Plant Societies and Clubs

If you are like most gardeners who like to increase your catalogue of resources, the following information of local horticultural societies and clubs will help guide your way. Whether your passion is Bonsai, Hosta, Native Plants, Cactus & Succulents, Rhododendrons, Daffodils, Rock Gardens, Roses, Orchids, Chrysanthemum, Peonies and more... read on for information that will be helpful in bringing together both seasoned and new gardeners alike to learn and enjoy the beauty of flowers and gardens.  

The American Peony Society was established in 1903 to promote cultivated peonies and foster studies to improve its worth as a garden plant.  The purpose of the Society includes a number of broad objectives which are listed below and which are pursued in a number of different ways.

o   To increase the general interest in the cultivation and use of the Peony.

o   To improve the standard of excellence of the flower.

o   To improve the methods of its cultivation and methods of placing it upon the market.

o   To increase its use as a decorative flower.

o   To bring about a more thorough understanding among those interested in its culture.

o   To stimulate the growing and introduction of improved seedlings and crosses of such flower.

o   To properly supervise the nomenclature of the different varieties and kinds of Peonies.

Members receive The APS Bulletin, which is published quarterly and offers an in-depth look at all aspects of the peony for backyard gardeners, hybridizers, hobbyists, commercial growers and cut flower merchants. The APS Bulletin's advertisers provide source information for peony and garden purchases. Members also receive the annual Yearbook. To contact The American Peony Society email us at: and visit our website at http://www.americanpeonysociety.org

The American Rose Society (ARS), founded in 1892, is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to the cultivation and enjoyment of roses. The American Rose Society is a national organization with over 15,000 members dedicated to the enjoyment, enhancement and promotion of America's Floral Emblem. Rose-related activities and information is offered by the 18 regional districts and almost 400 local chapters and affiliates located throughout the country. 

The Penn-Jersey District of the ARS supports Pennsylvania and New Jersey and provides rose-related education targeted to these two states.  There are 4 active local societies in New Jersey.  Each society has their own membership requirements and most of them hold regular meetings and host special events (rose shows and other local activities).  The local rose societies are open to anyone; you do not need to be a member of the ARS to join a local society.  In addition to meetings and activities, consulting Rosarians, who are ARS-certified volunteers, are available to any and all rose growers to assist with their rose problems and questions. 

Please visit our Penn-Jersey District website at: http://www.pjdistrictrose.org/ for more information.

The Great Swamp Bonsai Society is a club for anyone interested in the Japanese art of growing miniature trees in pots.  We welcome anyone of any age or background-whether you are a beginner or have years of experience, or even if you simply admire the trees and enjoy participating as a spectator.  GSBS welcomes you and hopes you will attend our monthly gatherings, to share your questions, problems, expertise, and enthusiasm.

The Great Swamp Bonsai Society meets in the classrooms on the lower floor of the Haggerty Education Center, at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, East Hanover Avenue, just opposite the Morris County Library [973-326-7600].  We meet the second Tuesday of every month (except July and August); from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Feel free to just show up at one of our meetings. Membership dues are $30.00 per year, but anyone is welcome to attend meetings as our guest, until such time as you decide to join us officially. Paid members receive our monthly newsletter, by email or regular mail, if you prefer.  The newsletter announces our upcoming meetings, events, and provides timely tips for the care of your trees. Each meeting focuses on a particular topic in bonsai, with lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and everybody has an opinion!  Contact John Michalski, President, at 973-829-0094 or Email: for more information.

The Native Plant Society of NJ is a volunteer non-profit organization founded for the appreciation, protection, and study of the native flora of New Jersey. We have over 350 members and put out four seasonally-inspired newsletters. We convene meetings with featured speakers. We conduct nature walks, garden tours, and dispense advice on design and maintenance of native gardens and landscapes. We have helped to establish native plant gardens around the state. By visiting our website at www.npsnj.org you can find out more about our membership opportunities and scheduled trips and talks including our Annual Meeting - Native Plants in Urban Places, March 21, 2009 at the Trailside Nature Center in Mountainside NJ.

The New Jersey State Chrysanthemum Society meets on the first Friday of the month starting in March thru November.  We meet at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 East Hanover Ave., Morristown, NJ 07963.  During our monthly meeting we provide our members and guests with information on growing Chrysanthemums and other garden topics.  Each February we send out a plant order list to provide our members and friends a source to order rooted mum cuttings. We also have a Chrysanthemum class at the arboretum in May; for a small fee we provide six rooted cuttings, coffee and donuts and two hours of instruction and slides on growing mums.  Our growers help mentor our new growers so success and blue ribbons are achieved in their first year of growing.  The climax of the year is our Chrysanthemum Show in October at the arboretum on October 10 & 11 2009.  Contact Frank Mastromano or Doris Zurcher at 973 992-6197 or 973 361-4323 about joining the Mum Society.  Our dues for the year are $25.00 for which you will receive a monthly news letter and a quarterly National Chrysanthemum Society Journal.  Come grow with us.

New Jersey Daffodil Society

Thirty-third Annual New Jersey Daffodil Show presented by the New Jersey Daffodil Society and sponsored by the 12 New Jersey member clubs of the Garden Club of America will be held at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ.  Come see a room full of ribbon-winning daffodils exhibited as single stems, vases of three, and various collections of 5, 9, 12, 15, and 24 different kinds. Enjoy familiar trumpet daffodils, fragrant jonquillas, lush double daffodils, and more, and discover the intriguing diversity among the miniature and historic selections. This show also includes classes for cut specimens of trees and shrubs and other plants that bloom along with daffodils in our gardens. Six beautiful flower arrangements, staged on pedestals and created by members of the Garden Club of America, complete the show. Tuesday, April 21 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, Wednesday, April 22 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Brief programs on choosing, grooming, and staging entries will be presented on Monday evening. For more information contact Ray Rogers at (732) 249-9282 or

The North Jersey Orchid Society (NJOS), an American Orchid Society affiliated society, is one of the oldest orchid societies in the Northeast.   NJOS has an active membership meeting the second Thursday of each month.  The North Jersey Orchid Society is known for its unique dinner meeting at the Hanover Manor on Eagle Rock Road in East Hanover, NJ.  Each meeting features great speakers or workshops, usually a short presentation on conservation, and the show table where members bring in their plants to share their successes with flowering their plants.  In addition, local vendors often have plants for sale.

In addition, NJOS has sponsored an annual orchid show for over 40 years.  The next show will be the Frelinghuysen Arboretum on the 17th to the 19th of April 2009.  The show opens at Noon on Friday (after judging) and 10AM on Saturday and Sunday and closes each day at 4:30 PM.  Visit our website at http://www.njorchids.org for more information.

The Philadelphia Cactus and Succulent Society (PCSS), founded in 1942, and consisting of approximately 110 active members is dedicated to providing members and the general public with information about the propagation and care of a wide variety of cacti and succulents.  PCSS has a booth at the Pennsylvania Flower Show each year in order to acquaint individuals with the wide variety of cacti and succulents being cultivate in the area, and to provide information to individuals interested in growing these plants.  In addition several Society members enter plants in the Horticultural Court Competition.

PCSS meets on the third Sunday of the month, September through June, at the Horticultural Center at West Fairmont Park in Philadelphia.  The society also sponsors a fall and a spring bus trip to area gardens and/or nurseries.  New members and visitors are welcome at the society's meetings.  Additional information can be obtained from Josephine Lamela at

The Snufftown Garden Club. The desire to learn more about horticulture and flower arranging led to the organizing of the Snufftown Garden Club in 1975.Our club joined District 1 when we became federated with the Garden Club of New Jersey. After deliberation, the small but avid group of "charter members" chose the name "Snufftown" because of its historical significance to Stockholm, which was once known as Snufftown. We are now proudly celebrating our 34th year with a program of monthly meetings including topics such as, Organic Herb Gardening, Calendula Soaps, Lotions and Cooking, Holiday Wreath making and visiting Guest Speakers, to name a few. So if you enjoy gardening or even just "talking" gardening look into being our guest at an upcoming meeting. Our club covers the Vernon, Hardyston and Hamburg area, but all are welcome. For more information please call: Snufftown Garden Club, Anne Larlee, President, (973) 626-3916 or (973) 875-4059.

The Tappan Zee Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society was founded over 40 years ago to encourage the culture of rhododendrons. The Chapter affords rhododendron enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy speakers and slide shows that address a wide range of topics. Members receive the quarterly ‘Journal of the American Rhododendron Society ', obtain unusual plants through sales and prizes, attend garden tours, receive the Chapter newsletter, and interact with individuals who are expert in the propagation and maintenance of rhododendrons and azaleas.

The Chapter consists of about 50 members, ranging from novices to experts, drawn from a wide area of Southern New York State and Northern New Jersey, and welcomes new members. Meetings are preceded by either lunches or dinners and provide an occasion for social interaction with people who share a love for plants of the rhododendron genus. Please feel free to attend a meeting and see what the Tappan Zee Chapter is all about. Visit our website: http://www.tappanzee.org/rhododendrons_about_TZ.html  for further details.

The Tri-State Hosta Society, a regional affiliate of the American Hosta Society, is a non-profit educational organization formed in 1993 to foster interest in the genus hosta, to encourage the development of new and improved varieties, and to promote its cultivation and usefulness in the landscape.  With a current membership of over 300 primarily located in the three states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the Society holds three indoor meetings at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ during the months of October, January and March.  At these meetings we have guest experts speaking on a variety of subjects relating to hostas, and our March meeting is dedicated to the sale of hosta plants, mostly those new to the marketplace.

In addition to these three indoor meetings our activities include three Summer Garden Tours, typically one in each member state, a member picnic, and the sponsorship of hosta display gardens throughout our region.   Membership also includes a quarterly newsletter.  Dues for a family or an individual are $10.00 a year, or $15.00 for a two-year membership.

To join the Tri-State Hosta Society, or for further information, please contact our Membership Secretary, Matt Sanford, 38 Stoneleigh Road, Watertown, CT 06795,  (860) 417-3954, or email him at   A membership application and further details on our activities can be found on our website: http://www.tristatehosta.org

Watnong Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society

The Watnong Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society welcomes the public to our events. Our members look forward to sharing and exchanging knowledge with other avid gardeners. Founded in 1980, our chapter promotes and enhances the study of plants as well as the creation of rock gardens and plant habitats.

The chapter's educational programs include free lectures (typically held at Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, NJ), interesting workshops, garden visits, and an annual Spring Plant Sale/Earth Day Celebration which we co-sponsor with the Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills, NJ. Our diverse and growing membership includes enthusiastic home gardeners and horticultural professionals from all parts of New Jersey.

We are very excited about our upcoming events and extend a warm invitation to anyone wishing to attend our meetings or join our friendly garden group. For a complete list of our chapter's 2009 programs, please visit http://www.nargs.org/meet/chap_watn.html

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