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Fall Happenings

Your fall update of garden club activities is long overdue. Here is a quick pictorial run-down of the happenings.

October and November were busy months when it comes to Promise Tree events. Members were offered interesting field trips, potted berry bushes, flowering plants, and even handmade fabric pumpkins donated by a Hampton Garden Club member. Here are some pictures to document the field trips:

Paula F reports that the November tour of the Mushroom Company in Tamworth was fascinating. Attendees learned that growing these strange looking fungi is a complicated process.

The October Promise Tree tour of the Woodman Museum in Dover surprised attendees – they agreed that the museum collections are so varied and eclectic that another day of touring would be needed to appreciate all it has to offer.

Nance J’s Civic Beautification volunteers spent a sunny but chilly morning taking care of fall clean-up at the bandstand in Exeter in late October. The bandstand was the beautiful, blooming centerpiece of the downtown again this summer, thanks to Nance and her crew.

While we’re talking about Civic Beautification, here are pictures of the team decorating the Exeter Historical Society a few weeks ago. Their efforts certainly help brighten the downtown for the holidays. According to Ann H, “The weather was wet and miserable but this hardy crew did a fabulous job. The Historical Society building looks quite festive for their holiday gathering.
Nance and Donna made a beautiful swag for the signpost out front and Bill C volunteered the manpower to climb a ladder in the rain and tie it up. Lee provided a generous amount of greens for the pots outdoors, our boxwood came from Jill F’s landscape, and red twig dogwood from Linda V’s gardens.”

And now for the big reveal…

EAGC’s Awards Committee searched far and wide all summer to choose the winners of our annual Beautification Awards. These were presented at the October general meeting by co-chairs Anne C. and Mary-Jo. In addition to our traditional residential and commercial awards, a special Community Award was presented to Judy Sheldon for her lovely bed at the Exeter Library. Judy just happens to have been president of our club from 1992-93.

The Residential Award was presented to Joe Fischer by Ann C.

The Commercial Award went to Graham Tire & Auto and Deshenes Landscape Service. Matt & Dan Deshenes gave small talk on the project.

Judy Sheldon explains her work at the Exeter Library site.

Just a reminder — minutes of the board and general meetings are compiled by our Recording Secretary Vicky and are available for viewing here or can be found under “Members Only”.

January Happenings

January is typically a quiet time for gardeners and EAGC gardeners are no exception. Our December Happenings post was awash with photos of members enjoying holiday festivities. This month, in lieu of member photos, you’ll find some creative Valentine’s Day arrangements. It goes without saying, of course, that these photos can’t hold a candle to the lovely faces of our members!

Have you ever wondered what goes on in your garden when you aren’t watching? Click on this wonderful video to see the pollination process up close. You’ll be surprised by some of the pollinators in action. Vicki from Environment &Conservation found this for us.

Some of the finest photography…click on HD for sharper view

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xHkq1edcbk4?rel=0

February’s Horticulture Tip is available on the website. Since this is the season for indoor gardening, LuAnn has some suggestion for keeping our houseplants happy. Click here to check it out.

Minutes of the past two meetings can be found on the Website. Click here to go to the Meeting Minutes page.

Carole Chanasyk recently attended the New Hampshire Orchid Society Annual Show and is sharing a few of her photos with us. These gorgeous blooms are guaranteed to brighten any winter day.

It’s Mini-Grant time!

Linda & Edie, from E&C, are kicking off the Mini-Grant application process for 2018. We received fewer applications than usual last year and E&C would like to attract more interest this year. If you know of anyone who maintains a public garden, or who would like to beautify a public spot in our area, please encourage them to apply for a mini-grant. This year the grants will increase to $100 to $400, well worth the time required to submit an application. Click here to go to the Mini-Grant page of our website for much more info on this great program.

In keeping with this year’s theme of pollinators, E&C has found an interesting program called “To Bee or Not to Bee” , which will address landscaping to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. The program is presented by Andi Ross and will be on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 11 to 12:30 at the Newburyport Library. More info can be found here.

November Happenings

November was the month for EAGC to acknowledge the gardening successes of the past summer and to begin preparations for the upcoming Holidays. Here are some highlights of the November General meeting….

Anne C, Sue B, and Mary Jo presented our annual Beautification Awards:

Winners of the Residential Award — Sherm and Cathy Pridham of 23 High St., Stratham

Representatives from St. Vincent de Paul, 53 Lincoln St., Exeter, who received the

Commercial Award

David Donsker accepted an Honorary Award on behalf of his wife, Terri, for the outstanding garden she loved to share with her fellow club members.

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The Design Committee arranged a showing of the beautiful Holiday centerpieces made by members at their November design class. It’s evident that we have some talented floral arrangements amongst us:

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The Beautification Committee met late in the month to decorate the Exeter Historical Society for the Holidays. As always, the results are colorful and festive:

Lynda models the Folsom Tavern door wreath…

Lots of volunteers make for quick work….

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Are you wondering what to buy your gardening friends for the Holidays? Just in time for last minute shopping, E&C Chair Linda has put together a list of Pollinator-oriented books for gifting….

Books to Put on Your Christmas List

Attracting Native Pollinators – The Xerces Society An informative and easily read book about pollinators, pollination, and how to incorporate them into your landscape…no matter what size.

Bringing Nature Home – Douglas W. Tallamy Wonderful discussion of native plants and how to plant so you encourage the pollinators you want. Not all pollinators pollinate everything.

The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener – Tammi Hartung How to attract and encourage pollinators and other insects that are beneficial to your vegetables.

A Book of Bees – Sue Hubbell All you want to know about bees and their lives.

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If you missed the November General Meeting, see what you missed in the Minutes, which can be found on the Website, under “Members Only.”

Stratham’s Serene Veteran’s Memorial Garden

If you haven’t had the opportunity this summer to stop by Stratham Hill Park to spend a few minutes at the Veterans’ Memorial Garden, try to do it soon. EAGC’s plantings are at peak fall beauty. The sedum is blooming a dusty rose, which is set off by profuse white petunias. The grasses give the garden height and interest, even from the road. Civic Beautification Chair Melanie, along with her team of member volunteers, have worked hard to provide Stratham with a lovely and peaceful place of remembrance.

A Beautiful Year for the Exeter Bandstand

Nance J and her Civic Beautification committee have outdone themselves this year with the Bandstand plantings. The plant selection was perfect and the flower boxes have remained healthy and covered in blossoms, even into September. The eye-catching chartreuse coleus do a wonderful job of breaking up the greenery at the base of the Bandstand.

Thank you to Nance and her trusty assistants for choosing the flowers and planting them. And thank you to all the club members who volunteered for a week of maintenance. Your efforts make the Bandstand the most photogenic spot in Exeter!

As you can see, even creatures from outer space want to be photographed here!