Program Schedule
Meetings are typically held the first Monday of the month. In the event of a public holiday the meetings are moved to the next Monday. Meetings are held at The Woodland, 60 Woodland Ave, Maplewood, NJ, at 7:30 p.m. All meetings are free and open to the public.
September 2026
Monday, September 14, at 7:30 PM
Subject: Native (and Not So Native) Plants in Municipal Environments
Speaker: Elizabeth Payne
“Plant native plants, please!” is a frequent refrain from residents wanting input into plant installations around our municipalities. Sounds easy. The reality and practicality are very different. Oftentimes, what a homeowner can do versus what a municipality can do are vastly different. Elizabeth Payne is in her 7th season working for the South Orange DPW, balancing the many needs and wants of the community in making the town beautiful.
Biography
Elizabeth has been a lifelong gardener, learning classic garden design from her rosarian grandfather and vegetable gardening from her mother, and ultimately setting off for college intending to become a genetic engineer for plants. When that didn’t work out, she continued keeping her fingers in the dirt, building gardens in all sun and moisture conditions. In 2017, she received her Master Gardener certificate from Rutgers. Her professional experience includes working for a horticultural brokerage, selling plant starts to independent garden centers and greenhouses while staying on top of the latest breeding techniques and trends. She is a member of America in Bloom, a national organization of towns sharing information on beautification; AmericanHort, a trade association of horticulturalists; the Essex County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of NJ; and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.
October 2026
Monday, October 5, at 7:30 PM
Subject: Planting Fall, Spring and Summer Bulbs Using Containers
Speaker: Lynne Proskow
Have you heard of the “lasagna” method of planting bulbs? Make some beautiful displays and keep those pesky critters from digging them up so you get to enjoy them. Perennial bulbs planted in the fall are spring-blooming favorites like Daffodils, Crocuses, Hyacinths, Tulips and Alliums. Some summer flowering bulbs like Calla and Canna Lillies and Elephant Ears will also be discussed. This presentation does include a demonstration.
Biography
Lynne is a lifelong organic gardener, who is passionate about healthy food, healing nature through eco-restoration, composting and teaching the benefits of regenerative gardening practices.
Lynne holds a BA from UMASS in Sustainable Food Systems, holds certificates from Stockbridge School of Agriculture and Rutgers Master Gardener programs, Rutgers Environmental Stewards program, Teaching in Nature’s Classroom- (Wisconsin School Garden Network, Rooted, Life Lab), UNDP Learning for Nature Ecosystem Restoration course, and the NJ Learns Keystone Program Introduction to Education for Sustainability from the Cloud Institute. She is a member of The Society for Ecological Restoration and NOFA-NJ. She presents talks as a member of the MGBC speaker’s bureau and loves sharing her knowledge gleaned over the years with others who are also searching for answers on what they can do for their gardens, the health of their families, and the earth.
Lynne has learned that small changes and our choices matter, not just to individuals, but to our planet’s biodiversity and future generations. We can all make a positive difference every day if it is our intention to do so. She has worked with adults, seniors, youth groups and schools to help foster healthy nature connections, planting seeds in minds and hearts that foster growth.
November 2026
Monday, November 2, at 7:30 PM
Subject: Raised Bed Gardening
Speaker: Anthony Bracco
Discover what to plant in a raised garden bed, including the best vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers for healthy, high-yield growth. Raised beds can be as simple or as elaborate as you would like. The benefits of raised garden beds include better soil drainage, easy access to plants, portability, soil customization, increased soil control, and also the ability to keep weeds and pests at bay. Almost every kind of plant will grow better in it for many reasons. The soil is loose and fluffy since you aren’t walking on it. You can target the necessary amendments where they are needed. The soil will warm up faster in the spring, allowing you to plant earlier. The size and shape of the bed will make it simple to cover when cold nights threaten in the fall so you will be able to extend both ends of the growing season. You will have higher yields since you can plant intensively. Depending on the height of your bed, it will be easier to tend, reducing strain on your back and knees. Anthony will show various raised bed layout ideas and also demonstrate how to use some of the necessary hand tools.
Biography
Anthony and his family live in Cedar Grove, NJ. Seventeen years ago, he and his wife bought a 25-acre farm in the Black Dirt region of Pine Island, NY. Anthony had intended to be a hobby farmer on just an acre growing his family the cleanest produce possible using non-GMO seeds, hand cultivation of weeds, old fashioned farm equipment, picking only when ready, and without chemicals, fertilizers, irrigation, pesticides or herbicides, and allowing the soil to naturally regenerate each season. These sustainable farming techniques produced a shocking abundance of produce. After just one season, Bracco Farms was born out of the demanding momentum of the growing food movement.
December 2026
Monday, December 7, at 7:30 PM
Subject: Garden-Inspired Holiday Flowers
Speaker: Erin Williams
Join Erin Williams, founder of Gathered from the Garden, for a holiday floral demonstration showcasing her signature garden-inspired approach to arranging flowers. Erin will create a seasonal arrangement from start to finish while sharing practical tips for selecting flowers, creating movement, and designing arrangements that feel natural, abundant, and approachable. Along the way, she’ll demonstrate techniques attendees can use with flowers from their own gardens when the growing season returns, as well as blooms from the grocery store or local flower market. Finished arrangement(s) will be raffled off at the end of the evening.
Biography
Erin created Gathered from the Garden, where she teaches approachable, garden-inspired floral design through demonstrations, workshops, and private in-home sessions. She is a graduate of both the Floret Flower Arranging Workshop and Floret Flower Farming Workshop and loves helping people discover the joy and confidence that comes from creating with flowers.
January 2027
Monday, January 4, at 7:30 PM
Subject: Intertwined Branches: Genomic Insights into the Past, Present, and Future Evolution of Oaks
Speaker: Gabriel Ribicoff
How did oaks emerge from Eocene obscurity over 55 million years ago to dominate the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate forests? Within the past two decades, expanded genome sequencing has cracked open the saga of continental dispersals, hybridization events, and ice age migrations that influenced oaks’ ecological success today. Learn about the ways that scientists use genetic data to resolve evolutionary uncertainties, predict future vulnerabilities to climate change, and even assist oak conservation efforts.
Biography
Gabe graduated from the University of Chicago in 2024 with a BS in Biological Sciences (Ecology & Evolution). Through his work in labs at the Field Museum and Morton Arboretum, he has researched and published on the evolutionary genetics of eastern North American white oak species, amongst other plant groups. Gabe currently manages the Master Gardener Program of Bergen County through Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
February 2027
Monday, February 1, at 7:30 PM
Subject: Cacao, The Chocolate Tree
Speaker: Michelle Tomaino
Michelle Tomaino will guide us through the history of the rainforest, the secret of the Aztecs and the gift from the gods: Chocolate. Michelle, a biologist with roots in Costa Rica, will impart her experiences from the jungle and teach us about the botanical life cycle of cacao from seed, to butter, to bar. A guided show and tell with tasting.
Biography
Michelle graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Biology and a Masters in Secondary Science Education. She taught at The Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation in Bocas del Toro, Panama and in Costa Rica, and currently teaches Biological Sciences at Holy Cross School.
A Certified Master Gardener, Eileen is presently on her way to achieving Eastern Apiculture Society (EAS) Master Beekeeping Certification. Her practical experience includes raising queen bees and nucleus hives, rural farmland beekeeping and commercial apiary inspections. Eileen is also familiar with urban rooftop beekeeping at several locations including the Liberty Science Center.
March 2027
Monday, March 1, at 7:30 PM
Subject: History in the Leaves: Field Clues to Land Use History
Speaker: Jared Rosenbaum
The plant species we find in wild areas often provide clues to prior human land use. Sometimes plants communicate as much about recent history as they do about “natural” conditions like soil or aspect. Understanding the history of a site can provide valuable direction to our approaches as restoration practitioners and landscape designers. How can we decipher clues to prior land use as we work in the field? Join Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner Jared Rosenbaum of Wild Ridge Plants as he describes methods for interpreting the history of natural sites, including pasture trees, signs of logging, high quality remnants, the use of aerial imagery, Floristic Quality Assessment/PSI and more.
Biography
Jared is a botanist, native plant grower, and Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner. He is a founding partner at Wild Ridge Plants LLC, a business that grows local ecotype native plants using sustainable practices and performs botanical surveys. Jared is the author of the book Wild Plant Culture: A Guide to Restoring Native Edible and Medicinal Plant Communities, as well as the children’s book The Puddle Garden, about native plants and wildlife.
April 2027
Monday, April 5, at 7:30 PM
Subject: 90th Annual Plant Sale
Speaker: MGC Plant Sale Committee
Get some behind-the-scenes glimpses of New Jersey’s “Big Momma of Plant Sales” and learn what makes the sale so popular and so much fun. We’ll also preview some of the many (many!) perennials, annuals, herbs and other special and unique plants that draw shoppers from all over the region and beyond.
May 2027
Monday, May 3, at 7:30 PM
Subject: Hydrangeas: Everything You Need to Know About America’s Favorite Shrub
Speakers: Karen Fricke
No matter what type of garden you may have, you have probably planted at least one hydrangea in it. Hydrangeas are, in fact, the bestselling shrub in North American nurseries. But they can also be one of the most confusing. What kind of hydrangea you have determines when to prune—or if to prune at all—and how to prune. And even if you do everything right, there will inevitably come a summer when you will have few blossoms, and wonder, “Why isn’t my hydrangea blooming?” Master Gardener Karen Fricke will help answer these questions, and more, about America’s favorite shrub.
Biography
Karen was born on a farm in Pawnee, Illinois, so she was playing in the dirt before she could walk. Her love of gardening led her to Montgomery County Master Gardeners, where she received her training through the University of Maryland, graduating in 2014. For several years she worked at a plant nursery, leading their classes and workshops. After moving to New Jersey in 2022, she
transferred to the Essex County Master Gardeners. Throughout her years at Master Gardener plant clinics and working at the plant nursery, the most common question she heard was, “Why aren’t my hydrangeas blooming?”