How is Climate Change Affecting
Your Landscape?
September 19, 2024
Randy Fey
Penn State University Master Gardener
Have you noticed that climate change is having an impact on your backyard and backyard habitats? We see the impact on insects and disease problems are enhanced. Plants are coming and going – some thrive, and others don’t. Connections between pollinators, birds, insects, and other wildlife and the plants they depend upon is being disrupted. Weather changes are either too much or too little. Changing climate will create new challenges for gardeners. Randy will explore these topics in his presentation.
Randy Fey is a retired forester, and member of “Urban Forestry Strike Team,” a certified ISA Arborist, and Penn State Master Gardener, a Penn State Master Watershed Steward, a Forestry Consultant, and a PA Certified Pesticide Applicator.
Program Classification: Educational program on climate change
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Native Orchids in North America
October 17, 2024
Nina Rach
Educator and Orchid Hobbyist
Nina Rach is an orchid hobbyist in Houston, Texas, with a mixed collection of species and hybrids. She has been growing orchids for 45+ years and has served as an AOS accredited judge for 25+ years. She is the past president of the Houston Orchid Society and started their website more than 20 years ago.
Nina is particularly interested in Stanhopinae and Sobralias and has given many talks on these genera including presentations at two World Orchid Conferences. She enjoys traveling to see new plants at shows and in situ. She especially values meeting so many enthusiastic growers and has learned so much from everyone and is happy to pass it on. Nina will be sharing her expertise on the native orchids of North America.
Program Classification: Educational program on orchids
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Florals for the Holidays
November 21, 2024
Presented by Joe Moussa
Mosaic Creative Director
Mosaic's owner and creative director, Joe Moussa, will be presenting several unique designs including a holiday patio pot for the front door, a unique thanksgiving centerpiece, and three distinct floral or garden designs.
Mosaic and Company is a full-service floral design studio that offers beautiful blooms for all occasions and specializes in wedding and event design. Mosaic's sister company, Mosaic Home and Garden, offers a wide variety of annuals, perennials, herbs, veggies, trees and shrubs at their Catasauqua, PA location. www.mosaicandcompany.com
Program Classification: Demonstration of floral design
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December - Holiday Luncheon
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March - Soup and Salad Luncheon
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Spring Fun Floral Arranging
April 17, 2025
Presented by Jessie Duke
Floral Designer and Educator
Jessie Duke started her own business called Jessie the Florist in 2020 and has a website called by that name: Jessietheflorist.com. She has a huge passion for all things growing and especially flowers. She attended Penn State College where she studied horticulture with an emphasis on plant production.
Jessie started her own business so she could share her passion and hope to make people smile with flowers. Flowers are seen in all aspects of life, including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, proms, birth, and even death. She feels that if she can bring flowers to any of those occasions, she will bring joy to those individuals and knows that she can make a difference in their lives.
Program Classification: Demonstration of floral design
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Propagating Plants from Cuttings
May 15, 2025
Presented by Steve Fluharty
Master Gardener
Steve Fluharty moved from West Virginia to Bethlehem 41 years ago. He attended Lehigh University where he earned his graduate degree in engineering and has spent his career in IT and engineering roles. Steve grew up in a family that loved gardening and grew a lot of vegetables. He inherited his love of flowers and nature from his father who would take cuttings, stick them in the ground and they would root and thrive.
Steve became a certified Master Gardener in 2022 where he learned more about the propagation process. Through trial-and-error Steve furthered his knowledge on propagation. He keeps his certification current with training and volunteer work. He retired in January 2024 after a 45-year career in engineering and now enjoys working part-time and doing volunteer work. Steve is also interested in Moravian history and traditions.
Program Classification: Interactive and educational PowerPoint presentation/plant cutting demonstration
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Fertilizer for the Garden
June 19, 2025
Presented by Kaitlyn Sterner
Director of Technical Support at Jack’s Fertilizers
Kaitlyn Sterner’s background in public garden spaces started at Longwood Gardens. She brings passion and expertise to everything she does and describes herself as a “plant nerd” with growing experience ranging from chrysanthemums to coleus to cannabis to chickens.
Kaitlyn’s experience has now shifted into the plant science and nutrition space where she is now the Director of Technical Support at Jack’s Fertilizers. Through lab analysis and interpretation, Kaitlyn continually works with other horticulturalists, helping them crush their growing goals through nutrient choices based on science-driven data. She loves to see all plants and animals thrive.
Program Classification: PowerPoint presentation of fertilizers in the garden
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Ice Cream Social
July 17, 2025
Doors Open at Noon
Please join us for a light lunch of
sandwiches followed by an ice cream social
Meet the Chairmen of our committees and learn about what they do for the Bethlehem Garden Club
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The Four How’s of Garlic: How to Plant,
How to Grow, How to Store, How to Use
August 21, 2025
Presented Wandy Principe-Bush
Dragonfly Hill Farm and Kitchen
Dragonfly Hill Farm is nestled on a little over four acres in the hills of the Lehigh Valley on land once inhabited by the Lenni Lenape people. The farm was founded by Wandy Principe-Bush, wife, and mother of two adult children, lifelong cook, and two-time cancer survivor. Homemade, local produce and meats were a crucial piece of Wandy’s health recovery journey along with her treatments. It’s now her joy and purpose in life to bring fresh, homemade foods to the local community. Most of the ingredients for the farm’s prepared foods are grown by Wandy, right on the farm using organic, chemical-free growing practices.
Dragonfly Hill Farm grows seven unique gourmet heirloom hardneck garlics to create small-batch products which are all processed on the farm. The farm grows three heirloom varieties (Chesnok Red, Pehoski Purple and Amish Rocambole) that are mild and three heirloom varieties (Metechi, Georgian Fire and Romanian Red) that are hot/spicy. In addition, garlic scapes and black garlic products are available at the farm. The farm also grows unique berries that were planted in 2020: elderberry, Aronia, gooseberries, honeyberry and red currants.
Program Classification: Educational presentation on garlic
