It is no small task to put on a Garden Club of America flower show. The GCA has high standards and wide-ranging goals, including to “improve and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.” Members not only share a love of gardening but attend national conferences and write erudite papers for publication.  

The Rye Garden Club is up to the task. Their creative and imaginative members have long inspired and educated the public. They’ve been spreading beauty through special events and civic engagement for 106 years. On September 13 and 14, they are hosting “You’re the Top” at Apawamis Club. Among the GCA entry categories are Floral Design, Horticulture, Conservation, and Photography.   

“Floral Design is the superstar division!” proclaimed Co-Chairs Kim Veber and Gayle Regan. They’re especially excited about the 3- by 6-foot Sustainable City model that will be on display. “We’re already thinking about taking it on the road to schools. It’s an exhibit that should be reused and then housed and displayed at the Square House or the Jay Center,” the co-chairs said.

They’re a good team because Veber has been a member for a decade and worked on the club’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2015, and Regan is a relative newcomer who joined during the pandemic when meetings were virtual. “I’m looking forward to seeing the entire club in person for the first time. This is my conduit to the longtimers,” she said.

Working with a committee of 25, and with all 60 club members actively involved in orchestrating this GCA show there’s no doubt Rye Garden Club has a hit on its hands. 

The show is free and open to the public on September 13 from 3-5 and September 14 from 10-3. Donations are always welcome (ryegardenclub.org) to support RGC’s civic endeavors: planting and maintaining the pollinator garden at Edith Read Sanctuary, the garden behind the Square House, the Knapp House Island at Rye Beach Avenue and Milton Road, and the pots in downtown Rye.