The Norwood Evening Garden Club today announced the installation of a new slate of officers for a two-year term. Wendy Wilhelm of Westwood and Lorraine Devine of Randolph were elected Co-presidents, Tracy Firth of Walpole was elected Vice President, Julie Costello of Norwood was elected Secretary, and Penni Jenkins of Walpole was elected Treasurer.       

Ms. Wilhelm and Ms. Devine have selected their Board and say they are confident that with such a strong support team, the club will continue to be an asset to the communities it serves. The new Board of Directors includes Norwood residents: Rita Russo, Civic Beautification chair and Newsletter Editor; Donna Lane, Awards, Scholarships, Flower Shows and Publicity chair; Nancy Rando, Sunshine; Ana Puzey, Webmaster; and Mary Beth Cantell, Hospitality. Walpole residents: Susan Pearson, Membership; Penni Jenkins, Yearbook Editor and Ways & Means Overseer; and Tracy Firth, Plant-A-Row project, liaison to The Friends of Adams Farm and Plant Sale Co-chair; Westwood resident: Kathleen Pellegrini, Garden Therapy; and Dedham resident Anne Heller, Horticulture. Also assisting will be Julie Stenson of Stoughton as project lead for Art in Bloom; and Debbie & Jim Schulz of Norwood, liaisons to the Trustees of Reservations for Francis William Bird Park. Jenkins and Lane, both officers of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, will serve as liaisons to the parent organization. 

            According to Ms. Firth, the new Programs chair, the Garden Club has a great lineup of speakers scheduled for this year, including talks and demonstrations covering garden design, floral design, soil science, native alternatives to invasive plants, butterflies, birds and bees, and creating miniature landscapes.  The Club will enter the Boston and Newport Flower Shows and will continue its Plant-A-Row for the hungry campaign, as well its annual Art in Bloom event, where club members interpret the drawings of Norwood High School art students.  Most club programs and events are open to the public.

            In addition to offering a variety of interesting and educational programs, the Club will continue its significant civic beautification efforts for the towns of Norwood and Walpole. The Club’s most visible community contributions to date have been the design and care of the “Washington Street Corridor” which includes the beds in Norwood’s Guild Square, the Round in Norwood Center, the corner of Cottage and Washington streets at the Common, Hawes Pool Park in South Norwood, and the beds at the entrance of Bird Park in Walpole. This year, they will also complete the landscape plantings at Norwood’s historic George H. Morse house on Washington Street.

            Because the Club meets in the evening, it draws members from a number of towns – Norwood, Walpole, Westwood, Dedham and several others.   The 16-year-old Club is composed of novices, experts and all levels in-between.  Membership is open to anyone who loves gardening and is willing to further the Club’s goals. “Our primary objectives are to encourage interest in all phases of home gardening, and to promote sound horticultural practices, civic beauty and the conservation of natural resources,” says Ms. Devine. Ms. Wilhelm adds, “Right now, our plate is full, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our work is a labor of love and we have lots of fun doing it. We are also very proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

The Norwood Evening Garden Club has won many awards at the local, regional and national level from the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, the New England Region of Garden Clubs, National Garden Clubs, Inc., the Boston and Newport Flower Shows and the Marshfield Fair. They have also won numerous awards from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and an award of distinction from the Garden Club of America.

            For more information about becoming a member of the Norwood Evening Garden Club or to learn about upcoming club programs, contact Susan Pearson at 508-668-4039 or visit www.NorwoodEveningGardenClub.org.