April Happenings

April is National Garden Month

Let’s jump into Spring with some gorgeous floral arrangements, courtesy of our very own designing members. At the March 28th Design Workshop and under the direction of chair, Ann H., members made Easter-themed arrangements, proving once again what a talented group of arrangers we are. Enjoy the results:

And here are some of the creators at work:

These arrangements were made using Sideau, a floral foam alternative crafted from Earthwool, a natural material derived from volcanic igneous rock and fortified with a binder free from plastics and formaldehyde.The floral bricks can be reused or composted, added to the garden soil or as a starter base for seeds. Using this eco-friendly solution to floral foam, we not only reduced waste but contributed to a healthier environment.

In other spring news, our March speaker was Jamie Colen, who has been Garden Director of the beautiful Fuller Gardens for over 20 years. He impressed attendees with his extensive knowledge of soil dynamics and his passionate belief in natural, versus synthetic, soil management.

Members brought Spring to the meeting by displaying their first garden blooms on the Hort Table. A surprising number of cheerful flowers made their appearance, including Iris, hellebores, Pieris japonica, pussy willow, Johnny jump ups, and snowdrops.

And of course, the Hospitality Committee, put on a seasonal show at the refreshment table:

The March meeting also featured an Environment & Conservation presentation on ground insects, those little critters who work busily and mostly out of sight on our soil and plant roots. In addition, Patti E. offered members seeds from the club’s Seed Library, which is open for business again at the Exeter Public Library.

Thanks to Ann H for all the wonderful photos!

A great many members participated in the club’s 2024 Member Survey, which was collected at the February meeting. Ginny T., our Treasurer, gave a brief overview of the results at the March meeting. Although opinions and suggestions varied widely, their were some common responses that will help guide the club in a direction that maintains the relevance and value to our members. More information about the survey will be forthcoming.

The Programs Committee hosted a very elegant “Mingle, Munch and Moot” luncheon on March 14 to explore new ideas for possible meeting programs. Ann S. hosted the group in her beautiful home, while Vicky B. and Mary Anne J. helped with prep and refreshments. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon getting to know each other better. And there was actually some serious discussuion about programs!

Several members of the Civic Beautification Committe put together a cheerful spring welcome for anyone visiting the Stratham Municipal Offices. Our club has adopted the somewhat barren entry as one of our beautification projects and our contributions have been greatly appreciated.

Wellington Gardens is open for the season. Their annual PERENNIAL SALE will be from Saturday, April 27 – Friday, May 3 or until sold out. Sale hours: 7 am – 6 pm. All 4-inch Perennials are $3 each.
Their ANNUALS SPECIAL is Saturday, May 4 – Sunday, May 12 or until sold out, from 7 am – 6 pm. Select Annuals 6-packs are $2.50 each. They’re at 89 Rowell Road East, Brentwood.

UNH Extension has published two articles of special interest to spring gardeners. “How to Utilize Raised Beds for Small Space Gardening” explains how raised beds can be be used to grow flowers, vegetables or even fruit. Find the article here.
And UNH Extension’s question of the week is “Which Spring Ephemerals Are Best for New Hampshire Gardens?” Ephemerals emerge early in the spring, flower and go dormant by summer, only to emerge again the following spring. This article describes those that flourish in NH. You can read about them here.

*_{Spring beauty (Claytonia virginiana) image by Ivy Main, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Common}*

Upcoming Events:

April 11, 12:00 – 1:00pm “Building Resilient Landscapes” Online, Free
Presented by Dan Jaffe Wilder, Director of Applied Ecology, Norcross Wildlife Foundation
In this changing world, it behooves us to build resiliency into every landscape. The days of landscapes dedicated to beauty alone are passing. People are demanding ecologically sensitive landscapes; they want reduced lawn, reduced maintenance, and greater wildlife value. Register here.

April 16 Traffic Stopping Curb Appeal by Kerry Ann Mendez
Hosted by the Rye Driftwood Garden Club. https://www.ryenhgardenclub.org/programs for info.

April 17, 10:30 AM – 12. Flower Arranging presented by Jayne Densmore
Portsmouth Garden Club, held at the Urban Forestry Center, Elwyn Rd., Portsmouth. They ask that non member guests donate $5 to cover cost.

April 22, 2:00 – 3:30pm “Edible Native Plants” Online, Free
Presented by Russ Cohen, Naturalist, edible native plant seed collector, propagator & planter
The fact that many of our native species are edible by people too provides an additional incentive for people to plant them in their yards that might otherwise be insufficiently induced to do so for the ecological rationale alone. Register here.

April 24, 7:00 – 8:00pm “Rethinking Gardening” Online, Free
Hosted by York Public Library. Presented by Wild Seed Project
Our garden plant choices can determine which species can seek refuge in our gardens, how much species diversity we see in residential areas and help minimize impacts of climate change such as flooding and drought. Register here.

May 8, 7:00 – 8:30pm “Gardening Among Hungry Mammals” Online, Free
Presented by Nancy Lawson, Author, The Humane Gardener
Discover how a combination of strategies—including mixtures of preferred and unpalatable species, strategic plantings along well-used pathways, and gentle exclusion techniques—can help you trade resistance for peaceful coexistence. Register here.

Lee C. is creating Gnomes again – this time a special Easter Gnome.

June Happenings

Jun15

My apologies to members who want to see photos of our Spring Luncheon and Plant Auction held Wednesday, but they aren’t ready yet – tune in to the next Happenings for those. I can report, however, that we had a great turnout – 48 members and guests – and everyone had a terrific time and scored some great plants. Our next regular meeting will be on Thursday, September 21, but watch your email and the calendar for field trips and other summer gatherings.

Our May meeting, presented by Ann H. and the Design committee, was a particularly popular event. Attendees were given the opportunity to appreciate the design talents of nine of our members, while learning a little more about each of them through their very personal floral designs. The presenters were tasked with choosing a favorite children’s book to interpret – and the results were stunning. After sharing their creations at our meeting, the designers displayed them at the Stratham Library.

Thanks to the Stratham Library for some of these photos.

The busy May meeting also included E & C’s Bug project. Members were asked to bring a bug found in their home for display. Many predictable household insects turned up – no scorpions or tarantulas, fortunately.

The flower design exercise this spring was to build an arrangement and incorporate wood in any form. The results were varied and creative and fun. Some used wood containers, others used stems, branches, roots, and even decaying wood found on the forest floor. This group was the first to experiment with Agra Wool, a natural floral foam that is 100% biodegradable.

Spring is a busy time for EAGC’s community service volunteers. Civic Beautification members raked, weeded, and planted at our two major sites, the American Independence Museum in Exeter and the Stratham Veterans Memorial Garden. Both areas cleaned up nicely and were readied for summer visitors. Weekly volunteer schedules have been arranged to maintain the gardens into the fall. Our communities surely appreciate our efforts.

Our landscape designer oversaw cleanup at AIM.

Cleanup at the Veterans Garden under a perfectly blue sky.

Another beautification effort EAGC has undertaken is at the entrance to the Stratham Municipal Center Offices. These pots are updated seasonally and certainly help cheer up the entry for residents and employees. Thank you to all our hard-working volunteers!

It’s not too late to add another container to your deck or patio. There are still plenty of plants available at local nurseries. For some professional tips on container plant selection and care, check out a recent article in AHS’s American Gardener magazine by Mary-Kate Mackey, Pro Tips for Container Gardening in All Climates.

Lynda B. has shared more of her photos of Exeter’s beautiful and historic spots. Enjoy…

October Happenings

Nov10

As we busily gear up for our debut appearance at the Yuletide Fair on November 19, let’s take a look at what’s been going on for the past month. The Awards Committee, under Mary Jo C.’s expert leadership, provided an impressive program for the October general meeting. We were fortunate that a number of award recipients were present to accept their awards and discuss their gardens.

The award for Outstanding Civic Garden was presented to Eric Chinburg, President and CEO of Chinburg Properties, Chestnut Street Apartments in Exeter (Accepting the award on his behalf was Lexi Jackson, property manager of Chestnut St. Apts.) Also receiving the award were Barbara H. Beardsley, designer and lead gardener of the sustainable meadow at the Chestnut St. Apts. and Ann Smith, the assistant gardener. The Outstanding Residential Garden Award was presented jointly to Sherri and Kim Brown, 12 Brown Rd. in Hampton Falls.

Ann Smith (L) and Lexi Jackson (R) with Awards Committee members Lynda B & Jann B

Photos of the Brown’s lovely gardens:

The “Meadow of Hope” at the Chestnut St. Apartments:

The Hort Table at the October meeting held a surprisingly colorful selection of garden cuttings for this time of year. Committee chair, Ann H. would like to thank the members who shared horticulture from their gardens at the meeting. With variable weather becoming our new normal, it was good to see what fall plants were flourishing in spite of the dry conditions in our New Hampshire Seacoast.

Paige C.’s Monkshood didn’t make it to the Hort table

Other highlights from the October meeting:

Our November General Meeting, on Nov. 17th, will feature speakers whose previous presentation was cancelled due to Covid precautions. Jana Milbocker & Joan Butler from Enchanted Gardens in Massachusetts will speak on “Artists’ Gardens in New England.” Some of our most beloved painters, sculptors and authors were inspired by the gardens they created. Visit the private havens of Edith Wharton, Julian Alden Weir, Childe Hassam, Daniel Chester French, Emily Dickinson, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Celia Thaxter and others. Learn about the gardens’ histories, design and horticultural highlights in this richly illustrated presentation.

Making for a busy week, our general meeting will be followed the very next day by our Yuletide Fair workshop, at the Stratham Municipal Center, from 1 to 5 PM. Expect amazing creativity to happen as we assemble floral arrangements for the fair. This will be a fun and productive event. If you haven’t signed up yet, check with Ann H. or Lee C. to get the details. And then bright and early the following day, Nov. 19, members will be transporting our creations to the Cooperative Middle School in Stratham for the fair, which starts at 9 AM. Volunteers have been recruited for our sales table, set-up, and clean-up. A large crowd typically shops at this fair, so we’re anticipating a successful (and probably exhausting) day.

Summer Happenings

Jun27

Designing Women Place Second

We’re excited to report that Lee C,, with design assistance from Ann H., placed second at the Ogunquit Art Museum’s Art in Bloom event last weekend. This is even more of an accomplishment since it was Lee’s first time. Lee was happy to receive welcome comments from judges and exhibitors and said, “though it was sometimes a pain, I do appreciate having been given such an interesting and challenging opportunity.”

Photos of other entries, compliments of Ann H.:

Our June Plant Auction and Luncheon was well-attended and festive. Most wore hats to help celebrate the event and hats were the table centerpieces, decorated with live flowers by members of the Hospitality Committee. Max F. made sure the auction was fun and efficient and members enjoyed a tasty meal topped off by a strawberry dessert. We even managed to take care of business: the new Executive Board was sworn in. Many thanks to Jill C. and her Hospitality crew for another perfect Spring celebration. (Thanks to Patti Smith for the photos.)

Have a hankering to see some gardens? The Candia Garden Club invites you to their first Garden Tour on Saturday, July 16, 9 AM to 1 PM. Cost is $15. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Judy at Judyjs3@comcast.net.

Garden weeding is an ongoing task for all gardeners. How do you weed your garden and be kind to your bones, back and joints? How do you avoid a compression fracture? Here’s a video from Melioguide demonstrating how to safely weed your garden. How to Weed Your Garden

To close this Happenings in style, here are more photos of Exeter, perfectly captured by

Lynda B.

March Happenings

Mar9

It’s safe to say that spring is in the air. Even though that air might feel damp and cold today and snow clouds are hovering overhead, most of us are sensing a certain optimism that we’ll soon be poking around in our gardens again. All we have to do is look for the early bulbs popping out of the soil in our sunny beds for evidence.

James Brewer, our February speaker, showed us what can be achieved in our landscapes this summer – if we are amazingly talented or if we have him design our gardens. Attendees enjoyed slides of his spectacular landscape design work, along with his descriptions of the projects and of his transition from novice English gardener to established New England landscape designer.

In addition to an interesting selection of very healthy houseplants and tempting homemade snacks, Linda S. provided servings of Green Goddess soup for members. She has shared the recipe for this delicious (and very green) soup – it can be found in the Recipe Box on the website. (Thanks to Patti S. & Ann H. for the photos.)

As a followup to his appearance at our meeting, James Brewer sent us this note:
‘Dear ladies / members of the Stratham & Exeter Garden Club’.

I wanted to send you all a huge thank you for making Bill and I feel so welcome and staying awake while I talked to you all today.
Thank you for the opportunity to share a snippet of my story and discuss some of my gardens both large and small.
I wish you well for the coming season and hope you all enjoy your gardens, have good health and bountiful blooms in 2022…

Cheers,
James & Mr. Billster…

Club News:
Our Budget Committee met on March 3rd to draw up a budget for next year. The membership will be voting on the budget at the May meeting. In the meantime, there are a few vacancies on the board for committee chairs for next year. If you are interested in getting to know more members or becoming more involved, please contact Linda S. to discuss the positions that are available. Current and former board members will tell you that being on the board is the “funnest” part of being a garden club member. And if you’re interested in helping out on the Nominating Committee, there is still time to sign up, by contacting Linda S.

Our club is very excited to announce that, in conjunction with the Exeter Library, we’ll be hosting horticulturalist and garden historian John Forti, on May 24th at 6PM in the library’s Meeting Room. He will be giving a talk on heirloom gardening. John has directed gardens for Plimoth Plantation Museum, Strawberry Banke Museum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and Bedrock Gardens. He also serves as a regional Slow Food Governor and biodiversity specialist for Slow Food USA. Here is a synopsis of his presentation:

The Heirloom Gardener – Traditional Plants and Skills is John Forti’s newest presentation. It draws from his new book of traditional plants and skills for the modern world. Richly illustrated with period images and contemporary woodcuts, his PowerPoint shares inspiration from our long history of heirloom preservation, garden craft and homestead lifeways. Artisanal gardening lifestyles that are helping us to rebuild vibrant local agricultural economies and celebrate sustainable cottage industries that are contributing to our new, homegrown American arts & crafts movement and backyard environmentalism. At a time when we could all use a little good news, we hope you will join us for a refreshing look at how you can make a difference and build habitat in your own backyard and community.

He also has a book. These days, we all need some good news and a way to participate in meaningful change. The Heirloom Gardener-Traditional Plants and Skills for the Modern World is a book for gardeners who want to deepen their knowledge and improve life for families, pollinators and wildlife in their own backyards. It’s a love poem to the earth; a map to the art of living intentionally and a guidepost for environmental gardeners and artisans. It unearths old-ways, storied plants and artisanal life-skills; like seed-saving, herbalism, foraging, distillation, ethnobotany and organics which contribute to a new 21st century arts and crafts movement. With woodcuts from Caldecott Medal VT artist Mary Azarian, The Heirloom Garden offers a dose of wild hope for a weary nation. It is available through this link.

“A Garden for Pollinators & Wildlife: Natural Landscaping for a Better Yard” is a program being offered at the Brentwood Library on Tuesday, March 15 from 7 to 8 pm. The talk will be presented by Vicki J. Brown, NH Natural Resources Steward, Pollinator Pathways NH Organizing Founder and Speaking for Wildlife volunteer. She will provide insights on ways to attract butterflies, bees, birds and other wildlife to your yard. You can sign up by clicking here.

Did you realize that saffron, that pricey and difficult-to-access spice is now being grown in New England? Here’s an interesting article, provided by Linda S., that explains the how and the where of local saffron: Why the Most Expensive Spice in the World Is Now Growing in Hundreds of Small American Farms.

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