Please join us for the 2026 NJC Scholarship Luncheon & Lecture with award-winning horticulturalist Kelly D. Norris! 

Kelly D. Norris

This year's Scholarship Luncheon & Lecture keynote, Kelly D. Norris, is one of the leading ecological horticulturists of his generation. In his interdisciplinary studio, he explores the intersections of people, plants, and place through ecological, site-specific design and art. An award-winning author and plantsman, Kelly's work in gardens has been featured in publications like The New York Times, Garden Design, and Martha Stewart Living. Kelly is also the founder and curator of The Public Horticulture Company, an ecological landscape practice based in Des Moines, Iowa. The studio also produces the New Naturalism Academy, a virtual school for enthusiastic designers, as a commitment to continuing education and lifelong learning.

In Support of the Millicent Mercer Johnsen Scholarship and The New Jersey Committee of the Garden Club of America Scholarship 

Since its inception in 1987, The New Jersey Committee of the Garden Club of America has supported projects that benefit the State of New Jersey. In 2001, NJC began formally awarding scholarships to New Jersey college students studying in a range of fields from horticulture and landscape architecture to marine sciences. To honor the late Millicent Johnsen for her guidance and leadership in its formation, NJC named the scholarship fund the Millicent Mercer Johnsen Scholarship in 2013. 

Building on this excellence, NJC announced a strategic expansion of its educational mission in April 2026 to include Associate degree candidates at County College of Morris, one of the nation’s premier horticulture and agriculture programs. This provides a vital academic bridge for Associate degree students, while simultaneously continuing long-standing support for students at Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. These two initiatives empower students and secure a brighter future for our shared fields of study.

To date The New Jersey Committee has granted more than $610,000 to 99 projects and supported 79 Scholars.

About the Event

Tickets are $125 per person, non-refundable

Doors open at 10am for Boutique shopping with many new vendors this year!

Lunch will be served at 11:30am

Kelly's two books New Naturalism and Your Natural Garden are available for purchase in the tabs to the right.  

Pre-ordered books can be picked up at the luncheon. Kelly will be available for signing. 

Limited quantities of books will be available for purchase the day of luncheon.

This year's event is hosted by the Garden Club of Morristown and The Garden Club of Princeton.

Please RSVP by October 16 

Processed orders will be confirmed via thank you email from GiveLively ticketing. 

Thank you for your support of The New Jersey Committee of the Garden Club of America!