January 011 Never Done! The Garden Club of Harvard Volume XVII, Issue 4 Come to the Plant Sale Planning Luncheon Tuesday, February 8, at Barbers Crossing Pam Marston With one storm after another, it seems that winter has taken an even greater hold on New England. But you know that, soon, spring will come in a rush! Join other Garden Club members on Tuesday, February 8 at noon, at Barbers Crossing Restaurant, to plan for the spring plant sale. Bring your ideas what worked well last year, what you d like to change, how to add new and interesting plants. At Barbers Crossing, enjoy one of many tasty offerings such as their famous onion soup, a Caesar salad, or a delicious sandwich. The restaurant is located in Sterling at 175 Leominster Road (Route 1). Take route 117 west to route I-190 south. Take exit 6 (route 1 N). Barbers Crossing is on the right shortly after the ramp. Inside this issue: Welcome to New Member Louisa Van Baalen Have You Seen Any Great Gardening Books Lately? Announcements and Events Connie s Excellent Adventure at Longwood Gardens 3 Sign up for the luncheon at the January 31 meeting or email Pam Marston at pam.marston@gmail.com. Deadline to sign up is February. Greens Workshop was a great success About 30 people attended the December Greens Workshop a record high for recent years. Some were non-members who just came to help make holiday arrangements for Harvard shut-ins. And a couple of those have been inspired to join! The Garden Club has received numerous warm thank-you notes from the people who were presented with arrangements. They all described how the gift had brightened their homes for the holidays. Thanks to all who attended, to the drivers who delivered the arrangements, and to Deb Dowson, Barbara Heim, Karen Green, and Doreen Lewis, who organized it. Flora in Winter: Arrangement by Lois Frampton and Deb Dowson 4
Have you seen any great books on gardening lately? If so, please let Deb Dowson know, so that she can consider them for our yearly donation to the Harvard Public Library. And, if you are longing for new garden ideas to brighten your winter days, go to the library and check out some of the wonderful books in their collection from the Garden Club s donations in years past. Welcome to new member Louisa Van Baalen Louisa Van Baalen joined the Garden Club this fall. She has been a resident of Harvard for the past 15 years, but since taking early retirement, she is at last finding time for interests that received short shrift during her 37 years at Harvard University. Her last position at Harvard was Director of Doctoral Programs at the Kennedy School of Government. She also served for 5 years as a freshman advisor in Harvard College. Much of Louisa s time is spent tending a cottage and gardens on the Maine coast, sailing with her husband on their 40-foot Hinckley yawl, playing golf, and hiking. She and her husband lead small travel groups for the Harvard Alumni Association every year. Recent trips have included New Zealand and Australia, Antarctica, Turkey, and the Silk Road. Louisa s gardening efforts focus on her vegetable gardens and miscellaneous small perennial beds, which she shares with an estimated 4 woodchucks and countless deer. The way she sees it, she has moved into THEIR backyard. She hopes to learn from veteran members of the Garden Club how to choose shadeloving plants that will survive predators, plants that can tolerate full sun with minimal watering, and perennials that can survive the wind off the ocean at the Maine cottage. She has enjoyed interaction with residents at Apple Valley through the garden therapy program, and recipients of arrangements made at the Christmas greens workshop, and looks forward to working on the plant sale this spring. Announcements and Events Cast of 1,000 Sunday, February 13th at pm. Showing of the movie and local panel discussion about the beginnings of the cleaning up of the Nashua River and the tremendous efforts by Marion Stoddard. Located behind the Bulfinch Church on Main Street in Lancaster. Call Rona at 978.779.59 to find out more. Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Oxbow NWR, Lancaster Friends of the Nashua River, and Lancaster Land Trust. Winter Garden Design Thursday, Feb 17, 1:30 pm. Garden in the Woods, Framingham. Sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping Ass n. Winter in cold climates drives most gardeners indoors, but with winter garden design tips, the view out the window can be spectacular. Winter interest can be achieved through a wide palate of architectural plants that persist through winter. The Society staff will expand our considerations beyond evergreens to include the form of many deciduous trees and shrubs, grasses, and a few perennials that remain Page attractive throughout winter. Register online now. $0 ELA Members $5 Non-Members. Boston Flower and Garden Show Wednesday, March 16 Sunday, March 0. This year s theme is A Burst of Color: Celebrating the Container Garden. GCFM s Horticulture Mornings 10 am at The Espousal Center, 554 Lexington St., North Waltham. The Pollinator Garden by Kim Smith. Make your gardens inviting to birds, bees, and butterflies; Monday, Feb. 8. Succulent Plants in House and Garden with Art Scarpa. Great growing and design ideas for dry-tolerant plants; Monday, March 8. Flower Show School Course II April 6, 7, 8. Holiday Inn, Taunton. Instructors: Mary Huntoon, design; Dottie Howatt, horticulture; Sandi Joyce, procedure. Contact Hila Lyman for more information, 508-548-0841; email hilajeanne@comcast.net. Never Done!
Connie s excellent adventure at Longwood Gardens... Connie Grabowy I visited Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania the 9th of January, which happened to be the last weekend of the annual Christmas display. Every year the seasonal display is different and seems more spectacular. The many conservatory areas were a real joy to visit on a cold January day. There are many outdoor garden areas as well, which show off their best during the other three seasons. Not only are there formal display areas, but there are as well a number of planted spaces for the home gardener to get some ideas for their own gardens. I grew up in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, just a few miles down the road from Longwood and my mother still lives in the Kennett area, so I ve continued to visit the gardens over many years through all the seasons. A couple years ago for a week in June I was able to take a course in annuals ( Beyond the Marigold ). I was required to learn the names of 70 plants, most of which were growing in gardens somewhere on the grounds. It was a tremendous opportunity to expand my knowledge of a favorite group of plants. For information about visiting Longwood Gardens and the courses offered there, see www.longwoodgardens.org. Plants in the Longwood conservatory include (above, right) a poinsettia standard, and (below, left to right) one of the hundreds of orchids on display; a pink camellia; and a Portea bromeliad. Photos by Connie Grabowy. Volume XVII, Issue 4 Page 3
The Garden Club of Harvard PO Box 105 Harvard, MA 01451 Garden Tip Just keep shoveling... the plants are under there somewhere. Club members exhibit at Flora in Winter Lois Frampton and Deb Dowson created this arrangement for Flora in Winter at the Worcester Art Museum. Their assignment was to reflect or complement the Greek amphora nearby. Working with orange and deep, rich purples, the arrangers accented the stripes that circle the amphora. Wire hoops in the arrangement reflect both the shape of the amphora and the linearity of its decoration. A contingent of Garden Club members, organized by Eileen Ryan, visited the Flora exhibits on Friday, January 8. If you have an announcement or an article for the newsletter, please email it to martygre@gmail.com or phone 456-3547 with the information at least a week before the regular meeting. Thank you.
More pictures from Longwood Gardens: Above : orchid (left) and hibiscus (right). Below: evergreen tree decorated with red tuberous begonias in pots (left); and evergreen tree amid poinsettias in the sunken fern area of the conservatory. All photos by Connie Grabowy.