Meetings:

3rd Thursday of the Month,

Sept. through May

Location:

Wollaston Congregational Church

48 Winthrop Avenue

Wollaston (Quincy), MA 02170

Map & Directions...

Our Mission:

• To promote and encourage the love of gardening, the study of horticulture, and the development of floral and landscape design skills.
 

• To aid in the protection and conservation of our environment.
 

• To promote, encourage and support civic beautification throughout the City of Quincy.

Five WGC Members Attend GCFM Fall Conference

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Sheraton Framingham Conference Center

Five members of the Wollaston Garden Club attended the Fall Conference of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts presided by GCFM President, Marisa McCoy. WGC members attending were Jan Clifford, WGC president; Anita Fasano, WGC 1st vice president; Colleen Lawler, 2nd vice president; Pat Artis, WGC press & publicity chair; and Amy Reinhart, WGC web site manager.

The first part of the meeting was spent providing pertinent information to the federation members on: "how to run a meeting"; "awards"; "adult education"; "treasury matters"; and "youth activities". After lunch, awards were presented. The Wollaston Garden club received the "Barbara May Website Award" for our website. On Thai, a professional florist from Surrounding Floral Studio in New York gave an exciting demonstation, with ten floral designs. His design aesthetic was creative, bold with statement florals like bird of paradise, ginger, and heleconia in orange, yellow and red. His designs were simple but filled with technique. He demonstrated different techniques for bending, folding and manipulating leaves.

One of the best parts of attending these state meetings is getting to share information, advice and passions with other garden club leaders form all over the state.

Wollaston Garden Club Wins State and Regional Awards

            At the Fall meeting, October 25, 2012, of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts at the Andover Country Club, the Wollaston Garden Club received awards for their work in Civic Beautification, Conservation, and Community Education. Jan Clifford, WGC president; Anita Fasano, 1^st Vice President; Colleen Lawler; 2^nd Vice President; and Pat Artis, former club president, received the awards on behalf of the club.

            The first award received was a silver compote, The President’s Bowl, awarded by the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, to the Wollaston Garden Club, “for beautifying the City of Quincy roadsides by planting many of the intersection planters located at different city gateways and busy traffic intersections in Quincy, with hardy perennials and shrubs.” Jo Costello, garden club civic beautification chair commented that “the garden club has really appreciated the support we have received from Mayor Koch, the Quincy City Council, Kristen Powers of the Quincy Park Department, and Park Department employees, including Mike Burke; along with the many garden club volunteers who care so much and work so hard to keep the intersection planters looking good.”

            The second award, The Nancy H. Atwell Trophy, a New England Regional award is given annually to a club from one of the six member states for “the most outstanding publicity incorporating regional and national garden club objectives.” The Wollaston Garden Club’s Board, decided in 2008, to work on and advocate for the “new” national garden club goal of protecting “aquatic ecosystems”. Work began then in collaboration with the Quincy Environmental Network, to educate the community and advocate for more day-lighting of the Town Brook. Pat Artis, former club president said she is “proud of our continuing work and advocacy to protect aquatic ecosystems and educate the public on the importance of and historical significance of the Town Brook and the Town River to the City of Quincy. Special thanks to the Quincy Sun and its editor, Bob Bosworth for his commitment to Quincy and its citizens” This year the garden club is sponsoring both a high school essay contest and grades K-9 poetry contest (deadline Nov 15^th) with themes based on “protecting aquatic ecosystems.” Last June, the garden club received the Mildred S. Parker Conservation Award form the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts for the garden club’s “commitment to educate the public regarding the need to daylight the Town Brook and to work to protect the fragile ecosystem.”

            Another regional award was received, on October 25th, by Wollaston Garden Club for its 2011 Press Book - a Third Place for large clubs, 100 members and over. The garden club, in its 85^th year, is a member of The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc, and the National Garden Club, Inc.