FITCHBURG — Members of the Laurelwood Garden Club gathered recently for their annual meeting at the Old Mill Restaurant in Westminster, celebrating a successful year of programs, civic beautification projects and member involvement while looking ahead to a new season of activities.
Thirty-eight of the club’s 71 members attended the meeting on June 12, where annual reports were presented by Treasurer Tisha Schiavitti of Leominster, Vice President Laurie Bebick of Fitchburg, Secretary Marilyn Talley of Lunenburg, Corresponding Secretary Mary Ed Cain of Leominster, and Beautification and Public Relations Chair Julie Palioca of Leominster.
Outgoing President Sara Gammell of Fitchburg reflected on the year’s accomplishments, including strong attendance at monthly meetings, the continued success of the club’s 28th annual Art in Bloom event in April and the annual Scholarship Tea held in January.
Scholarship Chair Barbara Reynolds of Lunenburg announced that this year’s Laurelwood Garden Club scholarship recipient is Maisie Elise Rourke of Westminster, a graduate of Oakmont Regional High School. Rourke plans to attend Worcester State University, where she will study environmental science with coursework in earth, environmental and physical sciences.
The club annually awards a scholarship to a graduating senior pursuing studies related to agriculture, horticulture, landscape design, conservation, forestry, agronomy, city planning, land management, botany, biology or environmental science.
Members also elected officers for the 2026-27 year. Elected to one-year terms were President Marilyn Talley, Vice President Laurie Bebick, Secretary Fran McCluskey, Corresponding Secretary Mary Ed Cain, Treasurer Tisha Schiavitti and Assistant Treasurer Claire Lavin of Ashby.
During the meeting, members Mary Dunn of Westminster and Doris Durrin of Fitchburg were recognized for their longtime dedication to the organization. The pair was honored for chairing the Nominating and Election Committee for 15 years and for their 20 years of membership in the club.
Looking ahead, the club’s Program Committee will meet throughout the summer to finalize monthly programs and events for the coming year. A laminated calendar detailing upcoming meetings, speakers and activities will be distributed to members.
“Members were also invited to photograph their home gardens for a virtual garden tour planned for the club’s Sept. 11 meeting,” said Palioca, who oversees Civic Beautification “To encourage participation, attendees received packets of sunflower seeds and were challenged to track their growth throughout the summer and share results in the fall.”
One of the club’s most anticipated summer traditions, the sixth annual Picnic in the Park, will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at Renaissance Park in Fitchburg. The event will feature a box lunch, corn hole, trivia, a hat contest and an “Un-Birthday” celebration with a patriotic theme.
The gathering will take place near the club’s civic beautification project – a converted half-ton horse trough overflowing with of red, white and blue flowers in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“Members can arrive in matching color wear,” said Palioca.
This year’s floral display is supported in part through a grant awarded by the Fitchburg Cultural Council under its Art/Beautification/Public Benefit program. The council is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
The Laurelwood Garden Club offers monthly programs featuring floral demonstrations, workshops, field trips and presentations by gardening and horticultural experts. Meetings are held on the second Friday of each month from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Membership is open to anyone interested in gardening, floral design and related topics. If interested in attending a meeting or membership, visit gcfm.org/laurelwoodgardenclub or contact Public Relations, Julie Palioca at 978-537-7630.
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