About the MGC
The Maplewood Garden Club provides a broad range of activities for its members. Monthly meetings are held with outside speakers presenting a variety of gardening topics (e.g., landscape design, pruning, plant choices, insects, floral design, conservation). Hands-on activities occur throughout the Club year, such as floral design workshops, holiday wreath-making and decoration of the railroad station and Dickens Village Conservatory, propagating for and working at our Annual Plant Sale, maintenance of the Durand-Hedden Herb Garden, a members-only garden walk, tours to gardens of special interest, Garden Therapy visits to a local care facility, maintenance of the Municipal Greenhouse, and occasional Standard Flower Shows and Garden Information Festivals. MGC also sponsors a Youth Gardening Program, annually donates books of gardening interest to the Maplewood Memorial Library, and grants scholarships to Columbia High School and Rutgers University students, as well as Township Department of Public Works employees for continuing-education workshops.
Following are some of the many contributions the Garden Club has made to the community of Maplewood.
- Donated the Municipal Greenhouse to the Township in 1974 and funded a major renovation in 1993
- Developed and continues to maintain the Durand-Hedden House Herb Garden
- Renovated the World War I memorial in Memorial Park
- Created two demonstration shade gardens – one at the Hilton Branch Library featuring a large variety of hostas and other perennials, and the second behind the Main Branch using ferns, hellebores, hydrangeas, etc.
- Developed a native plant garden at DeHart Park, planted an area with roses and grasses at Ricalton Square, and maintains a perennial garden at Burgdorff Cultural Center
- Donated various ornamental trees to the Township, including ginkos in Maplewood Village, disease-resistant elms, bald cypress, yellow magnolia, tri-colored beech
- Scholarships are awarded annually to Columbia High School and Rutgers University students studying in the fields of horticulture, environmental studies or related areas
- Scholarships are also awarded annually to Township Department of Public Works’ employees for continuing education courses offered by Rutgers University
- Decorates the railroad station for the holiday season
- Participates in the holiday Dickens Village by decorating a mini-conservatory using all natural plant material
- Each year MGC donates funds for a project at a local school
- Created a garden in front of the greenhouse by building a wall and trellis and growing boxwoods, clematis, spring bulbs and annuals