The Garden Gate Garden Club welcomes spring with new plantings, activities, and new members.
By:Cara Latham Special Writer
Plants, flowers and shrubbery are usually representative of the new growth that accompanies the arrival of spring. For one Lawrence garden club, their activities seems evergreen.
Members of the Garden Gate Garden Club, which was formed in 1968, are preparing to spring into the new season with new activities and a membership drive.
At the club’s founding, in 1968 by Betty Boyd, it had 25 members. The limited membership was due to the meeting locales members’ residences, said May Martin, the club’s historian. The club now meets at Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church.
Unlike other clubs of the era, the Garden Gate members did not want to restrict their organization to only Village of Lawrenceville residents, said Ms. Martin.
So the original members formed their club and today, the Garden Gate Club has 33 members and is seeking to grow its ranks to have fun learning, sharing ideas and building friendships, said Carol Errickson, the club’s recording secretary and a Lawrence resident.
"It’s a lot easier when everyone was a lot younger," said Ms. Errickson. "Right now, it’s getting a little more difficult. That’s why we’re looking for new, young, able-bodied members."
The Garden Gate Garden Club was formed by a group of friends, and members began gathering in homes, according to Pat Osowick, of Lawrenceville, who joined in 1968 and is the chairwoman of club’s cemeteries committee.
The club gained certification from the Garden Club of New Jersey, and members began fundraising, promoting environmental education, planting flowers around the township and taking field trips to local gardens, she said.
The garden club first seeds of activity were seasonal programs decorating display Christmas trees for local businesses and selling plants at flea markets.
As membership grew, so did the programs the garden club held flower shows and flower festivals and offered tours of area gardens and farms during the months of June and July, when the flowers were in bloom.
One of the club’s early project was landscaping Lawrence High School’s former courtyard and effort was later rewarded with a beautification award from the Garden Club of New Jersey.
"We took our own money, which is about $2,000 and we spent it all," said Ms. Martin. "We were all out there digging, (working with) dogwoods and pines, and grabbing any kid that looked like he was breathing and said, ‘Help dig this hole.’"
By 1978, the club also began to participate in the township’s Memorial Day parade, entering a float with members handing out packets of seeds and pamphlets to raise awareness of the club’s activities.
"We always get a lot of compliments at the parade on our floats, and people seem to appreciate what we do," said Margaret Jiras, of Lawrenceville, chairwoman of the club’s conservation committee.
Every year, the club members also replant and maintains annual and perennial flowers at the Princessville Cemetery on Princeton Pike, and the Pauper’s Cemetery on Allen Lane. The first year required at lot of work at the Pauper’s Cemetery it had become a popular spot with teenagers for parties and the plots were strewn with garbage and litter.
"When we took over, it was sort of an abandoned field," said Ms. Martin. "We just felt that the township should not have war zones where people dump cars."
As soon as weather warms up enough for the flowers and plants to survive, the members plan to head back out to the cemeteries. Since the area doesn’t have a water source, the members hand-carry the water to the cemeteries. Ms. Errickson takes on this task, using a waterbed in her truck.
"It is a lot of work," said Ms. Osowick. "She has almost solely maintained them."
Beyond the spring flower activities, the club is busy year-round. Last October, the members participated in Lawrenceville Main Street’s project to make decorative scarecrows to line Main Street, naming their costumed and straw-stuffed entry, "Krissy Gates."
Every November, the club members participate in creating small, decorative, holiday items that are made mostly of natural material. These items are given to local recipients of Meals on Wheels program.
In December, club members decorated a room at the Morven Museum and Garden in Princeton, including a tree the members dressed with natural materials. The same month, the garden club teamed up with the Lawrence Historical Society for a winter activity where children made decorative snowmen using a small flowerpot as the base.
The garden club is funded by donations and members’ dues, said Ms. Osowick. The club also donates to nonprofit organizations such as Habitat For Humanity, to help provide landscaping and plans for housing in Trenton. Every year, the club also provides two, $200 college scholarships to high school seniors in Lawrence intending to major biology or botany in college.
The club also honors local businesses’ beautification efforts. The annual award goes to a business owner that tackles the beautification project without the help of professional landscapers, Ms. Martin said. In 2004, the award was given to Michael’s Family Restaurant on Brunswick Pike in Lawrence.
Beyond plants and flowers, club also harvests its own interests and participates in various workshops that feature speakers on a wide range of topics.
At the club’s March meeting, Tony Thonnerieux, a florist and Rider College alumnus, gave a behind the scenes look at the holiday decorations at the White House He was a member of the design team from 1983-92.
"There’s always something to learn about gardening," said Judy Ryba, of Hamilton who is the first vice president of the club.
The programs are also open to the public, as the members said they want to share the experience with others. "We really have a variety of programs," said Ms. Jiras. "And you think after so many years, ‘How many times can you repeat a program?’ But, we always find somebody different that has a different view on it."
The next meeting is May 15 at 7 p.m. at the Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church, 1039 Lawrence Road.
The plants and gardening tips are great, but, what the club members like best is the friendships they make during gardening and working toward their common goal of beautifying the township and encouraging members of the public to do the same, according to Ms. Jiras.
"We hope they gain appreciation of our gardening and to help make our township more attractive," she said. "When they see what we’re doing, maybe it’ll inspire them to clean up."
The group is looking forward to its annual picnic in June and to its geranium plant sale on May 8. They are also planning field trips to the Rose Garden and Iris Garden in Bordentown this spring.
For information about the Garden Gate Garden Club, contact Judy Ryba at (609) 581-8818.

