The Wyckoff Garden Club was originated in 1947 by a group from the East Wyckoff Community Club (now the Wyckoff Women’s Club) who were interested in gardening. The first meeting was held in February 1947, with Mrs. Frank Lawton elected the first President.
The Club’s objectives are to encourage interest in all phases of gardening, promote better horticultural practices, civic beauty, and the conservation of natural resources. One of the many club projects that became an annual event was the Fall Flower Show. The first flower show was held in September 1947 and the last in 1991. Through the years, we won many awards for our flower shows. A plant sale was our annual club fundraiser beginning in the spring of 1948 and continuing until the spring of 1989.
From its inception, the Club has been involved in many local projects. We were instrumental in the town forming the Shade Tree Commission in 1947. We landscaped the community club and planted trees at the public schools. We first marched in the Memorial Day parade in 1952, and each year we present a fresh floral basket at the Memorial Day exercises.
For many years we decorated Eisenhower School for the graduation exercises. In 1957, we awarded the first of many awards to the Wyckoff graduate at Ramapo Regional High School who demonstrated interest in a field closely related to the aims of our Club. We have planted on Route 208 crossings, at the Economy Shop, the courtyard at Eisenhower School, and the Wyckoff Public Library including the brick planter boxes. We have planted at the McFaul Environmental Center and at the Eastern Christian Children’s Retreat.
We have donated money to the Wyckoff Ambulance Corps, books to the public library and the McFaul Environmental Center and each of the Wyckoff grade schools received nature and conservation books.
In February 1968, the Wyckoff Juniors were formed and called themselves the Wyckoff Caterpillars and won several local and state awards. In 2002, a new group was formed, called The Seedlings and won several state awards in 2002 and 2003.
We became a member of the Bergen County Federation of Garden Clubs in 1949, and in 1966 the Club became a member of the Garden Club of New Jersey. We also belong to the National Garden Club Inc., NJBG/Skylands Association, and The Garden Conservancy.
The Club won the “Garden Club of the Year” Silver Trophy, an award bestowed upon the top club in the state by the Garden Club of New Jersey in 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, and 1981.
In the 1980s, we began to work in the gardens at the Zabriskie House and at the Hermitage where the Club did the Victorian Christmas decorations for several years. Our work has been featured in Victorian Homes magazine. Also, during the holidays in December we help decorate Skylands Manor in Ringwood, NJ.
In 2004, we changed the name of the Club to the Wyckoff Area Garden Club to more properly reflect the communities of our membership. In 2005, we returned to the Hermitage in cooperation with the Ho-Ho-Kus Garden Club to decorate the National Historic Landmark for the holidays and held a holiday wreath sale. In 2006, Cathy Miller was honored by the GCNJ with the Silver Trowel Award for her beautiful garden. We also started our website (www.wyckoffgc.org) thanks to the efforts of Sophie Stone.