Laura Clare, owner of a Bernardsville floral design company, will share her ideas and special stories about creating beautiful arrangements for special occasions. A Cornell graduate with a major in horticultural studies, Laura interned with some of the best floral designers in Europe and returned to the States to open her first shop in 2000. Her company provides assistance with personalizing plants and flowers for home decor, corporate events, holiday decorations, weddings and celebrations large and small.

Members will create their own designs with Laura's assistance. Please feel free to bring your own containers, flowers and greens, or use materials provided by the Club. www.lauraclaredesign.com

Do you know which plants are indigenous to our area? Dr. Sara Webb, a forest ecologist who teaches ecology, botany, and environmental sciences at Drew University, will inform us about our area's native plants, invasive plants, and the benefits of "planting native." The Director of Environmental Studies at Drew, Dr. Webb oversees the Zuck Arboretum and the Drew Forest Preserve; she has also helped formulate Drew's ecologically sensitive landscaping policies. Her major research interests include biological invasions by Norway maple and other problematic plants.

For more information about Dr. Webb, visit http://depts.drew.edu/biol/FacStaff/FacStaffPages/Webb.htm.

L.M. Townsend Catering began with a dream back in 1978 when Lucy Townsend graduated from Dartmouth College with a major in art and embarked on a career in food service, at first cutting and weighing cheeses in a gourmet shop. Lucy started her own catering business in 1989 and is now located at Templeton Hall, a banquet and catering facility in the center of charming Cooperstown, NY. Five flower arranging demonstrations will be followed by a gourmet luncheon with recipe handouts, party ideas, and lessons on life.

L.M. Townsend Catering - www.lmtownsendcatering.com

If your knowledge of mushrooms doesn’t extend beyond the white button variety, Susan Hopkins’s presentation will open your eyes to a whole new world of fungi! A lifelong resident of northern New Jersey, Susan has been studying mushrooms for more than 25 years and will share with us her breadth of wisdom, including information on the mushroom kingdom, choice edibles, deadly poisonous varieties and mushroom medicinal properties. We’ll also explore the use of mushrooms for coloring wool, and making paper, decorative wreaths and small baskets, and view examples of these creative results. Susan is an active member of the New Jersey and North American Mycological Associations and identifies mushrooms for the annual regional conventions held for the northeastern Mycological clubs. Please feel free to bring anything “fungal” that you've found growing in your area for identification.

For more information about the New Jersey Mycological Association, visit http://www.njmyco.org/index.html.

Horticulturalist David Daehnke is widely known as “The Gardening Guru,” thanks to his popular radio show on WGHT 1500 AM covering a range of gardening topics and issues. David will share with us his love of lilacs, general information on successful gardening, and expert tips for keeping your garden green and thriving using his organic, commonsense approach. David is currently the Executive Director of the Montclair Foundation and Van Vleck House and Gardens in Montclair. He will be happy to answer questions about your own garden.

For more information about David, visit his website at www.gardeningguru.org.

It seems everyone is “going organic,” so why not apply this environmentally-conscious philosophy to your own garden? A Morris County resident and Master Gardener, Nancy Critchley will share with us her vast knowledge of organic gardening. Her lecture will include choosing the right plants, growing in the sun and shade, soil analysis, fertilizing, watering, pruning, and pest management. A very practical gardener, Nancy owns her own landscaping business, Morning Glory Gardens, Inc.

Please join us to welcome Richard Blauvelt, local floral designer with over 35 years of experience in the industry. In 2008, he renovated a 155-year-old historical home and opened Flowers on the Ridge in nearby Basking Ridge. He has won numerous awards and was New Jersey State Designer of the year for three consecutive years. One of his most important and rewarding achievements was designing Christmas for the White House and the inaugurals for Presidents Clinton and Bush. Richard will discuss the changing trends of floral arrangements, and will design 5-7 arrangements for the Club to auction to the highest bidders!

Flowers on the Ridge - www.flowersontheridge.com

Gardening consultant and author Marta McDowell recently interned at the Royal Horticultural Society's Rosemoor in Devon and at the Chelsea Physics Garden in London. This working holiday gave Marta some wonderful insights into the British and their gardens. When Marta is not busy across the pond, she teaches landscape history and preservation at the New York Botanical Garden and Drew University. Marta lives in Chatham and is available for garden consulting for home gardens, historical projects and museums.

www.martamcdowell.com