Natalie Peitsinovski
Director, Jeanne Marie Ryan
Upcoming Meetings
GENERAL MEETINGS
January 12, 2022 "The Unsung Heroes of Nature"
Emily Stone, Education Director at the Cable Natural History Museum, discusses the oftern unseen and maligned in our gardens and their positive contributions to the web of life.
Photo courtesy of www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2022 "Nature's Best Hope"
Doug Tallamy, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and NYT Best-Selling author, discusses the important role of insects, the plants that support them, and the birds they help sustain.
Message from
the President
This coming May brings us to our 70th anniversary and to the 70th year of Rake and Hoe’s commitment to community service, to floral design education in its many interpretations, and to maintaining the environment through sound horticultural practices. This year, even as we continue to face the challenges of a pandemic, I look forward to our coming together again--both for achieving our purpose and for sharing the wonderful friendships that support it.
As I attended June planning meetings, I was yet again impressed with the depth of knowledge, creativity and enthusiasm of our members. And that leads us to another busy, interesting year. Community Projects has added an additional Mobile Meals date and will be partnering with the Juniors for the Vets’ holiday cards. Community Gardens will continue the new Mindowaskin urns effort. Field trips abound--Photography and Horticulture will team up for a visit to Greenwood Gardens, and Garden B’s will hunt for snowy owls at Breezy Point. The Program Committee has come up with yet another schedule of fascinating topics from Japanese gardens to salamanders.
We are already gearing up for 2022 Deck the Halls fundraiser as Artistic Crafts partners with the Boutique Committee for ambitious workshops on everything from fairy houses to felted soap. Flower Design has a very special three-part Elements of Design program that I especially encourage new members to participate in.
Thank you all for your commitment to Rake and Hoe as we come together again.
Beth S.
* Luther Burbank
Luther Burbank (March 7, 1849 – April 11, 1926) was an American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science. He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-tear career. Burbank's varied creations included fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables.
March 9, 2022 "Native Wildflowers and Ferns for the Home Garden"
Hubert Ling, President of the NJ Native Plant Society, discusses easy-to-grow native plants, especially those vital for a biologically rich NJ, and the historic role of these plants in Native American populations.
