BUCK MOUNTAIN GARDEN CLUB
Monday, September 14th, 2026 at 12:30 at Deese Hall
Buck Mountain Episcopal Church, Earlysville
All welcome!
Hostesses: Laurie Hynes & Dee Walsh
Meeting: A quick recap of programs for the last year, and planning for the upcoming year
Welcome to new and returning members // Approval of minutes from June 2026 meeting // Any announcements by the members
Program: “Edible Creations with Flowers and Natural Colors”, Presented by Bess Abraham of Sweet Haze Cakes, Rockaway, NY
Bess Abraham is a custom cake baker and the creator behind Sweet Haze Cakes, a specialty baking business based in Rockaway, New York City. She is highly regarded for crafting “edible works of art” that prioritize natural ingredients and stunning, botanical-inspired aesthetics.
Bess will be joining us for our first meeting (someone must have told her how much this group likes to eat!!), and she wrote this in preparation for the presentation:
“I’m looking forward to joining you in September to talk about natural colors and edible flowers in baking and cake decoration. We will have examples of edible flowers and flowers piped in buttercream tinted with natural colors.There will be cupcakes for everyone to decorate and pastry bags for you all to try piping your own flowers.
Bess’s edible creations have a few over-arching themes, as listed below.
* All-Natural & Plant-Based Colors: Rather than using synthetic chemical dyes, Bess tints her buttercreams and frostings using natural superfoods, berry powders, plant colors, and blue spirulina.
* Inventive Flavor Profiles: Her cakes balance rich textures with unique spices and fillings. Notable creations include a Spicy Midnight Chocolate Cake featuring cayenne and nutmeg, a Carrot Ginger Cake sweetened with maple syrup, and vanilla chiffon cakes layered with whipped white chocolate ganache. She also frequently accommodates vegan options, utilizing egg alternatives like aquafaba and whipped coconut cream.
* Hyper-Creative Custom Accents: Many of her signature bakes feature realistic, fully edible custom details, such as edible candles crafted from cardamom olive oil cake with white chocolate wax, and chocolate truffle grapes glazed in pomegranate molasses.
If you are interested, you can view her portfolio directly through her official social media platforms on the Sweet Haze Cakes Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sweethaze.cakes/) and Sweet Haze Cakes TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@sweethazecakes).
*And last but not least, a special prize goes to the person who can identify who Bess’s MOM is – we at the BMGC all know her and love her!
2026-2027 Program Co-Chairs:
Chris Bachmann and Sue Gosnell
(Contact via earlysvillebmgc@gmail.com or by using the Members-Only roster for direct contact info)
And just FYI, we are thankful for the folks who have planned to sign up to Host, and hope you will volunteer if you haven’t already! BMGC provides the plates, utensils, napkins, and cups, and the Hostess(es) bring a light snack and maybe something to drink, planning for about 15-20 people. Easy. Fun to do as a team of two, but also often done Solo. Either way is fine! If you want to sign up, please contact list coordinator Laurie Hynes via earlysvillebmgc@gmail.com or by using the Members-Only roster for direct contact info.
September 14, 2026 – Laurie Hynes & Dee Walsh (along with some extra-special goodies from the workshop!
October 12th, 2026 –
November 9th, 2026 – Brown Bag it!
December 14th, 2026 – All Share in a Holiday Potluck!
January 11th, 2027 –
February 8th, 2027 –
March 8th, 2027 –
April 12th, 2027 –
May 10th, 2027-
June 14, 2027 – End of Year Luncheon