Anne Bucher, this year’s new president of Countryside Gardeners, is bringing fresh enthusiasm to the long-standing garden club that has been thriving since 1933. Anne has been a member for two years and is excited to take on this leadership role. "I want to maintain the traditions of this garden club that have worked well," she said, "and I’d like to continue to promote floral design and flower shows.”
The club, which traditionally takes a break from meetings in January and February, saw a change this year under Anne’s leadership. "I thought the stretch from December to March was too long, so I held a floral workshop in February," she explained. This workshop aimed to build confidence among members, particularly newer ones, in creating floral arrangements. "In November, we had a florist come in for a hands-on workshop, but I was concerned that some members might not feel confident enough to do it on their own. So, in February, we gathered materials and worked together, with experienced members helping newer ones. The idea was to encourage practice so that members felt more comfortable creating arrangements for our monthly mini flower shows taking place at each of our meetings."
March marked the return of the club’s regular meetings, which are usually held on the first Monday of the month, except during this month when it coincides with the Philadelphia Flower Show. "In the past, we’ve had members compete in the show, and Lee Gittens, one of our longtime members since 1986, is now a judge at this prestigious flower show," Anne noted.
With spring here, exciting events are being planned. "In June, we’re going on a garden tour of Chanticleer in Wayne, a favorite among our members," Anne shared. "It’s a 90-minute guided tour of the house and gardens. We usually have at least one garden tour each year."
September will bring another floral workshop, this time given by the owners of Newtown Floral Company. "Last year, almost every member attended the November floral class; it was that popular," Anne said.
The club’s annual fundraiser in October at Newtown Market Day is a major event. "We make and sell floral arrangements throughout the day.”
Also in October, veteran club members will demonstrate how to create Williamsburg-style holiday decorations to newer members, a skill they put to use each December when decorating the Court Inn in Newtown Borough for its holiday house tour. "We get all our members together to work on these traditional colonial decorations, so we thought a class beforehand would help everyone prepare."
Anne is particularly excited about a special guest speaker in November. "Carl Vivaldi will share his experience as a volunteer decorator for the White House Christmas celebrations. You have to write a letter to be considered, and he’s done it twice! He’ll show us pictures, explain the process, and even create a holiday centerpiece to give us some creative tips."
Membership in Countryside Gardeners requires more than just attending meetings. "If you’re interested in joining, we’d love to have you, but we ask for advance notice before attending a meeting," Anne emphasized. Participation in club activities is also expected. "Being a member means helping out; whether it’s at Market Day, decorating the Court Inn, or maintaining the garden behind it. Every member plays a role in keeping the club active and engaged. That’s how you meet people and form friendships, by doing things together."
Anne herself discovered the club through Market Day. "I saw the garden club members making floral arrangements and thought, 'When I retire, I’m going to join that club.' And that’s what I did. When you retire, you lose those daily workplace connections, and I wondered how I’d meet people. Now, I feel part of the community and have made great friends."
With spring upon us, Anne encourages gardeners to begin preparing their flower beds and consider native plants. "Native plants are great for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve is a fantastic place to find native plants and get expert advice." The club recently hosted a speaker who discussed the benefits of native plants over invasive species. "Some common garden center plants can be very aggressive and take over your garden, squeezing out native plants. For example, instead of forsythia, which isn’t native, try Black-Eyed Susans. Butterflies and birds rely on native plants for food and shelter."
Beyond gardening and floral design, the club offers a creative outlet and social connections. "We’ve even made oyster trees, a Williamsburg colonial tradition, by gluing oyster shells together in the shape of Christmas trees,” described Anne. “It’s a fun craft that members enjoy."
The club also has a strong partnership with the Newtown Historic Association (NHA). "They let us use the Court Inn for meetings and provide us with a table at Market Day, and in return, we maintain their gardens and decorate the Inn for the holidays. Five garden club members are also NHA members. It’s a great relationship."
Most members come from the Council Rock School District area, particularly from Newtown and Northampton townships. "They see us in Newtown at local events and want to join us, making it a great way to stay active and meet people living in their community," Anne said.
For more information about joining Countryside Gardeners, contact countrysidegardenersclub@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/countrysidegardeners/.
