The Rake and Hoe Garden Club of Westfield earned many awards on the club, state and national level during the past year. They were awarded at the Garden Club of New Jersey Annual meeting on June 5, and at the end of year club luncheon at Echo Lake Country Club on June 11.
At the national level, the club won the first place award for its monthly newsletter from National Garden Club, Inc., produced and edited by Inge Bossert. On the state level, the club won for a club with more than 50 members, The Doris I. Cavanaugh Membership Participation Trophy for having the highest percentage of membership participation in state events, a Certificate of Merit to a Junior Garden Club for Civic Achievement - Youth Butterfly Garden, Certificate of Merit with Gold Seal for Junior Gardening, Certificate of Merit for Junior Gardening objectives, and Certificate of Merit with Gold Seal for an Excellent Yearbook.
On the club level individuals each earned awards: Judy Kampe Award - Marylyn Straight, bowl and certificate; Nancy Wallace Award - Barbara Mullin, bowl and certificate; Kay Cross Award- Diana Kazazis for chairing the State Flower Show and the Agnes Eggimann Award – Inge Bossert-for her Outstanding "Bloomin' Times" monthly club newsletter, Facebook page, Photography, and Communications work for the club.
As a volunteer organization, the Rake and Hoe Garden Club provides service to the community by maintaining the gardens at the north side of the Westfield Train Station, the Miller Cory House Museum, the Shadowlawn Pocket Park (a Blue Star Memorial), and the Clare Brownell Wildflower Garden at the Reeve House, the home of the Westfield Historic Society.
The Rake and Hoe Garden Club of Westfield has a longterm reputation for its service to the community and donations to worthy causes. Their Holiday House Tour of four distinguished homes in Westfield is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6 and has been in the planning stages for many months. Each home is decorated with a different theme depending on the character of the home.
This event is only presented every four years because of the intense planning and execution of detail. The last event was in December 2010 and was a grand success. As the primary source of revenue for the groups many service projects in Westfield and Mountainside, the 2014 Holiday House Tour is sure to be outstanding in effort on the part of every club member.
Some other Rake and Hoe Garden Club service projects include sponsoring many events with the special needs children of the Jardine Academy of the Union County Cerebral Palsy League of Union County. This includes creating a butterfly and flower garden and the making of themed ornaments for their annual December tree and spring tree and matching the ornaments with a similarly themed holiday book for their library. Rake and Hoe members also make bedside flower arrangements and donate gift bags filled with goodies for the veterans at Lyons Hospital.
The Junior Garden Club, which meets once a month, has members from first grade to eighth grade. The young members will be busy this fall maintaining the butterfly garden at the Shadowlawn Pocket Park and learning the basics of flower arranging, which will help them make flower arrangements for the teachers at the Jardine School and to compete in the New Jersey Garden Show in February 2015. Call Beth Siano at 908- 233-4150 if interested in joining.
The Rake and Hoe Garden Club of Westfield’s membership is diverse, spanning all ages, interests, and occupations. Federated with the National Council of State Garden Clubs, and the Garden Club of New Jersey, the Rake and Hoe Garden Club of Westfield, has between 50 and 70 members all of whom share one thing in common: a love of flowers and gardening.
Contact Karen Jolley-Gates, club president, at 908-233-5125 for more information. Visit on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rakeandhoe and at online at rakeandhoe.org/.