Youth Committee Chair 2024-2025: Jeannette Michelson
Youth Committee
The Youth Committee of the Garden Club of LBI meets several times a year from October through May with children from the community at the Ocean County Library in Surf City. Children in grades three to six are welcome to attend. Garden Club members instruct the children in gardening techniques, flower arranging and environmental topics that are especially relevant to coastal areas. The activities vary by season and holidays but fun is always included!
Youth Committee Thanksgiving Flower Power- November 2024
Photos by Jeannette Michelson (click on images to enlarge)
Submitted by Jeannette Michelson
Did you know that the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 1923 did not feature any giant balloons but it did have animals from the Central Park Zoo march down Broadway? The famous balloons were introduced in 1927 and did you know they were then released into the sky after the parade? It’s also true that Snoopy was the most featured balloon in the parade’s history and there was no turkey served at the first Thanksgiving. Area students in grades 3-6 learned all this and more when the Youth Committee of the Garden Club of Long Beach Island met on Wednesday November 20, 2024 at the LBI branch of the Ocean County Library-Surf City to create a harvest floral arrangement for Thanksgiving.
The group, lead by co-chairs Ginny Scarlatelli and Jeannette Michelson along with members Paul Cofone and Pauline Gertzen, guided the students with their designs. Local greens which included euonymus, juniper and bayberry, formed the foundation of the arrangements. Next came yellow alstroemerias, creamy white carnations and goldenrod. Small, colorful peppers and Brussel sprouts were also incorporated into the harvest arrangements. Cut-out hand-decorated, goggly-eyed turkeys topped the designs. Each child went home with a unique and festive Thanksgiving arrangement to grace the family holiday table.
Shine On Harvest Moon Flowers! October 2024
Photos by Jeannette Michelson (click on images to enlarge)
Submitted by Jeannette Michelson
The Youth Committee of the Garden Club of LBI, lead by co-chairs Jeannette Michelson and Ginny Scarlatelli, along with members Paula Cofone and Pauline Gertzen, met at the Surf City library with local 3rd-6th graders on Wednesday October 2, 2024 to create an autumnal harvest moon flower arrangement.
The harvest moon is a full moon that occurs near the autumnal equinox. It rises shortly after sunset to provide farmers with additional hours of bright moonlight to harvest their summer crops even as daylight hours become shorter. Farmers named it the “Harvest Moon” and that is how it is known today.
The young floral designers filled their decorative tomato tin containers with “moonlight bright “ autumnal flowers that featured sunflowers, yellow daisies, alstroemeria and LBI goldenrod. Local greens, flowing fall grasses ,and fragrant dried lavender filled in the arrangement. An orange paper-moon, with original “man in the moon” artwork, completed the design. After a rousing round of “Flower Bingo” each child took home his unique and beautiful floral arrangement.
May Flowers at the Youth Committee! May 2024
Photos by Jeannette Michelson (click on images to enlarge)
Submitted by Jeannette Michelson
April showers did, indeed, bring May flowers and the Youth Committee, lead by members Sue Warren, Pauline Gertzen and chair Jeannette Michelson, met at the Surf City library on Wednesday May 15th with students in grades 3 through 6, to create a seasonal arrangement.
Annual flowers that attract pollinators, especially the super-pollinator bee, were featured in the garden container arrangement. Locally sourced euonymus greens formed the foundation for purple daisies, dainty asters, lavender stock, and the star pollinating flower, the sunflower. A busy ceramic bee completed the arrangement.
Each young designer was given the same greens and flowers to work with, yet each took home a unique floral creation. Packets of sunflower seeds and colorful UV protective sunglasses, were given to the participants to encourage them to plant and tend their gardens with pollinator-loving plants all summer long.
This is the final Youth Committee meeting for the current school year.
Meetings will begin again in Fall 2024.
Sparkling Spring! – March 2024
Photos by Jeannette Michelson (click on images to enlarge)
Submitted by Jeannette Michelson
The first full day of Spring 2024 brought some chilly weather to the island but it did not deter the Youth Committee of the Garden Club of LBI from creating some sparkling spring arrangements. The group of third to sixth grade students, lead by co-chairs Ginny Scarlatelli and Jeannette Michelson, along with members Alison Bowden, Paula Cofone, Pauline Gertzen and Lin Volpe, met on Wednesday March 20, 2024 at the Ocean County Library- LBI Branch Surf City to welcome Spring with a lively monochromatic yellow arrangement.
The sponge-painted clay pots of white, yellow and azure were filled with a variety of yellow flowers that included daisies, mums, alstroemerias and asters. Delicate and fragrant Eucalyptus branches and pussy willows rounded out the arrangements. A sparkly fire-fly pick and a bright yellow and white bow put the finishing touches on the design. A lively game of Flower Bingo completed the meeting. The young floral designers worked diligently on their arrangements and they each left with a unique spring floral design.
The Youth Committee of the Garden Club of LBI will meet next on Wednesday May 15, 2024 – 3:30 pm at the Ocean County Library-LBI Branch Surf City.
Happy Valentine’s Day! February 2024
Photos by Jeannette Michelson (click on images to enlarge)
Submitted by Jeannette Michelson
Did you know each flower has a special meaning? On Wednesday February 7, 2024 the Youth Committee of the Garden Club of LBI met with students in grades 3 thru 6 at the LBI Branch of the Ocean County Library- Surf City to create an arrangement where each flower contributed to a Valentine’s Day message. The committee was lead by Jeannette Michelson, chair and Ginny Scarlatelli co-chair along with members Pauline Gertzen and Paula Cofone.
The Very Valentine project highlighted the concept of “Floriography” or the “language of flowers.” Floriography assigned a specific meaning to each flower and rose to popularity during Victorian times. The heart-decorated containers were filled with white Carnations symbolizing sweetness, pink Carnations meaning “you are unforgettable,” and Baby’s Breath for innocence. Red Roses ,the stars of Valentine’s Day, topped the design with their message of “Love.” Strawberry and cream heart-shaped lollipops, sparkly hearts on curly willow and a Valentine’s Day card put the finishing touches on the arrangement. The young designers were now ready to take home their floral-message Valentine’s arrangements to give to that special someone,
The next meeting of the Youth Committee is on Wednesday March 20, 2024 at 3:30 pm at the LBI branch of the Ocean County Library for a “Sparkling Spring” project.
Happy Holidays! December 2023
Graphic Design by Tracey Cameron/Photos by Jeannette Michelson (click on images to enlarge)
Submitted by Jeannette Michelson
On Wednesday December 13, 2023, the Youth Committee of the Garden Club of LBI met with students in grades 3-6 at the Surf City branch of the Ocean County Library to create a seasonal arrangement and paint a watercolor holiday card of their floral design. The group was led by Jeannette Michelson and Ginny Scarlatelli co-chairs, along with members Gillian Rozicer and Paula Cofone.
The children first filled the containers with locally sourced greens including white pine, juniper and red cedar. They then placed white spider mums, red carnations and painted pine cones in their designs for a pop of winter color. Then former art teacher, Gillian Rozicer, briefly instructed the children on watercolor technique. The children worked diligently and created beautiful, hand painted holiday cards of their arrangements. They went home with a lovely floral design and a watercolor card that some lucky recipient will be thrilled to receive.
The next meeting of the Youth Committee is on Wednesday February 7, 2024 3:30pm at the Surf City branch of the Ocean County Library for a “Very Valentine Arrangement.”