The Country Garden Club, serving Cumberland, Salem, and Gloucester counties, is celebrating its 40th year of education, fellowship, and service. Monthly meetings with programs are held in the Franklin Township Community Center.
Scholarships are awarded annually to students majoring in horticulture, agriculture, or environmental sciences. Over 40 years, the club has awarded more than $60,000 to more than 100 students. Community service projects undertaken by club members include celebrating May Day by making and presenting floral arrangements to patients at a local health care facility, maintenance of the Children’s Garden at the public library as well as sponsoring childrens’ programs at the library.
At the first meeting of the garden club 40 years ago in 1984, Rowan University professor Dr. Harry Gershenowitz spoke about his research of Mary Treat, 19th century naturalist who lived and worked in Vineland. Treat was an amateur scientist and dedicated researcher and scholar who was passionate about the natural world. She was well regarded by other scientists of the day, and was a “pen pal” of Charles Darwin.
So it was only fitting that Mary Treat was the topic at last month’s luncheon commemorating the club’s founding. Deborah Boerner Ein, a local author and journalist was the guest speaker. She titled her presentation “Mary Treat and Her Wonderful World of Ants, Plants, and Spiders.” Ein’s book, Mary Treat, a Biography was published in 2022, and she highlighted Treat’s amazing life and accomplishments in the presentation.
Garden club members enjoyed a celebratory lunch, followed by the presentation and an opportunity to purchase the Mary Treat biography and a supplemental children’s book also written by Ein, Mary Had a Little Zoo. A special treat (pun intended!) were bulbs of the amaryllis discovered and named for Mary Treat (Zephyranthes treatae, pictured) that Ein had grown and brought along for to share with garden club members interested in transplanting and caring for them.
For more information about Mary Treat and Ein’s books, visit marytreat.com
Club member Janet DeMarco, left, with author Deborah Boerner Ein.
