It has been reported by garden club members in NJ, that they have received packets of seeds in the mail from China that were not ordered. Some packages are even labeled as jewelry. Please be aware that these unsolicited seeds are potentially hazardous.

– DO NOT open the packets.
– DO NOT plant the seeds.
– DO NOT throw away.

KEEP the packet sealed and notify the New Jersey Dept of Agriculture (NJDA) right away. You will receive instructions as to what to do next.
Additionally, please take a photo of the package / seed packet and contact the NJDA at joseph.zoltowski@ag.nj.gov and USDA SITC at SITC.Mail@aphis.usda.gov.

According to the websites of the NJ Dept of Agriculture, the US Dept of Agriculture, and a recent article in The New York Times, this is a troubling problem nationwide. These suspicious seeds could introduce pests and disease, be invasive plants or harmful to plants, wildlife and livestock.
Click Here for additional information.

The GCNJ Symposium planned for October 14-15, 2020 has been canceled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. It will be rescheduled for the Fall of 2021 with a specific date to be determined. Information will be posted on this website when further information is available. Thank you.

Dear GCNJ Members:
Due to the devastating COVID-19 global pandemic, we want to list the following cancelations and reassure our club members that we are united in our commitment to providing education, resources and opportunities for adults and youth for all our citizens to expand the love of gardening and floral design and encourage participation in civic, environmental and historic preservation projects to protect the past for the future.

United, we will weather this calamity that has gripped the world, follow strict measures of safe distancing so that we can get back to the new normal as soon as safely possible. Our government’s restrictions are everchanging as they seek to quell the spread of this horrific virus, so we will be canceling or holding virtual Zoom meetings, workshops, schools and conferences. The following is the current schedule as of July, 2020:

1. All meetings to have been held at Holly House, GCNJ Headquarters, Rutgers Gardens for the rest of the calendar year of 2020 and until further notice, will be held via Zoom meetings from the safety of our homes.
2. Flower Show School, Course IV to be held September 16th & 17th, 2020 at Holly House has been canceled. Both FSS Courses III & IV will be rescheduled in future.
3. NGC’s Fall Board Meeting to be held in Fargo, North Dakota on September 24th, and 25th has been canceled.
4. GCNJ District Meetings will be rescheduled via Zoom meetings TBA.
5. District Flower Shows scheduled for September, 2020 have been postponed, details to follow.
6. Garden Study School to be held at Holly House on October 6th, 7th & 8th, 2020 will be held via Virtual Zoom with details to follow.
7. Judges Council Meetings will be held via Zoom meetings, details to follow.
8. Flower Show Symposium to be held at the Holiday Inn in East Windsor on October 14th , 15th and 16th has been postponed until the Fall of 2021.
9. Central Atlantic Region-SGC Conference at Dover Downs, Delaware scheduled for October 19th, and 20th has been canceled.
10. The Garden Club of New Jersey’s Fall Conference and Presidents Day at the Bridgewater Marriott to be held at the Bridgewater Marriott has been canceled and a Virtual Zoom Meeting will take place in late Fall, details to follow.

Please know that we are working hard to provide upcoming workshops so our member clubs feel comfortable conducting Virtual meetings and our Speakers List has been updated to include Speakers who have adapted to the new normal and are able to present Virtual workshops from the safety of our homes. Our new website will be continually updated to give the latest information on a wide range of gardening topics. We will be working to advocate for important environmental legislation under the Environment with current updates on key environmental legislation posted by our Environmental Chair, Beverly Kazickas. Beverly will provide instructions on reaching out to your local legislator/s on legislation that has lasting implications for our pollinators, wildlife, our health and wellbeing for us and for future generations.

Happy Gardening!

Jeannie Geremia, GCNJ President

As the interim membership chair, I wanted to let you know that GCNJ has changed the way they keep their membership information. The new procedures are in a viewable PDF HERE. For a downloadable, writable document, that you can fill in, CLICK HERE. Please fill it out and then email it back to me. The first sheet can be mailed with your dues check. Any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me.

Ellen Preissler
GCNJ Membership Chair