Avalon Garden Club Blooms Into Its 50th Spring

Written By Jack Byrne

By Jack Byrne

For decades, the streets and parks of Avalon have been colorfully brightened by dazzling flower displays thanks to the talented members of the Avalon Garden Club. 2026 marks a momentous year for the Avalon Garden Club, as the passionate group of flower lovers embarks on its 50th year of beautifying the Borough of Avalon.

With over 75 members, the 501(c) non-profit organization is managed by a dedicated executive board of directors. Steering the ship is club president Nancy Hudanich, who has been involved with the garden club from the very beginning. “The garden club started out of need,” Hudanich says. “To understand Avalon, to understand the beauty of flowers, the environment, and what we could do to enjoy it and take care of it.”

The garden club is responsible for maintaining flower pots up and down Dune Drive, planting horticultural displays outside administrative buildings such as Community Hall and the Post Office, as well as making sure community spaces like Grace M. O’Brien Park and the Kite Girl Garden are in tip-top shape. “If you see it coming into town, or you see it down the business district, the garden club did that,” Hudanich says.

Club members from all over Cape May County converge in Avalon throughout the year to design flower displays, grow plants in their greenhouse, and plant both annual and perennial flowers throughout the borough. The annual flowers, which only last one year, include Lantanas, Marigolds, Pentas, among many others. Some of the perennial flowers that return to Avalon year after year include Black-eyed Susans, Daylilies, and Shasta Daisies.

While flowers help maintain Avalon’s vibrant appearance, the introduction and upkeep of the island’s native plants is even more critical.

Hudanich and her dedicated garden club understand the importance of finding a balance in their gardens. “A garden should be 40 to 60% native plants, but a native plant isn’t going to give the beauty right away of a flower blooming. Wispy grass, for example, is going to come back every year, but when they’re first growing, they don’t look so beautiful.”

With planning and patience, the club’s mixed flower beds prosper. Years of experience and education through the club have helped members understand the importance of choosing plants that are resilient and sustainable in a beach environment. “You can’t get plants that require a lot of water or plants that look dead after sitting in the sun for two seconds,” Hudanich says. “You can’t plant 100% native either, so we still have our annual flowers because they’re pretty.”

With nearly 40 years of experience as a mathematics teacher and school administrator in Cape May County, the now retired Hudanich believes that learning about plant life is a core principle of the Avalon Garden Club. She often says, “When you stop learning, you stop living.”

For this purpose, the club has hosted countless educational programs over the years. Garden club members have learned the intricacies of hydroponics, visited South Jersey farms, and attended garden shows across the Delaware Valley. These classes and trips are crucial for club members to improve their growing techniques and keep Avalon’s plantlife blooming.

While many of the garden club’s engaging hands-on activities like building terrariums or planting herb gardens focus on horticulture, others put an emphasis on self-care, such as making herbal teas, practicing breathing exercises, and utilizing essence oils. “Any medium that you can bring with beauty is what a program for gardening could be,” Hudanich says. “Anything that is aesthetically pleasing, beautiful, or helps someone sustain and enjoy life, that’s the garden club. That’s the mission, but it all goes back to our town.”

The relaxation and inspiration which members gain from these programs greatly improves their capacity to cultivate Avalon’s gardens. The practices they learn in the club allow public spaces to continue to look naturally stunning.

Local students also benefit from the Avalon Garden Club. Each year, the club gives a $1,000 scholarship to a chosen high schooler. “Our scholarship is for individuals who are going on to learn about environmental engineering, sustainability, or anything about our environment,” Hudanich says.

Additionally, club members celebrate Arbor Day by visiting local elementary school students and making floral arrangements with students. “I make sure that club work, volunteerism, and education go hand-in-hand,” says Hudanich.

The Avalon Garden Club also gives back to the community through many events. Possibly the most impactful is their appreciation brunch. “We invite all the administration, the elected officials, public works, and we have a big brunch for them to thank them for their cooperation,” Hudanich says. “That’s the evidence of how much we appreciate and thank the borough workers and administration for supporting the club.”

The Avalon Garden Club and the Borough of Avalon have worked side-by-side to beautify the community for 50 years now. In the early days of the Avalon Garden Club’s history, the club was led by founding members Cass Austin, Marge Jones, Marge Zook, Marlene Clayton, and right by their side was Nancy Hudanich, who is widely considered to be a founding member as well. “We were the first five when we had our first meeting upstairs in the old Borough Hall.” Hudanich says. “The steps were at like an 85° angle to get up to the Avalon Room. That’s where we had the first meeting.”

In the club’s formative years from the late seventies to the early eighties, membership grew from its five founding mothers to approximately twenty members. Early on, fundraisers began humbly, with members bagging and selling mushroom soil. Soon after, the club began selling crafts, such as hand-sewn pin cushions and silk flowers, wreaths made from wild grapevines, and household items decorated with seashells.

Hudanich describes the late eighties and early nineties as the club’s ‘Renaissance,’ when enrollment grew and members came to Avalon from Philadelphia and Delaware, bringing new perspectives.

Recent years have brought challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic that nearly brought the club to a halt. Through collaboration and compromise, though, the club prevailed and is strong today under the steady leadership of Hudanich.

In fact, this isn’t Hudanich’s first run as club president. She previously served in the early eighties before her teaching career became her number one priority. After 40 years as a teacher, Hudanich retired and soon returned to her post and has been club president ever since. “I’m very blessed and grateful,” Hudanich says. “I’m honored to do it and work with all these fine ladies and men.”

Every year is a packed calendar for the Avalon Garden Club. In order to finance their mission, the garden club conducts many fundraising events, including their annual flower show, plant and bake sales, and card game parties.

In fact, Thursday April 19 is the garden club’s Spring Card Party. For $25, guests can play board games like Mahjong and Scrabble, while enjoying a nice lunch, and participating in raffles.

Additional activities notably include their 2026 flower show, called ‘Reflections” on Saturday June 13 in honor of their 50th anniversary. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Avalon Garden Club’s 75 members have nothing but praise for their decision to join the club. Former president and long-time member Pat Fleischmann says, “The friendships, fun times, and knowledge of plants has been great…I would be lost without it.”

Seasoned gardener Serena Smith agrees, “I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t involved with the Garden Club,” she shares. “These jobs are a lifetime commitment.”

Even if you don’t know a lot about flowers, Hudanich believes the club is for everyone, and that it curates inspiration. “I think they should join because it’s an ‘aha’ moment of the beauty of flowers - the beauty of planting and growing something. When you plant a seed, you have a hope that spring is going to come and it’s going to flourish.”

Though leaders like Hudanich have helped guide the Avalon Garden Club to success, its members have been the foundation for the club’s longevity. “The club wouldn’t be here without the members who participated over the years,” Hudanich says. “The members have ensured the club has been able to last for these fifty years.”

People are encouraged to join the Avalon Garden Club. Annual dues are $25, and sign-up sheets are available at Avalon Community Hall, or online at AvalonGardenClub.org.

Jack Byrne
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