November’s joint meeting with the Garden Study Club was chock-full! It began with announcements and business items from both clubs, including some NOTG trivia from the 60s, teasers about Art in Bloom 2023 and the Heart of the Park Hat Luncheon, and the unveiling of a special joint project at Audubon Park. Next, City Park’s CEO Cara Lambright expressed her enthusiasm about the recently created City Park Conservancy. Cara and Bo-tanical Garden Director Paul Soniat graciously thanked both clubs for our history of support for the park and gardens.

For our program we were treated to a superb presentation by renown floral and event designer Lewis Miller of Lewis Miller Design. He shared oodles of photos of gorgeous events he has designed. Key themes in his work include flowers as fantasy; creating layers; contrasting rough with refined; and using dynamic flowers that shift and change within an arrangement over time. He also explained the origins of the “Flower Flash”, a concept he created to spread good will be sharing the beauty of flowers with fellow residents of New York City. (Watch GCA’s “The Making of a Flower Flash” video here.) To cap off his presentation, Lewis deftly assembled a lush arrangement with pink and peach tones while entertaining audience questions. What a delight to learn from someone so talented, experienced and personable!

The meeting wrapped up with a beautiful lunch. Some lucky ladies took home amaryllis or paperwhite bulbs, which were given as door prizes. Many others left with a copy (or two!) of Lewis’s most recent book, Flower Flash. Best of all, everyone went home feeling creatively inspired!!