October Happenings

Before we plunge into the upcoming Holiday activities, let’s take a minute to review some October club happenings. Remember October? Warm sun, lingering blooms, shirt-sleeve weather, sunset at 6:30? Let’s take one last look:

Our October General Meeting was packed with so many special events and exhibits that we had no time for a formal speaker. First and foremost, our Awards Committee, led by Mary Jo, announced the very deserving recipients of this year’s Civic Beautification Awards. In a detailed and enthusiastic presentation, Mary Jo and Jann B described the winning gardens and introduced their dedicated gardeners to the audience. The Residential Award was presented to John and Doreen Andriola, 14 Breakfast Hill Rd., Greenland.

The Commercial Award was presented to Squamscott View Apartments, 277 Water Street, Exeter.  These people were recognized for their contribution: CJ Harding Smith, maintenance supervisor; Matt Berube, manager for the Town of Exeter Water and Sewer; Mary Dupre, former Apartments resident and founder of the flower gardens; Sally McRae, resident and current coordinator of the flower gardens; and Margaret Niland, resident and coordinator of the vegetable gardens.

Carol C. added an interesting and delicious aspect to the meeting with her in-depth presentation on sage. Not only did she provide us with valuable information, she also prepared delicious examples of how sage can be used in various types of food. Her Butternut Squash Soup with Sage was a big hit.

A new meeting feature, sponsored by the Horticulture Committee, is a Hort Specimen table. Many members chose blooms and other foliage from their October gardens, popped them in small containers, and displayed them for all to enjoy. I think we were all surprised at the color and interest that could be plucked from our fall gardens. This will be an ongoing effort, so be on the lookout for your contribution to the November meeting

The Environment & Conservation Committee had their usual detailed display table – this month dealing with the maple tree. Handouts, posters, leaf specimens, and more were available.

Dismantling the Exeter Bandstand flower boxes and cleaning up for the Fall are annual tasks handled ably by the Civic Beautification Committee. This year’s cleanup was organized by Donna W, who with her crew, whipped the bandstand into shape for the coming winter snow and slush. As usual, the committee did a wonderful job this spring and summer of beautifying the heart of downtown Exeter.

For the November 21st General Meeting we’ll be hosting the Hampton Garden Club. Our guest speakers, Jana Milbocker and Joan Butler, will be presenting “The Garden Tourist.” Vicki has provided us with some information about the speakers and their topic.

Do you enjoy touring beautiful gardens? Jana Milbocker and Joan Butler will take us to the best public gardens, nursery display gardens, and private gardens in the Northeast.  Learn about each garden’s highlights, ideal times to visit, and enjoy a visual tour of each amazing destination.  Jana’s book, “The Garden Tourist: 120 Destination Gardens and Nurseries in the Northeast,” will be for sale.

Jana Milbocker and Joan Butler are avid gardeners, plant collectors, garden designers and writers. They jointly lecture on a variety of gardening topics to garden clubs and community education classes. They have presented programs at the Boston Flower & Garden Show, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Blithewold and at the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts (GCFM).

Jana and Joan are past presidents of the Holliston Garden Club and are active in the GCFM and other horticultural societies. Currently, they both serve on the board of the Massachusetts Landscape Design Council.

Jana is a garden designer and owner of Enchanted Gardens, a landscape design and installation firm in Holliston. She is the author of The Garden Tourist: 120 Destination Gardens and Nurseries in the Northeast, published in 2018. She has authored gardening articles which have been published nationally and writes a website blog at enchantedgardensdesign.com.

Joan is a Horticulturist at Weston Nurseries and a Master Gardener. She is a former Chairman of the Massachusetts Landscape Design Council, is a member of Garden Consultants Council and is an accredited Flower Show Judge. Currently, Joan serves on the GCFM Board as Awards Chairman.

Thank you to Ann H and Donna R for the terrific photos found in this post.

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