CURRENT OFFICERS
President:
Kirsti Frazier
First Vice Presidents (2020-2021 Programs):
Nancy O’Neill & Karen Pinkham
Second Vice Presidents (2021-2022 Programs):
Vicki Harrington & Anita McFadden
Recording Secretary:
Deborah Kingston
Treasurer:
Victoria Mei
Public Relations:
Trista Ashok
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Club Overview
The mission of the Holliston Garden Club is to stimulate knowledge and love of gardening and floral design, to aid in the protection and conservation of natural resources, and to promote the beautification of our town. We are members of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts (GCFM) and National Garden Clubs (NGC).
The garden club is an active, vital part of the town of Holliston. Our many committee members bring beauty and gardening knowledge to our community, often working with other community civic groups to achieve our goals. The balance between gardening, floral design, horticulture, and civic activities makes our club attractive to all.
Our program meetings are dedicated to the education and appreciation of horticulture, landscape and floral design, gardening, and environmental issues. The program topics reflect the interests of our club and the larger gardening community. Workshops are offered from time to time to provide hands-on experience.
What We Do in the Community
Education, Conservation, Beautification. The garden club is very active locally, regionally and nationally. Members have won awards in floral design, landscape design, and civic affairs. Each year the club awards scholarships to students and grants to educators to promote horticulture and environmental studies. We also provide civic grants to other Holliston organizations involved in beautification and education. Our members have designed several gardens around Holliston, and have planted, pruned, tended and maintained myriad sites in the town.
What we do is guided by our members. Please feel free to discuss any ideas or to propose a project at any business meeting.
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Current Civic Projects
Beautification
- Holliston Public Library
- Memorial Square
- Traffic Island at Norfolk and Franklin Intersection
- Planter at Central and Fiske Streets
- Holliston Fire Station flag pole and planter
- Horse Trough at Town Hall
- Town Hall Side Garden
- Koshivas Memorial at Town Hall
Community Outreach
- Juniors Programs at the Holliston Public Library
- Holiday Wreaths for the Food Pantry
- Massachusetts Horticulture Society Festival of Trees
- Arbor Day tree planting and events
- Passes for Tower Hill Botanical Garden through the Holliston Public Library
- Holiday decorating at Holliston Public Library
- Wayside Inn decorating
- Holliston tree survey
Floral Design
- Holliston Art in Bloom
- Boston Flower Show
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Awards
National Garden Club Awards
- Certificate of Commendation, Youth Horticulture Education for “Tree Detectives” (2012)
- Certificate of Appreciation to Carol Holly for the Tree Survey book (2011)
- Standard Flower Show Achievement Award to Joan Butler (2010)
New England Regional Awards
- Certificate of Recognition to Carol Holly for the Tree Survey book (2010)
Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts Awards
- Barbara May Website Award (2012)
- Mitzi Belitsky Youth Award for “Tree Detectives” (2012)
- Margaret Bell Newsletter Award (2012)
- Charlotte Lane Connor Arbor Day Award for Arbor Day display (2011)
- Presidential Citation to Maureen Marshall for her work on numerous committees (2011)
- Charlotte Lane Connor Arbor Day Award (2014)
- Norma Zettler Award “For the Love of Birds” (2017)
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2020-2021 Committees
Awards
Submit all potential GCFM and NGC awards and grants for the club. The committee chair(s) are responsible for documenting their activities and submitting them to the chairman for an award, as she/he requests.
Conservation
Promote conservation education for club members, including newsletter articles, program speakers or workshops and field trips. The committee works with the vice president(s) in developing these educational programs.
Children’s Ornament Workshop – Jill Malcolm
Members create ideas for ornaments, supply materials and assist children with making ornaments at the Holliston Public Library.
Elm Bank Festival of Trees – Lee Guertin
Create holiday ornaments and decorate an artificial tree to be raffled off during the Massachusetts Horticultural Festival of Trees. Funding is a donation from the club.
Flower Show Support
Organize programs and workshops to prepare the membership to participate in flower design and horticultural shows. The committee works with the vice president(s) in developing these educational programs.
Food Pantry Wreaths
Organize annual wreath decorating for Holliston Food Pantry clients; includes buying 40 wreaths, sourcing dried material and decorative artificial items; reserve Holliston Senior Center for the event.
Garden Therapy
Conduct workshops and other garden therapy projects for Holliston seniors.
Historian
Maintain club’s archival and photographic material.
Horticulture – Ann McCarten
Promote horticultural education for club members, including newsletter articles, program speakers or workshops and field trips. The committee works with the vice president(s) in developing these educational programs
Hospitality
Coordinates the yearly commitment worksheets and distributes results to the club. Maintain the club’s hospitality supplies and act as resource for hosts for the monthly program meeting.
Juniors
Organize youth-related horticultural activities and educational program for Holliston’s children, which includes the children’s ornament workshop.
Library Gardens – Toni Neal, Joan Butler
Maintain the Holliston Public Library landscape.
Library Holiday Decorating
Decorate the library for the holidays. Schedule during the week of Thanksgiving to prepare the library for the annual holiday stroll.
Membership – Debbie Coviello
Coordinate applications of prospective members and manage the orientation of new members. Distributes yearbooks, welcome gifts, name badges and aprons.
Mentoring – Carol Holly
Educate new members about club procedures for their first year and encourage them to participate in activities.
My Tree, My Shrub
Adopt one or more of the prominent trees or shrubs the club has planted in town and care for it throughout one year. This includes weeding, pruning, general plant upkeep and watering.
Newsletter – Carol Holly
Gather articles and design, publish and distribute a monthly newsletter.
Native Plant Committee – Jeanne Grandy
Promote native plants in our club and community
Penny Pines
Collect pocket change from members at monthly meetings to reach the goal of $68 per certificate in support of NGC and USDA national reforestation projects.
Photographer
Take photos of club events and making them available to club members and the club historian.
Publicity
Send information to all media outlets and be in charge of all publicity for the club.
Scholarship and Grants
Seek out appropriate candidates and award club scholarship to qualified Holliston students pursuing advanced degrees in garden-related fields. Award educational grants on a yearly basis as funds are available.
Town Beautification
Maintain various town plantings.
Tree Spotters – Bob Beauchemin
Oversee Arbor Day and community education on trees
Ways and Means
Includes Holiday Open Meeting and Plant Sale.
These committees are responsible for all fundraising for the club.
Wayside Inn Decorating – Joan Butler, Nina Colburn
Decorate two rooms at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury for Christmas. May also include making new ornaments for both the club and for the Inn.
Website – Kirsti Frazier, Trista Ashok
Develop and maintain the club website.
Yearbook – Nina Colburn, Trista Ashok
Obtain correct, up-to-date information; edit and update online yearbook by the September meeting.
HOLLISTON GARDEN CLUB 