The Lancaster County Garden Club will hold a banquet to celebrate its 90th anniversary at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Willows at Historic Strasburg, 1500 Drive, Strasburg. The event will include an educational presentation from garden writer and historian Kirk Brown, door prizes, a buffet-style dinner and a vote to elect the club's officers.

The banquet will begin with a social and cash bar, and dinner will begin at 6 p.m. Meal options will include salad, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, chicken breast, homemade stuffing, crusted haddock and vegetarian lasagna. Dessert and beverages will include apple crisp, cookies, coffee, hot tea, lemonade and special cupcakes made to celebrate the 90th anniversary.

During the presentation, "Muhlenberg Recreating Eden," Brown will portray botanist and preacher Henry Muhlenberg to highlight his life and work. Muhlenberg served as the pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Lancaster city from 1780 to 1815, and he became the first president of Franklin & Marshall College, which was called Franklin College at the time. Brown will explore Muhlenberg's prolific research and catalog of local flora and fauna through a first-person account.

Although Lancaster County Garden Club's membership includes avid horticulturists and plant enthusiasts from across the county, the group holds its regular meetings at Salem United Church of Christ, 2312 Marietta Ave., Lancaster. Meetings take place on the second Monday of every month at 7 p.m., and each meeting features a topic related to horticulture. During meetings, members display items such as floral arrangements, potted plants and paintings of garden landscapes, club's leadership provides updates on upcoming field trips and garden tours. Each meeting includes a presentation from a guest speaker centered around the theme of the month.

In addition to the resources available to the Lancaster County Garden Club's members and visitors from the community, the organization's monthly meetings and special events provide a space for participants to learn from other gardeners and exchange techniques and tips. Manor Township resident Ruth Davis, who joined the club 25 years ago and currently serves as its president, said that the comradery between members is her favorite aspect of the Lancaster County Garden Club. "We share a wealth of knowledge, but I enjoy making friends, talking and visiting their gardens," Ruth added.

Ruth's husband, Bob Davis, coordinates the Lancaster County Garden Club's programs and annual events, including an annual banquet and a corn roast every August. Ruth and Bob share a love of conifers and trees, and they tend to 16 acres of land near Millersville. "We have a bit of an arboretum," Bob said.

The Lancaster County Garden Club was started by a group of businessmen who enjoyed growing roses, and it was known as the Men's Garden Club until 2009. Since 1951, the club's members have tended the rose garden in Buchanan Park - a scenic location that former mayor Rick Gray referred to as the most beautiful place in Lancaster city.

For more information about the club and its events, visit https://lancastergardenclub.org.