The Mount Laurel Garden Club (MLGC) held its 62nd anniversary luncheon at the Tavistock Country Club in Haddonfield on June 23, with members and attendees honoring the club’s two scholarship recipients, Lenape High School graduates Gabrielle Ferraro and Christian O’Neill.
The MLGC committee annually awards scholarship money to a graduating senior who lives in Mount Laurel. Qualified applicants must complete/request and submit the following to their high-school guidance counselors: an application form; an essay; a current transcript of grades and class rank; and a letter of recommendation from a high-school teacher, guidance counselor or principal.
A student may get a preference if pursuing future studies in one of the following: horticulture, landscape design, botany, environmental studies, Agronomy, plant pathology/biology, land management or another related field of study.
Ferraro was introduced to the MLGC in eighth grade through her volunteerism at the township’s Masonville-Rancocas United Methodist Church, where she met a woman who told her about the club and its scholarship program. She was involved with clubs at Lenape, but gardening is something to which she’s always taken a liking.
Ferraro will enter the University of Central Florida this fall to study psychology.
“I’ve always helped my dad with gardening and landscaping growing up,” she noted. “So it’s always been fun.”
O’Neill will attend the University of South Carolina for an undeclared major. He once worked at Johnson’s Corner Farm in Medford tending to tomatoes and flowers, but his connection to gardening is through the grandfather he visited regularly.
“When I was at his house,” O’Neill recalled, “we would go to his garden and we would plant strawberries. That was our thing. I started off with strawberries and as we got older, we would plant tomatoes and carrots, stuff like that and it really spiked an interest.”
Several of the MLGC’s outgoing and incoming officers were recognized for their service at the luncheon, co-chaired by members Susanna DeNight and Sue Hughson. Shirley Chirico, DeNight, Barbara Higgins, Eileen McSparran and Gloria Stevens received gifts for their long-time membership, and McSparran was this year’s recipient of the Perennial Bloom Award, a recognition given to a long-term, dedicated member of the club who has provided continuous support, leadership and inspiration.
“It honors individuals whose contributions, often through years of service, as officers, event coordinators or simply as a dependable presence, have helped nurture the growth and success of their garden club and activities,” stated MLGC member Carol Colonna.
“The award is named for the faithful perennials in your garden, symbolizing enduring presence and consistent contributions.”
The MLGC, founded more than 50 years ago, continues to serve the community. The nonprofit’s annual fundraiser will be held at the Indian Springs Country Club in Marlton on Monday, Nov. 9. All proceeds will go to the club’s scholarship program and the planting and maintenance of gardens at several local venues, such as the Alice Paul Center for Gender Justice in the township.
Visit the MLGC’s website or Facebook page for updates on future events.
Lenape High School alumni Gabrielle Ferraro and Christian O’Neill were this year’s recipients of the Mount Laurel Garden Club scholarship program.
