Projects

Scholarships

The Awards Committee is responsible for writing and submitting applications for FFGC Awards. The committee also determines the criteria required for the High School Garden Club Scholarship. The applications from High School Seniors are reviewed and a recipient is selected. The committee sends information to area elementary schools about the Smokey Bear Poster contest. Students create the posters and they are sent to the State for judging.

Scholarship Winners

Grace Markell has been selected as the $1500 recipient of the Annual New Smyrna Beach Garden Club Scholarship. She has been active with the High School Yearbook (Editor) and Science Olympiad. She has been a volunteer at the Marine Discovery Center and an intern with the Wild Dolphin Project and the Teen Aquarium Advisory Group. She has a 4.2 GPA and ranks 38 out of 420 in her Senior Class. Her Father instilled in her a love of the ocean as a young child. Grace will attend Florida Gulf Coast University in the Fall majoring in Marine Science with a minor in Journalism.

Bailey Edwards has been selected to receive the $500 FFA Scholarship. With a GPA of 4.2, she ranks 39 out of 420 in her class, and is dual enrolled at Daytona State College. She has been active in AVID, National Honor Society, Student Government, International Club, and FFA. She has also volunteered with Relay for Life and the annual Christmas Parade, and entertained Senior Citizens with songs and stories. Bailey has always been drawn to agriculture and will attend Louisiana State University in the Fall to pursue a degree in Agribusiness.

Hopefully we will meet these two women at one of our fall meetings.

Community Garden

In 2016 our garden club partnered with the City of New Smyrna Beach to create their first community garden. For a year we researched, visited community gardens, met with local organizations, polled residents, investigated materials, developed a budget, created a garden design and presented our plan to the City Council. The City agreed to pay for the building of the garden on city property located at 505 Mary Avenue. The opening of Phase One of the garden was September 2017. Phase Two was completed in 2018. There are now 36 raised beds, four of which are elevated to accommodate handicapped gardeners. A bed is rented for $15.00 per growing season. Our club members provided two eight-session seminars free to the public on how and what vegetables to grow at different seasons in Central Florida. All educational materials were free for those attending. For our club’s participation in this project we were awarded by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and the Deep South District of the National Garden Club. We are very proud to have contributed to this important community project that will produce organic vegetables and friendships through people working together.

Habitat for Humanity

In order to help families garden and maintain their yards at their new Habitat home a club committee member attends the official dedication of the home and gives them a gift from the New Smyrna Beach Garden Club.

Hospital Floral Design

Every month volunteers provide “everlasting” floral arrangements for the AdventHealth Center for Oncology waiting room. Designs are created with materials that are either artificial or dried in nature and are placed in the waiting room on a table with our club nameplate.

Patients and their families greatly appreciate the little display of warmth and color in an otherwise mundane environment.

Wekiva Youth Camp

WEKIVA YOUTH CAMP

Due to Covid, Camp Wekiva was closed to campers in 2020, however in 2021 the NSBGC sponsored five (5) campers.

This year marks the 46th year for the FFGC Wekiva Youth Camp. The camp will be full this summer with over 100 campers arriving weekly for 6 weeks. The campers are met and led by over 150 experienced staff, counselers, and volunteers. Their days are filled with environmental study in nature and craft sessions, recreation, swimming, and fun. The purpose is to instill a love and respect for the conservation and protection of our environment. Wekiva Youth Camp sponsors campers 3rd – 8th grade.

For further information go to wekivayouthcamp.org. Registration for next year can be made online after January 1st 2021. You may also contact Linda Petersen at 563-209-6903 if you have questions on registration.

Seek

Scholarships are offered through the NSBGC to help cover the $300 cost. SEEK was closed in 2020 due to Covid, but in 2021 NSBGC arranged for four (4) campers to attend.

Save the Earth’s Environment Through Knowledge (SEEK) is an annual environmental conference sponsored by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. It is open to students entering grades 10-12. Students explore current environmental issues and job opportunities during a 3-night/4-day visit. There are guest lecturers and numerous hands-on opportunities. Past locations have included Ocala Silver Springs, Crystal River Marine Science Center, and Chinsegut Conservation Camp.

Scholarships are offered through the NSBGC to help cover the $300 cost. Go to ffgc.org for more information.

Club Operations

Education

National Garden Club Schools

The New Smyrna Beach Garden Club has offered the National Garden Club, Inc., Landscape School and the Gardening School over the past several years availing our members and many others of the NGC curricula.

We are presently offering the Environmental School
3 to be held January 28 & 29, 2020, at New Smyrna Beach Garden Club. The theme is Environment–Air. Click the button at left for the Registration Form.

The courses can be taken in any order, so if you missed Course 2, you can pick it up later. It is an opportunity for our members and others to learn about what is happening to our world and what we can do to preserve it. Many talented instructors give the classes. The lectures are most informative and we have had much positive feedback from attendees and look forward to more people availing of this opportunity.

Floral Design

As members of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, District VI, and the National Garden Clubs, our members participate in regional and national flower shows and our club takes its turn hosting them. Several of our members have earned Judge credentials and guide other members in the art of floral design.

Fun with Flowers

Every month or so, we hold flower arranging workshops. The object of the group is to learn but have fun in doing so. We started out with the basic types of arrangements, vertical, horizontal, crescent, etc., and in particular did designs that could be used in the home for various celebratory occasions. The class usually starts with a demo of what is to be accomplished and then individuals work independently using their own creativity to complete a design resembling the demo.

Each person brings their own container and plant materials but there is great sharing among the attendees of plant materials either bought or from their own gardens. We talk about the designs and our Club Historian Sandy Maynard takes pictures of the designs on completion. We hope to continue these get-togethers over the coming Garden Club year 2019-2020. The first group meeting is scheduled for Nov 18, 2019 and all Garden Club members are welcome to come and participate or just observe.

Garden Warriors

If you want to get outside and make new friends, join the Garden Club GARDEN WARRIORS !! We meet on Thursday mornings to trim, prune, plant and of course, weed the Club Grounds. It is lots of fun. For more information and our schedule, please text Merl Pelletier at: 908 612-6123.