70th Anniversary!
A Garden Grows Through Time and Love
The Nottingham Garden Club marked a remarkable milestone this year as members gathered to celebrate the club’s 70th anniversary. About 50 gardeners and friends filled the room, their conversations blooming as vibrantly as the flowers they tend. Around the room, photo boards traced the club’s history like a living scrapbook. Smiling faces from decades past looked out from the displays, alongside snapshots of garden tours, workshops, and the many projects that have helped
beautify the community. The images captured the spirit of the club—people united by their passion for annuals and perennials, and by their commitment to cultivating outdoor spaces that enrich lives and spark inspiration.
Seventy years after its founding, the Nottingham Garden Club continues to flourish—rooted in tradition, nourished by community, and always reaching toward new growth.
Photographer and story contributor: Esther
Additional photography by Victoria
No celebration would be complete without something sweet, so a talented member rose to the occasion by baking and decorating three large cakes.
Four past and current club presidents are from left, Terri, Jay, who is the current president, Maureen, Darlene and Kathy. Thank you for your dedicated service to the club. These leaders still serve on the club's various committees.
Skip and Karen (left), Cathy and Jeannette were part of the celebration. Skip is on the Library & Police Station Flower Container Committee. Karen is on the RWJ Christmas Tree Decoration Committee. Cathy is club Co-Secretary and Jennette is on the Abbott House Herb and Garden Committee.
Fran (left) and Terri. Fran is on the Founders' Day Luncheon Committee, which organized the 70th celebration. Terri is chairperson of the Telephone Chain Committee.
The program paused to recognize the club’s original founders, Doris Ferrant (left) and Irene Hancock, the visionary members who first came together on February 1, 1956 with a simple idea: to create a place where gardeners could learn, share, and grow. Then Mayor Gilmore presented them with a certificate.
Nick (left), club vice president and the chair of the Founders' Day Luncheon Committee that organized the celebration. Joe created the three scrumptious cakes.
Elaine (left), Kathi, Wendy and Faye. Elaine is on the Arbor Day/Earth Day Committee. Kathi is on the Morven Holiday Decoration Committee. Wendy is on the Library and Police Station Flower Container Committee.
Each member attending the celebration received a commemorative ornament created by Lynn.
In a gesture that reflected the club’s generous heart, one of the cakes was donated to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), extending the celebration beyond the walls of the gathering and into the wider community. Earlier, the club also donated nearly 2,000 wrapped eating utensils to TASK and Meals on Wheels.
Kathy (left), Theresa, Elaine and Wanda join in the festivities. Kathy is chairperson of the I-295 S. Scenic Overlook. Theresa reads gardening quotes at meetings, which are posted on the Sun, Soil & Soul webpage. Elaine is club treasurer.
The desserts became a centerpiece of the event, drawing admiration before being eagerly enjoyed. Behind the cakes is one of the photo storyboards remembering the club's legacy of community-focused work.
Kelly (left), Stacey and Kristine and her husband. Kelly is Website Committee chairperson. Stacey is on the Garden Tour--June 2026 Committee. Kristine is chairperson of the September Tree Planting Committee.
Alice (left), Jane, Terri, and Darlene, a past club president and member of the Founders' Day Luncheon Committee. Jane is club Co-Secretary. They're enjoying appetizers.
Karen (left), Alice, her husband Steve, and Leah get ready for the sumptuous repast at the Nottingham Garden Club's 70th Anniversary. Karen is on the Community Education/Outreach Committee, among others, and Alice is on the Membership and Greeters Committee. Leah is on the Garden Tour--June 2026 Committee.
John and Lynn are on the club's Website Committee. Lynn also manages the club's facebook page.
Lorna (left), Maria and Melissa help celebrate the anniversary. Lorna is chairperson of the RWJ Christmas Tree Decoration Committee. Maria and Melissa are co-chairpersons of the Route 33 Blue Star Memorials Committee.
Maria (left), Diane, Joan and Victoria join in celebrating the Nottingham Garden Club's 70th Anniversary. Maria and Victoria are on the Abbott House Herb Garden Committee. Diane serves on the Remembering Military Veterans Committee. Joan serves on both the Route 33 and I-295 South Blue Star Memorials Committee. Beautiful table centerpieces like the one shown were awarded to dedicated members who have supported the club over time.
Three of the club's early yearbooks. Yearbooks include meeting dates, calendar, committees and member directory.