The Cazenovia Garden Club has been a community staple for many years. Comprised entirely of volunteers and led by club President, Glenda Pugh they work behind the scenes to beautify the community.
Each spring we see the group filtering into downtown Cazenovia with loads of brightly colored flowers set to beautify the town. Again we spot them in early winter hanging the garland across shop windows and door frames to welcome in winter with style.
Before meeting some of the members of the Garden Club, we imagined that this beautification effort happened purely by magic! Boy were we wrong! We can now confidently tell you that keeping this community in tip top shape takes a great deal of effort! In addition to the physicality of planting, pruning, mulching and more -- there is the issue of funds. Did you know that funding for the garden club comes from a few community fundraisers (yes, the annual plant sale!), private donations, and from the support of local municipalities.
Sadly, with plant prices rising, it has been difficult to keep the community beautified with a dwindling budget. And with winter coming up -- the dusty garlands and wreaths that line the downtown are badly in need of upgrades.
But, with the help of us all -- we can solve this problem easily. We have created a GoFundMe page for their organization and we hope you will consider contributing. Click here to help our efforts -- the club will surely appreciate your support and there will be benefits to the whole community going forward!
Click Here To Donate!
Or, would you prefer to contribute in other ways? Great! The Garden Club could use your help there too! The next community event will be when the Garden Club takes to the streets to help hang garland and wreaths. This event is not only fun -- but creates so much excitement for the season to come! So join in! Whether you can hop up on a ladder to hang wreaths or prefer the stability of the ground -- we would love you to join! Lots of laughs are had while untangling garland from storage with your fellow community members. And the biggest reward -- seeing it all complete! To learn more about getting involved to help, email Kerstin McKay at kerstin_mckay@yahoo.com
See Below For Everything The Garden Club Does...
Annual Donations - Makes an annual donation to the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, Cazenovia Public Library, and the Lorenzo State Historic Site.
Carpenter's Barn - Provides and maintains plants in the window boxes for summer and winter.
CAVAC - Provides and maintains annual plants in containers.
Caz Cares - Donates pantry items at monthly meetings and additional gifts at Christmas.
Cazenovia Public Library - Plants and maintains gardens in the back of the library, including foundation plantings and Memorial Gardens.
Cazenovia Village Apartments - Provides Christmas table centerpieces for the senior housing community room.
Gothic Cottage - Provides three hanging baskets and annuals for the planters.
Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce - The Garden Club is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Holiday Decorations - Provides lighted wreaths on lampposts. throughout the Historic Business District, decorates hayracks and window boxes and coordinates with village to hang garland on storefronts and the Village Fountain.
Lakeland Park - Provides and maintains plantings in gardens within the park.
Lorenzo Historic Site - Provides annual plantings at the entrance and exit.
Post Office - Provides and maintains annual and perennial plantings.
Route 20 Rest Stop - Coordinates clean-up of the NYS parking area at the south end of Cazenovia Lake in the spring.
Scholarship - Provides an annual scholarship to a Cazenovia High School senior to study horticulture.
Tree Planting- Supports the Cazenovia Tree Commission.
Veterans Baseball Field - Plants and maintains a garden at the ball field on Chenango Street.
Village Beautification - Provides and maintains annual plantings in hanging baskets, planters and window boxes throughout the Village.
Village Fountain - Provides and maintains the garden surrounding the historic fountain and pool at the end of Fenner Road.
Village Welcome Signs - Provides and maintains plantings at the welcome signs at the east and west entrances to the Village of Cazenovia on Route 20. Would you ever want to join? Prospective new members can apply online at www.cazenoviagardenclub.org Upcoming Garden Club Events: As a garden club member, there are many great events to be a part of, and yes, they are all year round - not just in the spring and summer! See below for the next few events, and for the full list, click here.
January 2"The Gardener" 10:15 am, Cazenovia Public Library, 100 Albany Street Grab your popcorn as we watch this incredible film that reflects on the meaning of gadening and its impact on our lives. The documentary tells the story of Frank Cabot's personal journey to create one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.
February 6“What is That Yellow Bouy in Cazenovia Lake?” 10:15 a.m., Cazenovia Public Library, 100 Albany Street Cazenovia Lake is the subject of several research projects on water quality and algae formation. Dr. Greg Boyer, Director of Great Lakes Consortium and biochemistry professor at SUNY ESF, will report on studies conducted since 2020 with data from the 2023 field season.
March 5“Central NY: The Birthplace of the Modern Peony” 10:15 a.m., Cazenovia Public Library, 100 Albany Street Carol Bradford is well known in this area, having been the garden writer for the Syracuse Post Standard for several years. We'll learn about peony history, culture and what makes this perennial so dearly loved.
