Tag Archive | American Independence Museum

August Happenings

Photo: Wikipedia Creative Commons

Can we all agree that we’ve had enough of the heat and the drought? This has been a trying summer for gardeners and now that towns are limiting or banning outdoor gardening, it may be time to give up the ghost and start planning for next year’s garden. Fortunately, we’ve had some fun diversions to take our minds off all the brown and withered plants in our gardens.

Jill C. and Jan C. hosted a very fun “Mad Hatter Tea Party”, bringing members together to display some heat-induced silliness. The party featured costumes, finger sandwiches, tea and punch, pretty floral centerpieces, a quiz, and many laughs – all in the air-conditioned comfort of Jill’s home. (Thanks go to Jill’s husband, Bill, who labored in the heat to set up a croquet court, which went unused on that 90+ degree day.)

This week, Lee C. very generously shared her wonderful lake house in Wakefield, NH with garden club members. Lee, her husband Doug, and her son (and super-baker) Ben pulled out all the stops in providing us with a relaxing mini-vacation in a lovely wooded setting.

Later in the day, we were treated to a pontoon boat tour of Pine River Pond, with Captain Doug at the helm. One of the highlights of the cruise was the sighting of two eagles.

For those of you who’ve noticed our garden club’s absence at the Exeter Bandstand, you can now see our sign and our gardening efforts at the Exeter American Independence Museum. Members have been weeding and watering (until Exeter recently banned outdoor watering) and the beds look good. Next year, with some growth, they’ll be even better!

What happens when gardeners take a day off from gardening to gather for some relaxation? They talk about gardening, of course. At Lee’s lake house, a discussion about a particular weed came up – a weed none of us could positively name but were certainly familiar with.

Photo: Gateway Garlic Farm

Lee did some research for us and found some facts that should be useful to all of us. This familiar weed is Spotted Spurge. According to Gateway Garlic Farm, “spotted spurge is undesirable, tenacious and mildly poisonous. Its sap is a skin irritant and it’s been known to attract many garden insect pests. It produces a milky white sap that’s not only an irritant but is considered carcinogenic.

Often found growing in garden beds, lawns, and even sidewalk cracks, it’s extremely drought resistant and would make an awesome groundcover if it didn’t adversely affect nerby plants by causing them to grow diminished fruit. It is sometimes confused with purslane but can easily be distinguished by its milky white sap.” It’s also important to note that one spurge plant produces thousands of seeds, as evidenced by these photos taken by Patti E.

Hot and dry weather obviously haven’t affected Vicki B.’s gorgeous daylily bed. She started this bed three years ago this fall. “I started Daylily fascination at the 2004 July sale at Pinhill Farms Garden in Harvard MA.,” Vicki says. “Mr. Lefkovitz was a daylily hybridizer and his wife kept the logs, organized the summer sale, and coordinated the September digs.  From 2004-2007, I purchased 16 different plants, with 4 being created at Pinhill Farms.  I accumulated another 15 from various places.  I have some favorites that appear in several places for over 55 daylily plants at my home.  It is too many.  Fun story, my Hyperium was from a neighbor that got hers from the head gardener at the Emily Dickinson estate in Western MA.  My double orange Fulva (street daylily) is from my grandmother’s garden in the 1930’s and must be isolated from the hybrids.”  The colors are stunning:

This little white spider was photographed by Linda S. at the Independence Museum.

Thanks to our Happenings photographers, Ann H., Linda S., and Patti S.

February Happenings

Members who attended our January General Meeting learned all about herbs from Sarah Marcoux of the UNH Extension office, took advantage of our Sales Table, met a new member, and of course, enjoyed homemade refreshments compliments of our Hospitality Committee.

We also got a close-up look at Karen W.’s impressive landscaping plan for the American Independence Museum in Exeter. As many of you know, an EAGC committee is working with the museum to rejuvenate their landscaping, in particular the beds in front of the building. Our club, as well as the museum, are very fortunate to have Karen’s expertise as a landscape designer in creating a plan for beautiful, historical, and practical garden beds. Although some of our members may choose to volunteer some maintenance, the bulk of the bed installation will be handled by a landscaping company – good news for those of us who no longer relish doing the heavy lifting!

A portion of the site plan

Garden Design will be the topic at our February 17 general meeting. Our speaker, James Brewer, is a landscape designer who has been working within gardens since his boyhood years in England. He came from a sleepy village in Northamptonshire with natural stone thatch collages, an 18th century church ringing its lethargic bell and an abundance of wildlife within its rolling fields. Influenced by his surroundings James started his landscaping business in England in 1995 by lawn mowing and weeding, certainly humble beginnings.

A unique garden project in 2006 led to his enthusiastic personality and work catching the eye of the BBC and various publications in garden magazines.  In 2014, James moved to New Hampshire and embarked on a steep learning curve with our climate and vastly different plants.  In a short time, James has helped dozens of clients achieve new gardens and several ‘Signature’ projects throughout the state. 

These include a small Pocket / Courtyard Garden in Portsmouth; Downton Abbey / Baroque creation in Dover; and a ‘Testimony in Granite’ garden, which is a ‘Wolfe-henge’ style garden in the mountains of Wolfeboro overlooking Lake Wentworth.  Each of his designs are highly unique and combine aspects of classical English garden design while embracing the best plants and materials available to us in New Hampshire. We’re certain to see photos of some of James’ lovely gardens.

It’s that time of the club year when a Nominating Committee is formed to look for new officers and committee chairs. Although many will be returning to their positions, there will be some openings. Linda S. is asking members to contact her if they are interested in serving on the board and/or being on the Nominating Committee. On March 3rd, the Budget Committee will be meeting to prepare a budget for next year. If you chair a committee, please submit your budget request to Susan C. before then. And if you’d like to serve on the Budget Committee, contact Susan or Linda.

Although the Environment & Conservation Committee has put their traditional Mini-Grant program on hiatus for the year, they have been busy formulating a Pollinator Corridor grant plan in conjunction with the Exeter Library’s speaker program. The grants of $100 will be available to Exeter residents who will use the funds to plant pollinator-friendly seeds or plants in an effort to create a pollinator corridor in Exeter. More details about the grants will be available soon.

For those of us who are weary of the winter whiteness, here’s something colorful to feast our eyes on. The Amercan Horticultural Society has released its new plant recommendations for 2022. Even if we never plant one of these beauties, it’s uplifting just to look at the pictures. Click on this link and enjoy.

Photo by Skyler Ewing from Pexels