Author: Kathryn Bleckman

What’s All the Buzz About?

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Three members of WAGC attended “What’s All The Buzz About?” at Westfield Garden State Plaza on Friday, March 24, 2017. Dr. Jackie Ehlert, a founder The Havemeyer Edible Garden at Ramapo College, and John Gaut, 2nd V.P. of the Northeast N.J. Beekeepers Association spoke to an audience of about 30 attendees about the importance of the pollinators, particularly the honey bee to the environment. Information included how to start a bee hive, how to gather honey, and general upkeep of the hives. A cocktail reception followed. To learn more about the Edible Garden or to become a founder to help the bees, visit www.ramapo.edu/garden/. To learn more about the NNJBA visit www.nnjbees.org.

Flowers that attract pollinators and butterflies:

Bee Balm attracts honey bees and butterflies to your garden.

Bee Balm attracts honey bees and butterflies to your garden. Bees feast on bee balm, cosmos, echinacea, snapdragons foxglove, and hosta in the summer.

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Dr. Jackie Ehlert with John Gaut speaking about the importance of bee hives, how to start one and how to maintain it in your own backyard.

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Sample of a bee hive from The Havemeyer Edible Garden

WAGC President Eileen Avia, Salma Goldstein, founding member of The Havemeyer Edible Garden at Ramapo College and WAGC Publicity Chair Linda Vreeland

WAGC President Eileen Avia, Salma Goldstein, founding member of The Havemeyer Edible Garden at Ramapo College (and WAGC member) and WAGC Publicity Chair Linda Vreeland

WAGC Birdhouse Workshop with Ringwood Garden Club

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Wyckoff Area Garden Club President Eileen Avia presented a decorative birdhouse workshop on January 17, 2017 for Ringwood Garden Club Members.

Eileen has been making and decorating birdhouses for several years, giving most of them away to friends, charities, and for fundraisers. Her demonstration included how to paint a birdhouse and tips on placing natural bark, stones, shells, and other decorative items on the wooden structures. A raffle was held where the winners each received an unadorned wooden birdhouse to decorate. The plethora of materials, including glue guns were provided to help everyone bring each birdhouse to life with imaginative and personalized decor.

“The decorations I use are mostly things I find in my yard. Old bark, sticks, stones, and even pumpkin stems can be used to decorate a birdhouse,” commented Avia. “The possibilities are limitless, and it’s a great recycling option!”

The birdhouses are for indoor use but can be placed on a porch that is protected from the elements.

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Two of Eileen Avia’s hand-decorated birdhouses.

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Members of the Ringwood Garden Club show off their own creations.

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Eileen Avia prepares for her birdhouse demonstration, complete with her hand-decorated hat!

Bird House Summer Project

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The Wyckoff Area Garden Club donated small wooden birdhouses, painted by club members for the Fair Lawn High School Special Ed summer program.

Eleven students enjoyed decorating the brightly colored houses on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. WAGC President Eileen Avia and Treasurer Francine DeGiorgio attended the program to help the students achieve the program’s goal. As you can see, everyone had a great time!

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Preparing the Birdhouse Decorations

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Students showing their finished bird houses. Eileen Avia (third from left in back) and Fran DiGiorgio (third from right) helped with the project.

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A student decorating his bird house.

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His finished product!

Cathy Miller presents, “Let’s Welcome Spring!”

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Cathy Miller, WAGC member, was guest speaker on Wednesday evening, May 11 at a joint WAGC and Oakland Garden Club meeting which took place at the Oakland Senior Center in Oakland, NJ.

Cathy completed two large dried flower arrangements during her talk, which included lively stories about when she began drying flowers, how she developed the harvesting and drying process, and her years spent decorating several rooms in The White House, beginning in 1979 and ending with President George W. Bush.

Though music was a dominant factor in her early life (she played the piano following her talk) her love of flowers made her an avid gardener as well. After she and her husband settled in Wyckoff, Cathy joined the Wyckoff Garden Club and served as president, 1972-1973. She was the recipient of many blue ribbons as well as the coveted Tricolor and Creativity Awards, locally and at state levels. Her first article appeared in Family Circle Magazine in June 1976 and since then she has completed dozens of assignments for several home and garden publications.

Drawings were held after her presentation for both arrangements. 

Cathy also authored, Harvesting, Preserving, & Arranging Dried Flowers, a beautifully illustrated hardcover book, complete with drying flower instructions. 

To purchase one of Cathy’s books or inquire about her presentations, please email her at: cathy@dryingflowers.com or visit her website at www.dryingflowers.com.

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“Harvesting, Preserving, and Arranging Dried Flowers” by Cathy Miller

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Cathy Miller with one of her dried flower arrangements.

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Cathy Miller’s second dried flower arrangement that she completed during her presentation.

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WAGC Member Julie Fischer was the lucky recipient of one of Cathy Miller’s dried flower arrangements.

WAGC Holds New Members’ Luncheon

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The Wyckoff Area Garden Club held its annual New Members’ Luncheon on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 in Franklin Lakes at the home and garden of WAGC Vice President, Deb Fisk who coordinated the luncheon with Membership Chair Julie Fischer. Club President Eileen Avia welcomed 10 new members, bringing the membership to 60. A total of 38 members attended the lunch.

Attendees enjoyed a catered lunch with desserts donated by club members. Past President Janet Schulz presented plants from her garden to each new member. Following lunch, everyone enjoyed walking around Deb’s blooming garden during the perfect sunny day.

The club recently refurbished the garden at the Zabriskie House in Wyckoff, planting new rose bushes and other plants and flowers on Friday mornings in May 2016. The club maintains the garden throughout the year. Monthly WAGC meetings resume in September. 

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Pictured left to right: WAGC President Eileen Avia, Linda Vreeland, Wendy Headington, Sharon Ma, Sharon Brockway, Paul Apostol, Cathy Apostol, Tammy Laverty, and Sandi Ross. Not pictured: Liz Morris and Jeanne Evanchuk.

Deb Fisk’s Glorious Garden

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Mosaic Workshop for WAGC Members

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February 10, 2016

February is the month to think about spring plantings, and members of the WAGC got a head start on those thoughts by bringing new life to clay pots. WAGC President Eileen Avia presented a workshop to teach members how to decorate a terra cotta pot with mosaic tile. The workshop materials included an array of tiles in a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as shells and glass. Attendees provided the clay pots. Tile nippers, glue, and brushes were on hand for each new “mosaic artist” to help create his or her one-of-a-kind plant vessel.

A follow-up workshop to grout the pots will be scheduled in the spring — just in time to fill each work of art with spring flowers!

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Thanks to John P. Fischer tile for donating several sheets of one-inch tile for this project.

Thanks to John P. Fischer Tiles, Inc. for donating several sheets of one-inch tile for this project.

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