Services

PROGRAMS

Theme: “Embracing Our Environment”

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be held at the

East Side Congregational, U.C.C., 284 Robinson St., Binghamton NY (607) 722-1017. Note: Please use the driveway entrance between the church and parsonage. Also at this entrance is an automatic stair chair and handicap ramp. Please park on Robinson St. Doing our part to be environmentally conscious, please bring, if you are able, your own mug for coffee or tea to all meetings.

Binghamton Garden Club programs include learning the latest techniques in gardening, the versatility on growing herbs, Camellia’s and wildflowers. Learn more about the disappearance of our pollinators, all you every wanted to know about dragonflies and damselflies. The importance of how climate change is affecting our state, and what impact a gas pipe line would have on our environment. To top it off, discover how “Silvia’s Kids”, our college graduates, are protecting the environment in America and feeding the hungry in Africa.

April 7 - Thursday-Spring LuncheonTime: 10:30 am Board Meeting - 12 noon Luncheon and Program

Place: The P.S. Restaurant, 100 Rano Blvd., Vestal, NY (607) 770-0056

Speaker: Sandra Cardone is an amateur gardener, and Camellia enthusiast. Topic: “Camellias: Flowers in Winter”

Reports: Yearbooks, Audit, World Gardening, Arbor Day

May 5 Thursday - Time: 10:30 am Board Meeting - 1:00 pm General Meeting

Speaker: Mary Ann Cuff - Topic: Becoming a Wildflower Enthusiast

Mary Ann will discuss her love of wildflowers, and through the use of digital slides, she will show how she encourages others to become wildflower enthusiasts.

Reports: Civic Beautification, Drupa Scholarship

June 2 Thursday - Time: 10:30 am Board Meeting - 1:00 pm General Meeting

Topic:“A Drupa Scholarship Winners Meet & Greet”

Join us as we welcome “Silvia’s Kids”, our Drupa Scholarship winners past and present, and hear what exciting work they are involved in.

Reports: Healing Gardens, Garden Therapy, Binghamton Zoo,

July 7 Thursday - Location: Otsiningo Park - Time: 12:00 pm

Topic: Come and enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow garden clubbers at our annual picnic. Binghamton Garden Club member, Carl Letson, will offer a brief talk on the proposed Constitution natural gas line installation, and its impact on the local environment. The Constitution has become a major battle for environmental groups that oppose natural gas infrastructure, and who see the project as a way to increase New York’s dependence on fossil fuels at a time when more renewable energy sources are being encouraged.

Please bring a dish to pass and your own table service. Drinks provided.

Reports: Civic Beautification, Seasonal Creations

Aug. 4 Thursday - Summer Luncheon -Time: 10:30 a.m. Board Meeting - 12:00 noon Luncheon

Place: Afton River Club 1 Maple St., Afton, NY (607) 639-3060 - Speaker: Ed Kuhlman President of Tioga Gardens, Inc. Topic: “Disappearing Pollinators”

Through the use of digital slides, Ed will talk about the quickly disappearing pollinators in our gardens.

Reports: New York State Fair, Finch Hollow

Sept. 1 Thursday - Time: 10:30 am Board Meeting - 1:00 pm General Meeting

Speaker: Elaine Gregory; Master Gardener, and Cutler Botanic Herb Garden leader. Topic: “The Versatile Herb Garden”

Elaine will talk and demonstrate the versatility of the herbs we can grow in our gardens or in containers. She makes many of her own herbal products.

Reports: Nature Conservancy, Waterman Center

Oct. 6 Thursday - Time: 10:30 am Board Meeting - 1:00 pm General Meeting

Speaker: Thomas (Nick) Donnelly. A retired SUNY Professor of Geology, with extensive travel in Central & S. America

Topic: “Dragonflies & Damselflies – Lighting up Fresh Waters”. Talk with Power Point presentation.

Reports: Nominating, Budget

Nov. 3 Thursday - Time: 10:30am Board Meeting - 1:00pm General Meeting

Speaker: Anthony (Tony) Antes, Master Gardener - Topic “Climate Change in New York State” Tony will present an update on his presentation in 2014. What is

happening to our climate? What, or who, is causing it? What can we or have we done about it? What will a garden look like in 2050? These questions and more

will be addressed in this thoroughly researched presentation.

Reports: Presentation of the Slate of Officers, Budget Roberson Tree Decorating

Dec. 1 Thursday – Holiday Luncheon - Time: 10:30am Board Meeting (Upper Atrium) - 12:00 noon Luncheon and Program - Place: Holiday Inn Binghamton, 2-8 Hawley St., Binghamton, NY (607) 722-1212

NOTE:

Program: Installation of 2017 Officers

For the 2016 - 2018 Year, the Study Chairs are:

HORTICULTURE STUDY Chair, Elaine Gregory 775-0952

NATURE STUDY Chair - Frank Kirk -

SEASONAL CREATIONS Co-Chairs - Rosalie Spencer - 729-2329 & Dianna Dudar - 722-8375

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be held at the East Side Congregational, U.C.C., 284 Robinson St., Binghamton NY (607) 722-1017. Note: Please use the driveway entrance between the church and parsonage. Also at this entrance is an automatic stair chair and handicap ramp. Please park on Robinson St. Doing our part to be environmentally conscious, please bring, if you are able, your own mug for coffee or tea to all meetings.

PROGRAMS - Theme: “In Full Bloom”

Co-Chairs - Linda Vick 607-766-1122; Sybille Sullivan 607-723-7108

NOTE: If meeting at the East Side Congregational, U.C.C., 284 Robinson St., Binghamton NY then please use the driveway entrance between the church and parsonage. Also at this entrance is an automatic stair chair and handicap ramp. Please park on Robinson St. Doing our part to be environmentally conscious, please bring, if you are able, your own mug for coffee or tea to all meetings.

All Board Meetings will be held at the church, except when tied to a luncheon.

SEASONAL CREATIONS STUDY GROUP 2023 Chair - Cheryl Miller – 607-759-1112

GOAL: To sharpen our flower arranging skills, and to encourage creativity while providing attractive creations for garden club functions, and/or those homebound.

HORTICULTURE STUDY GROUP 2023 Chair - Joanne Arnold 607-723-2799

GOAL: To enhance the knowledge of members in horticulture through workshops, garden tours, and demonstrations.

NATURE STUDY GROUP 2023 - Chairs - Linda Vick 607-766-1122; Nancy Oakley 607-743-3022

GOAL: To provide opportunities for members to experience and conserve the natural world, its plants and critters.

Program - May 4 Thursday 10:30 am Board Meeting; 1:00 pm General Meeting

Speaker: Carol Bradford, Garden Writer

Topic: “Gardens of the Netherlands” Carol Bradford is a Syracuse, NY area Garden Writer who has written twice weekly column in the Syracuse Post Standard. Carol will share photos and tales of her travels through the gardens of the Netherlands.

Horticulture - May 10 Agricultural Education Prog./Major at Windsor HS

Wed 10:30am Windsor High School - We will visit the agricultural program at Windsor HS and tour the classroom of certified AG-Educator Tina James, followed by a walk to the 7-acre Land Lab, where the magic happens. Students use the Land Lab to get hands-on experience applying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math or “STEM”. It is available to all grade levels. K-12.

The Land Lab currently includes open fields for planting, hoop houses, a pole barn with produce washing stations, and more. Many of the crops grown there are used in the district’s food service operations. A major initiative of the Land Lab has been to create a mini food-hub to help supply Broome-Tioga BOCES with produce for other districts that contract with BOCES for their food service operations.

Wear proper footwear for the weather. The land lab is across the road from the school.

Seasonal Creations - May 17 Wed – Grapevine Wreaths Time: 10 am

Where: Otsiningo Park. We will assemble grapevine wreaths or spheres to take home to adorn for Spring decorating.

Program - June 1 Thursday 10:30 am Board Meeting; 1:00 pm General Meeting

Topic:

“A Drupa Scholarship Winner’s Meet & Greet”. Our annual meeting with the accomplished young men

and women we have encouraged through our Drupa Scholarship program provided by the estate of Laimons and Silvia Drupa. The students will share their accomplishments over the past year. We are delighted to partake in their educational experiences.

Seasonal Creations - June 14 Wed – Pressed Flowers Time: 10 am

Where: At the church. We will learn how to press flowers using a flower press or a heavy book. Basic instructions and supply list will be sent prior to the meeting.

Horticulture - June 28 Cornell University Botanic Gardens Wed 9:50am

Meet: Carpool leaves Cracker Barrel parking lot, Upper Front St. at 9:50am. The tour is at 11am

An hour guided tour of Cornell Botanic Gardens in all its summer glory. Highlights will include a variety of specialty gardens, history & important connections between plants and human cultures.

BGC will subsidize carpool drivers, with passengers, for parking fee and gas. We will picnic after the tour before heading home. Pack a lunch! Website: https://cornellbotanicgardens.org.

Nature Study - July 5 Ross Park Zoo Wed 10 AM

We will have a guided tour of the wildflower gardens at the Ross Park Zoo. While we are there, we can pick the next animal we would like the garden club to sponsor.

Program - Aug. 10 Thursday – Annual Summer Picnic 12:00 Noon Otsiningo Park – North Picnic Shelter

Relax and enjoy the company of your fellow Garden Club members in the great outdoors.

We will follow all County Park shelter COVID protocols if any are in place at this time.

Please bring your own picnic lunch, beverage and table service.

Horticulture - Aug 16 Foraying for Mushrooms Wed 1pm East Side Congregational Church, 284 Robinson St., Binghamton, NY Presenting: Susquehanna Valley Mycological Society www.svmsonline.org

Join members of the Susquehanna Valley Mycological Society, as they present a program on foraying for mushrooms. Learn what a “foray” is. Learn where and when to look for mushrooms and how they are gathered. Specimens will be displayed.

Program - Sept. 7 Thursday (PLEASE NOTE: MEETING TIME) 2:30 pm Board Meeting at the church.

4:00 pm General Meeting at the Broome Agricultural Development Center -Taste of NY (meeting room) 840 Upper Front St., Binghamton, NY

Speaker: Matt Young - Founder/President of NOCN (Native Orchid Conservation Network)

Topic: “Native Orchids in New York State” Learn about native wild orchids and where to find them. Matt will talk about the many species you can find in nature especially the Fragrant Ladies’ Tresses, which he has researched and published a paper on. He will tell us about NOCN, a newly formed organization that monitor’s, studies, and preserves native orchid populations in NY, and adjacent states.

Nature Study - Sept 13 Lunch and Learn Wed NOON We will meet at Otsiningo Park for a “Lunch and Learn”. Bring a brown bag lunch and learn about local wildlife from a Finch Hollow Nature Center educator while you dine.

Seasonal Creations - Sept 20 Wed – Pressed Flower Cards, 10 am At the church. We will use our pressed flowers to make greeting cards for our home bound members and our own personal use.

Program - Oct. 5 Thursday 10:30 am Board Meeting at the church; 1:00 pm General Meeting

Speaker: Abigail Sedlack of Ravenwood Gardens

Topic: “Herbs and Using Them in Whole Body Health” Abigail is a local herbalist who grows her own herbs and puts them to good use! Did you know weeds can also be used to improve your health? She will show us how to take these plants and make them into tonics that can be used to heal the whole body.

Horticulture - Oct 11 Living a Plant Based Life , Wed 11am Parlor City Vegan Restaurant, 81 Clinton St.

Restauranteur Sara Liu will share what a vegan lifestyle is. Stay for a plant based lunch when Parlor City Vegan opens at at noon. Parking is on Clinton St. (Boys & Girls Club side) & Titchener Ave.

Seasonal Creations - Oct 18 Wed – Create decorations for our holiday tree at the Roberson Museum.

10 AM, At the church. We will be creating handmade ornaments for our holiday tree at the, “Home for the Holidays” to display in the Roberson Museum. Pine trees will be decorated by local groups and in traditions from around the world in the “International Forest” and throughout the museum itself.

Program - Nov. 2 Thursday 10:30 am Board Meeting; 1:00 pm General Meeting

Speakers: Bernice Lewis – Nature Photographer

Topic “Flowers From Around the World”. Bernie has taken her camera all over the world, from Norway to Antarctica, out west, Canada, and the Galapagos Islands. She will show us some of the beautiful flowers she has encountered in her travels, as well as some animals and nature shots. Come travel

nature’s beauty through her eyes!

Seasonal Creations - Nov 8 Wed – Tree Decorating 10 am at The Roberson Museum and Science Center 30 Front St., Binghamton, NY. Join us to help decorate our holiday tree at the Roberson Museum Visitors Center.

Nature Study - Nov 15 Recycling and Composting Wed 1 PM ‘Throw away’ everything you thought you knew about the Broome County Landfill. We will meet at the church and get all the ‘dirt’ from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Broome County Recycling and Composting Educator.

Program - Dec. 7 Thursday – Holiday Luncheon 10:30 am Board Meeting at restaurant; 12:00 noon Luncheon

Program: Installation of 2024 Officers. Place: Kampai Japanese Steakhouse 108 N. Jensen Rd., Vestal, NY 13850

NOTE: (reservation form on pg. 51 of your 2023 Yearbook)