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Please Click here for the NGC School Resources Page.
This contains a list of downloadable documents including NGC School Guidelines, Zoom Guidelines, Refresher Guidelines, Directories and necessary forms.
Upcoming Classes - All Schools
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The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. provide a wide variety of educational opportunities for study: environment, horticulture, landscape design, floral arrangement, and flower show judging to name a few. View and register for upcoming class on the left, or view the entire Event Calendar to find more classes. For a summary of courses, please see below. (For youth programs and scholarships, please see the Youth Programs page) Federated Garden Club Members are eligible for discounts on some programs and courses. Also, members can apply for Four Star Membership upon completions of the Four NGC Schools sponsored by FFGC. See more at the end of the course description list below. |
Upcoming Events
| FFGC Floral Design Study Series The Floral Design Study Series is a unique series of lectures, demonstrations, and critiqued, workshops sponsored by FFGC. Talented, accredited instructors are available throughout the state to teach the classes. This is a comprehensive program by Bob Thomas, internationally renowned floral designer from Florida. Bob was responsible for the Basic Six Units, and Florida's own Wilma Paulauskas wrote the curriculum for the Three Advanced Units.The Program focuses on Basic Floral Design for the home and for Flower Shows using fresh LIVE plant materials and flowers. Those who attend all nine lectures and workshops will receive a Certificate suitable for framing. Live Materials, greens and flowers are supplied for the first three classes. Advance registration required. An Information packet is available for the Chairman/Committee hosting the program. Contact: Carol Lucia Floral Design Unit Descriptions GO TO THE EVENT TAB (CALENDAR) TO VIEW MORE CLASSES |
Upcoming Events
| This hands-on, make-it-and-take-it-program affords your club a wonderful opportunity for attracting new members, raising funds, endless creativity, community involvement, sharing your talents, appealing to young and old, men, women, and kids. Combine crafts with flowers, fellowship, and, most of all, FUN! Contact Emilie Palmieri |
Upcoming Events
| FFGC Horticulture Studies “Digging It!” is Florida’s NGC Award winning Horticulture Study Series covering topics such as Nomenclature, Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, Containers, Arboreal, Fruits and Vegetables, Vines and others. This program has 14 optional topics to trade in and out to suit your area and interests. After the first course, the others can be taken in any order. Individual topic outlines can be used for garden club, junior gardener or horticulture therapy programs. This is a hands-on workshop, informally formatted program with a certificate upon completion of all 10 lessons in 2 years’ time. A General Guide and a 171 page Instructor’s Manual are available for purchase. Contact your District Horticulture Chairman to find out if and when a “Digging It!” series is being held in your area. State Coordinator: Tina Tuttle |
Upcoming Events
| An exclusive FFGC educational opportunity with speakers, horticulture and design, workshops, field trips, food, vendors and door prizes. Short Course North is a two day event held yearly in the Florida Panhandle in August. A variety of topics related to gardening, landscaping, and the environment are explored. Speakers represent IFAS, area growers, and other knowledgeable plant experts. Chairman: Kat Spieker |
Upcoming Events
| FFGC Tropical Short Course Tropical Short Course is an annual two-day educational event sponsored by FFGC and District X. This course incorporates speakers on the environment, gardening, landscape and floral design. There also is a Chinese auction and vendors. Those attending the event come away from Tropical Short Course with new information, ideas and most important a desire to reach out to fellow gardeners, and friends about what they learned. Chairman: Michelle Maguire |
Upcoming Events
| FFGC/University of Florida Short Course Annual FFGC/UF event held in Gainesville. Leaders in horticulture and design speaking throughout the event. Tri-Refresher* qualifies. Chairman: Carol Binello |
NGC Environmental School Mission Statement: “To teach environmental literacy to cherish, protect, and conserve the living earth.” NGC Environmental School (ES) was developed to teach the science behind many of today’s environmental issues, most of which are quite complex. How people can make a significant effect in their homes and communities is stressed. The school consists of a series of four two-day sessions, focusing on the living earth, land, air and water issues. Particular emphasis is placed on regional issues as they relate to the land, air, water, plants, and animals. This is particularly important in Florida with its unique environment and geology. The curriculum is constantly reviewed and periodically updated to reflect new concerns and changing situations. The required field trip in each course is an opportunity to directly explore the special interests and issues for that region. Instructors are professionals in their fields or have the requisite higher education to make the classes interesting, relevant, and meaningful. FFGC State School Chairman: Lydia Barbour Download the NGC ESS Workbook | Upcoming Environmental School Courses
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NGC Flower Show School Come learn about flower shows and flower show judging. The horticulture will be something we can grow and show. The designs will be exciting and fun. Those attending will learn the basics of a Flower Show Schedule and all about the new shows we can hold in our clubs. It is always more fun to bring a pal and learn together. But that isn’t all, if your district is interested in growing, look at holding a flower show school. Becoming a Flower Show Judge is exciting, rewarding and educational. Contact the Flower Show Schools Chairman for all the information you will need to hold a Flower Show School. FFGC State Chairman: Susan Hillson | Upcoming Flower Show School Classes
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NGC Gardening School
FFGC State School Chairman: Mercy Abrams | Upcoming Gardening School Courses
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The NGC Gardening School courses are designed to provide information on topics of interest to those especially interested in gardening, horticulture and related topics. The program consists of a series of four courses, held about six months apart, scheduled usually for two days of instruction, followed by a general examination on the morning of the third day. Courses cover all aspects of growing from understanding soil structure to pruning techniques, plant identification, etc. Topics include basic botany, soils, growing annuals,perennials, trees and shrubs, fruits and vegetables, lawns, pests and diseases of plants, plant classification,pruning and selected topics of local interest.
National Garden Clubs, Inc. offers members and non-members an educational program that will develop a greater sense of appreciation and knowledge about our private and public gardens. The diversity of the course curriculum from the history of landscape design to that of contemporary landscape architecture appeals to a broad range of interests. The Landscape Design School includes a series of four courses. Those who complete the series and pass each examination with grades 70 or above will receive the Consultants Certification Card, an NGC credential. Objectives of the Landscape Design Program: FFGC State School Chairman: Susie MacPherson | Upcoming Landscape Design School Courses
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NGC Refreshers A refresher event is an event that meets NGC eligibility requirements to be an accredited Refresher, providing refresher credit to eligible consultants in one or more of the NGC schools. A tri-refresher meets all of the requirements for a refresh event for Gardening, Environmental and Landscape Design Schools combined into one event. | Upcoming Refresher Events
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NGC Symposiums Symposiums are courses in advanced study of horticulture, design and allied subjects and are open to ALL garden club members. NGC Judges are required to attend periodically, in order to maintain good standing. | Upcoming Symposiums
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NGC Four and Five Star Membership
Garden Club Members are eligible to apply for Four Star Membership upon completions of all four (4) National Garden Club Schools sponsored by FFGC:
Environmental School
Flower Show Judges School
Gardening School
Landscape Design School
Being certified in these four schools is quite an achievement! NGC honors members who completed these schools and are currently certified. Four Star Members may apply for a Five Star Membership when the level of Master is obtained in all four schools. New Four and Five Star Members are recognized each year at the State Convention and their names appear in The Florida Gardener magazine.
Chairman: Sally Flangan