Exeter Area Garden Club members welcomed fall at an October Design Workshop where they were challenged with the task of creating an arrangement in an unusual container. Members supplied a variety of containers that had interesting stories behind them. We had a luminary fish, an antique metal teapot dug from a backyard, a bathroom plunger topiary, a box turtle shell, an antique leather lace up shoe, teapots, pitchers and more, all requiring a variety of arranging styles.

Ann and Connie thank all who attended and created fabulous floral arrangements, some of which are pictured below.

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Our General Meeting for October was a feast for garden lovers, starting with our annual Commercial and Residential Award recipients presented by Anne Campbell and Sue Bowman.

We were fortunate enough to have two residential winners, Judy & David Walter of Stratham and Carol & Jack Fermery of Hampton Falls:

 For full description and pictures of gardens, click here

Judy & David Walter

Carol & Jack Fermery

Our Commercial Award went to the Provident Bank, 95 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter, NH for it’s beautifully landscaped parking area,  perimeter and window boxes.

 For full description and pictures of gardens, click here

Josephine Yeo, Assistant VP, Business Development Officer and Will Waltrip,  Senior Relationship Manager

Barbara Dupre and Chad Pimentel of GreensKeepers received certificate for accentuating the bank with glorious window boxes and containers

Joe Brunet, owner of WJ Brunet Landscaping accepted his certificate for transforming the bank’s parking lot

All Winners accepting their Awards

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Next on our meeting agenda was Terri Donsker with a”Hort Moment”.

Terri’s topic was Callicarpa Dichotoma, Purple Beautyberry  Shrub.  She passed around a branch from her garden, loaded with purple berry clusters.  This deciduous shrub attracts bees, birds and butterflies and grows 3 to 4 feet in Zones 5a to 8b.  It grows in full sun to partial shade.

The speaker for our October meeting was Shirley Wigglesworth whose topic was “All About Bulbs”.  At the end of her presentation, Shirley gave out bags of bulbs.

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The last event for October was a fun-filled promise tree Trick or Treat party held at Max’s in Newburyport on October 27th:

Who are these people?

 It was a busy month!