Donna R. obviously has green thumbs. And she’s a talented photographer too!
Organic Beefsteaks — “We had a nice year of tomatoes. “
Organic Carrots
Garlic — “We planted in the fall and harvested them in July. Twenty five huge organic bulbs that made us very excited.”
“Our first attempt at onions brought us a small happy harvest.”
Organic Squash — “We thought we would attempt these this year. We have had quite a harvest.”
“When I came to the first meeting you had the speaker from Fuller Gardens. After his talk I decided to try and grow a rose bush. Here is one of the first 7 roses that it keeps producing. I’m very excited about being able to nurture this rose.”
“Some of the sunflowers growing in our gardens.”
“I enjoy putting together the window boxes.”
“The mom built a nest on the hose so we had to water from another source until the birds left the nest. We had two other nests in our shrubs and you couldn’t go near them or the mother would aim and dive for your head!!”
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And from Linda V, “My helianthus and Joe Pye weed are still going strong.”
Today’s high temperature calls for that time-honored question: “Is it hot enough for you?” Or maybe I could ask, “Is it hot here, or is it just me?”
Dianna braved the heat to take a few pictures of her gorgeous garden and has shared them with us.
Dianna comments, “The ‘rock wall’ flower bed contains many flowers from our EAGC auctions, which makes it one of my favorite beds. The big blue pot is from Betsy, aka Swap Shop, bleeding hearts from Susan, beautiful red Japanese maple from Nancy P, evening primrose from Nance, spotted leaf plant from Carole, Canadian ginger from Connie, etc.”
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LuAnn also has a few shots from her garden:
LuAnn says, “This is my favorite shade of pink. They really brighten up a garden. These phlox are a hybrid – so very little mildew.”
“Every year, this hydrangea produces at least 3 colors of blooms. This year is a bonus year for blooms, but they’re mostly on the lower part of the plant and none is on its north or west side.”
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Here’s a newPromise Tree leaf that sounds really tempting! This is from Edie:
Tired of weeding your garden? For a $20 donation to the Promise Tree, I will weed your garden for 2 hours. To call me to schedule a time, click here: Edie
Lee’s offer of Iris bulbs is still available too. She’ll have them available at the Meeting/Lunch on the 16th at Susan’s home.
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Speaking of the August Meeting/Lunch – it’s at noon on Thursday, August 16th, at Susan’s beautiful home. If you haven’t already, please call her to let her know you’re coming and what dish you’ll be bringing. As an added bonus — we’ll have a chance to get acquainted with some of our newest members!
An informal Summer Meeting had been scheduled for next Thursday, July 19. Unfortunately, this meeting had to be cancelled, but Susan C. will be hosting a lunch/barbecue meeting at her home on Thursday, August 16. Watch your email for further details!
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The June Board Meeting includes both the current Board and the new, incoming members of next year’s Board. This is the meeting where next year’s plans are discussed and new Board members are familiarized with their upcoming jobs. Of course none of this happens without good food, so the new Board members were treated to a potluck brunch. Here are a few shots of the action. (Sorry, no food photos!)
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The big news for June was our festive June Luncheon and Plant Auction, held at the Portsmouth Country Club, with 44 attending. As always, members and guests were able to bid on lots of happy, healthy plants which had been nurtured and donated by fellow members. Max performed admirably as auctioneer again this year – whipping through dozens of plants with efficiency and a hefty dollop of humor. We added $849 to our treasury thanks to the plant sales.
Plants (and Auctioneer Max) arriving for the auction.
Betsy A. and her Hospitality Committee arranged for a delicious buffet luncheon and lovely table settings, including handmade centerpieces which were raffled off to some happy winners. The Environment & Conservation Committee provided two spectacular baskets packed full of gardening items, one of which was awarded to the member who brought her own coffee cup to the meetings most regularly – a great way to emphasize the “conservation” part of this committee’s goal. In total, the various raffles brought in almost $125 for our club.
E&C’s Raffle Baskets:
Table centerpieces
The luncheon culminated with the installation of our club’s new Executive Board and the grateful acknowledgement of outgoing Presidents, Jill and Betsy and Vice-President Mel, for jobs very well done. Anne C. performed the installation of new officers, presenting each of the five board members with a plant to symbolize their individual responsibility to the club.
Anne C. installing officers
A list of the full Board, including Committee Chairs, can be found on the website under “Members Only“. (While you’re there, check out some of the other interesting members only info available to you.)
Our new Executive Board: Susan, president; Linda S, vice-president; Vicki, recording secretary; Florence, returning as corresponding secretary; and Jill, treasurer. (All the distractions of this fun event made a better picture impossible!)
More Luncheon Photos (thanks to Nance J.):
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Gardening Event
Members of our club have been invited to this interesting and timely presentation:
Please join the Piscataqua Garden Club on Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 10:30 am at The Reading Room, 491 York Street, York Harbor, Maine, for a presentation on the impacts of climate change, “Preparing for Sea Level Rise” , by Gayle Bowness, Science Education Program Manager, Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
We have all noticed the increasing news coverage of intense storms, unusual temperatures, ocean warming and coastal flooding. As these issues become more prevalent in our daily lives, it is becoming more important to understand the impacts of these events – today and in the future. Ensuring the region’s resiliency to climate impacts, such as sea level rise, requires a scientifically informed and engaged public.
Join us for an interactive presentation to explore the data behind sea level rise. Together, we’ll review models projecting impacts in your community and case studies of resiliency from across the globe.
Gayle Bowness, a Nova Scotia native, with a B.S. in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University and a M.S. from Lesley University in Ecological Teaching and Learning will lead us in this experience. Gayle and her family have lived in Cape Elizabeth, Maine for 14 years where they enjoy exploring the state’s coastline. She has been working at Gulf of Maine Research Institute since 2005. As a pioneer in collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, located in Portland, is dedicated to the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. Gayle has designed and delivered a variety of education programs, from watersheds to electrical efficiency and is now focused on sea level as the impacts of climate change become increasingly visible.
Understanding more about this timely topic seems to have become a priority of younger generations which we hope captures their and all interested guests’ attention to participate and engage in this event.
Open to the public. Suggested donation $5 at the door.
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Lee C. has added a Leaf to our Promise Tree:
⇒ Iris — Baby blue to white, sometimes fall-blooming. They grow to 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall. Three dollars a pot while they last. EmailLeeto arrange pickup.
Are you new to the club or need a refresher on how our Promise Tree program works? Click here for details!
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
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. Clickhere 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.
The first few weeks of the new year offer a chance to reflect on the festivities of December and to look forward to what’s in store for the coming months. A highlight of December was Susan’s Promise Tree Luncheon — wonderful food and great company!
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Betsy V hosted her annual Swap Shop Yankee Swap party. Anyone who’s ever attended knows it’s an afternoon of belly laughs and, ahem, interesting gifts. (See below.)
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The Holiday Luncheon at the Wentworth Country Club, sponsored by the Herb Committee, was an especially festive event. Members enjoyed a delicious lunch followed by a gift exchange. This event is always a special way to wrap up another garden club year.
The gift exchange was a hit:
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The Environment & Conservation Committee is dedicating the entire year to an exploration of Pollinators and the plants they call home, to encourage members to plant with the native plants that will attract pollinators. Here is an overview, from Chair Linda V, of what we can expect from E&C’s research:
We hope that by May you will want to join our effort to register gardens as part of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge sponsored by www.MillionPollinatorGardens.org. At our general meetings we will feature pollinators and the native plants that will encourage them. (Did you know that most pollinators pollinate specific plants?)
Each month we will have our usual posters, but we will also have handouts for you to take home. Be sure to look for them.
In April we will have a sign-up sheet for those who would like a booklet of the information presented during the year. You may use these booklets to educate your grandchildren about the importance of pollination and pollinators.
So – Bee sure to look for our table at each general meeting. We will be presenting the following: November: Bees and Wasps January: Butterflies and Moths February: Other Pollinators in Our Landscape April: Native Plants that Attract Pollinators May: Wrap-Up the Year June Luncheon: Raffle of pollinator items – so remember to bring your coffee cups to monthly meetings to be punched.
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Fresh off the Press — Horticulture Tips!
Be sure to click here to see the January Hort Tips, presented this month by Linda V. You won’t want to miss this timely information. The birds will thank you!
