July 6, 2026:  Kevin Kelly, Master Gardener, Private Home Garden Tour. Hershey Horticulture Society has enjoyed presentations by Kevin over the last several years. This year, we’re delighted to travel to Kevin’s home to see his garden in person!  His ⅓ acre property is located in a suburban neighborhood which he’s called home for more than 25 years. His garden, “a place to relax and connect with nature,” is a decades-long experimental garden learning experience emphasizing the importance of layering, texture, and repetition in creating a very special and pleasing design. Members and guests only (carpool from the Masonic Lodge or drive on your own). Look for an email with details.

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August 3, 2026: Prairie Pockets: Plants for People and Pollinators. Presented by Ian Gardner of Green Garden Designs. Healthy ecosystems are a finite resource, and as humans continue to claim more than their fair share of wild spaces, we need to find ways to incorporate local habitat into our yards.  The better we understand and support local ecology, the more these systems are able to provide for us through their beauty and services like pollination, water filtration, flood mitigation and even the oxygen we breathe.  Prairie pockets add purpose to beauty and are inspired by our local natural spaces. This talk will focus on teaching homeowners how to create stunning and beneficial landscapes that are specific to our ecoregion. This educational program is being sponsored by the William  Bowman Trust.

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August 29, 2026: Fall Plant Sale Plus. Brownstone Masonic Lodge.

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September 14, 2026: The Pennsylvania Capitol Hunger Garden.

Since 2008, the Legislative Hunger Caucus has participated in outreach initiatives that have raised awareness of hunger.  One of the more visible projects of the Caucus is the Capitol Hunger Garden.  Located on the State Capitol grounds between the Main Capitol Building and the Ryan Office Building, the Capitol Hunger Garden broke ground in 2010 with one goal:  to create a garden that would provide healthy food to help those in need.  Sixteen years later, hundreds of volunteers have come to the garden to harvest thousands of pounds of produce to feed many Pennsylvanians in need. Join us for an up close and personal look at this amazing project through the eyes of Master Gardener Steve Cordero in recognition of National Hunger Awareness Month. 

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October 5, 2026: We Can’t Live Without Honeybees! 

Join us for this educational presentation on the life cycle of honeybees and how essential they are to our lives! Georgi Maisuradze, a two-time consecutive Pennsylvania Farm Show award winner, joins us to share his passion and expertise in beekeeping. A local Hershey resident and owner of MaGio Honey, ​Georgi will explore the art of the craft and the diverse products of the hive, from delicious honey to royal jelly and hand-crafted beeswax candles. https://magiohoneypa.com.

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November 2, 2026: Wreaths Across America. Festival of Trees Holiday Ornament Craft Session. Wreaths Across America (WAA) is an American nonprofit organization that was established in 2007. Its primary activity is distributing wreaths for placement on veterans' graves in military cemeteries. National Wreaths Across America days have been designated on the second or third Saturday of December. Leroy Summers, the WAA representative from our area and member of the Bob Smith Detachment #784, Marine Corps League, will join us to share information on this wonderful program. After Leroy's brief presentation, we'll have member Melissa Crosby lead us in designing and making ornaments for this year's annual Christmas Tree at Fort Hunter. Last year's design was a big hit! Come flex your artistic muscles - extra ornaments sold out and we made a tidy sum!

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December 7, 2026:  Holiday Luncheon at Hershey Country Club: “Garden Whimsy”.  Celebrate the season by welcoming nature’s artistry into your home!  Join Elizabeth Ginter of Speckled Hen Floral Designs as she demonstrates garden-inspired floral designs crafted from foraged, dried and fresh botanicals, all arranged in charming thrifted vessels you may already have on hand. Through her intuitive, joy-filled approach, Elizabeth will share ideas for creating your own seasonal piece, whether for doors, dining tables, gifts or wearable florals. 

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January 4, 2027: The Art of Ikebana - A Hands on Experience. For Ellen Kelley, President of the Ikebana Iwaya Fund, Ikebana isn’t about showing off an artist’s perfection or proficiency. Instead, the minimalist art of Japanese flower arrangement is more a display of each artist’s “individuality and spirituality.”  Ellen’s presentation will include a demonstration of a simple Ikebana design followed by a workshop for attendees. Come and enjoy Ikebana, where art, mindfulness and nature meet! (A list of items to bring from home will be provided prior to the session.)

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February 1, 2027: Hershey Gardens: Past, Present, Future.

Hershey Gardens first opened in 1937 as a gift to the community from founder Milton Hershey, who asked his gardener (Harry Erdman, one of HHS’s Founders!) to create "a nice garden of roses." Shortly after, the Gardens expanded to its current 23 acres. In the nearly 100 years since, the Gardens have seen many changes including the addition of themed gardens, the creation of a Children's Garden and most recently, a Conservatory and Butterfly Atrium.  Considering current topics like climate change and the rising popularity of native plants, what will this garden become in the future? Director of Horticultural Operations Deb Wiles talks about the garden’s history and visions for the future.

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March 1, 2027: Behind the Scenes of the Penn State Flower Trials. Presented by Alyssa Collins, Director of SEAREC.

This program is the only university flower trial in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic area, and it is one of the largest trials in the United States. Join Dr. Alyssa Collins for a virtual tour of the Trials from inception to composting, and learn what it takes to test the flowers you’ll be buying off greenhouse benches next year!  

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April 5, 2027: The Edible Classroom. Presented by Angela Martin, Director of Community Engagement. The Edible Classroom is a non-profit organization that partners with schools to create and sustain learning gardens where children, families and communities engage with nutritious food from seed to table. Since 2017, the organization has formed 15 gardens across three Lancaster County school districts. Each garden is an interactive outdoor learning space where students build, tend and grow a garden. The produce is then supplied to the community for consumption. During a 20-minute slideshow, Angie will go over The Edible Classroom's mission, values and goals and tell us how the community can get involved. She will give real life examples of how the program is positively impacting students and the community.  

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May 3, 2027: Whisper Ridge Garden Tour 

Set on a hilltop just outside Mount Gretna with a sweeping view of Lebanon Valley and the distant Blue Mountains, the beautiful gardens of Whisper Ridge have been lovingly cultivated by Ray and Leslie Bures over the past 23 years. Starting from scratch when they purchased their home in 2002, they have gradually created an oasis that they now wish to share with others.  They invite you to walk along winding paths amid over 900 varieties of perennials, shrubs, and trees, including magnificent 100’ Tulip Poplars. Feel free to relax on one of the antique garden benches or spend a few moments simply taking in the magnificent view. Ray and Leslie will happily walk with you, sharing special stories of the work they have done over the years to bring Whisper Ridge to life. Bring a packed lunch. Members and guests only.

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May 8, 2027: Spring Plant Sale, Brownstone Lodge.

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June 7, 2027: June Luncheon, Hershey Country Club

Entertaining with Flowers by Bill Murphy (AIFD, CFD) of Cutting Edge Floral Artistry. Bill creates imaginative sculptures conceived from a palette of flowers and accompaniments. By offering over 40 years of experience in the floral and event planning industry, Bill’s ultimate goal is to take the client’s dream and make it a stunning reality. Join us to witness, first hand, Bill’s amazing creativity as he simultaneously describes and builds a dozen works of art! His two books will be available for purchase and signatures!