The Somerville Garden Club was founded in 1994 by a group of Somerville residents to promote home gardening as well as the horticultural possibilities of Somerville’s public spaces. Of the club’s over 200 members, some are experienced gardeners, some are beginners; some are long-term residents; some are new residents, and about a third come from surrounding communities. All gardening enthusiasts are welcome to participate in our activities.
Welcome!
Meetings
When: 7:00 P.M., the second Wednesday of every month
Where: Tufts Administration Building [TAB], 167 Holland St., second floor, wheelchair accessible (A ten-minute walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop. Parking also available.)
The SGC meetings begin with announcements and an open roundtable discussion of gardening questions, followed by an invited speaker. Recent presentations have included pruning techniques, propagating heirloom tomatoes, composting and organic soil amendments, integrated pest management, and dry shade gardening. Talks are delivered by local experts and well known horticultural professionals. Every meeting ends with a raffle of donated plants and garden items. The meetings are free and open to the public.
February 10, 7-9pm
Japanese Gardens and Bonsai
Mark Cyr a leading designer of Japanese gardens in the United States, will discuss how the use of water, stones and plants to emulate gardens found in Japan, can provide a tranquil garden setting.
Mark Cyr, owner of Eastern Reflections landscaping, will give an illustrated lecture on his experiences designing Japanese style gardens in the Boston area for the past twenty-five years. Currently Mark and his family live in and serve as caretakers for the Edwin Reischauer House in Belmont, Massachusetts. Professor Reischauer served as the United States Ambassador to Japan during the administration of John F. Kennedy.
Cyr grew up in Cambridge and attended the University of Michigan, where he studied forestry and natural resources. While serving in Japan in the U.S. Marine Corps, he became enthralled with Japanese gardening. That enthusiasm led to his founding Eastern Reflections, now in its 25th year.
Middlesex Conservation District Spring Plant Sale
The Middlesex Conservation District will be holding its annual Spring Plant Sale on Friday 4/23 (3-6pm) and Saturday 4/24 (8am -noon) at the 4H Fairgrounds, 51 South Chelmsford Rd, Westford, MA.
All items may be ordered in advance through March 31. Sale items include:
* tree and shrub seedlings
* perennials
* groundcovers
* fruits
* garden supplies (rain barrels, compost bins, cow manure, etc)
All proceeds support the District’s environmental programs. You may order by visiting their website at http://www.middlesexconservation.org to obtain an order form and view their selections.
February 2010 Events – New England Wild Flower Society
New England Wild Flower Society has a fascinating selection of classes for adults and children scheduled in February of 2010.
Contact:
Steven Ziglar, Marketing and Public Relations Manager
508-877-7630 x 3503 sziglar@newenglandWILD.org
For more information, visit www.newenglandwild.org/learn.
February 2010 Listings – Adult Classes, Gardening, Horticulture, Field Trips at Garden in the Woods and Eastern MA Locations
Tuesdays, February 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 5:45-7:45 p.m. Residential Landscape Design. Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Cambridge, MA.
In this multi-session course appropriate for beginners, learn different aspects of the landscape design process with special emphasis on native plants in the residential landscape. Workshop sessions focus on design methods using site analysis techniques and schematic design tools. With consultation of the instructor, Karen Sebastian, work on a project of your own choosing. Interspersed with design work, lectures focus on plants and habitats, including information on plant choice and placement in the landscape. A list of required materials supplied at the first class. Fee: $175 (Member) / $210 (Nonmember). Cosponsored by New England Wild Flower Society and Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Pre-registration is necessary, contact the registrar at 508-877-7630, ext. 3303.
Read more of this >>
Got leaves?
A resident wrote to ask what to do with all of his yard waste this fall – specifically, does SGC know of anyone who would come cart away all of the stuff so that he wouldn’t need to fill a jillion yard waste bags and haul them to the curb. I am not aware of a such a service, though it wouldn’t hurt to call a landscaper to see if they would do this (for a fee, I would imagine).
If you have a supply of leaves (who doesn’t in the fall?) you might consider shredding them. Here’s a pretty good article on the benefits of leaf mold, as well as this one for uses for shredded leaves. Here are also some videos talking about how to make leaf mold and how to use it. These sources say it better but in summary, leaf mold provides the same benefits as a good compost to the soil – nutrients, better moisture retention, better drainage, etc. And it’s free!
If you still aren’t convinced (or don’t have the room to store leaves for a year), the City of Somerville will be picking up your yard waste every week through the first week of December.
November 2009 classes and field trips – New England Wild Flower Society
Here are some classes and field trips sponsored by the New England Wild Flower Society that may be of interest:
Mondays, November 2, 9, 16, (no class Nov 23) 30, December 7, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
A Garden in Your Mind’s Eye, at Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, MA. Garden design incorporates philosophy, aesthetics, economics, and theories as well as practicalities. In this class, designer Tony Bernstein teaches about core design principles, but will also coach you to clarify what you desire of a garden. Read more of this >>
Reminder: SGC Plant Sale is Saturday, 9/18!
Don’t miss the annual Somerville Garden Club Plant Sale! You’ll be disappointed you missed a great opportunity to shop for perennials (and house plants) that have been grown by our members. These are tried and true plants that work in urban gardens.
When: September 19, 2009, 9 am – 1 pm
Where: Davis Square (at the intersection of College Ave. and Holland St.)
Feel free to print out a flier, and advertise the sale to your fellow green thumbs!
Volunteer Opportunities in September!
When: Thursday, September 17th 9-5pm
Where: 264 Willow Ave
What: clean up and organize plants for plant sale. Trim dead leaves, clean pots, label with care instructions and price.
Contact: Teresa McGowan, teresammcgowan at yahoo.com
When: Friday, September 18th 9-5pm
Where: 19 Chester St, Somerville
What: clean up and organize plants for plant sale. Trim dead leaves, clean pots, label with care instructions and price.
Contact: Teresa McGowan, teresammcgowan at yahoo.com
When: Friday, September 18th 4-6pm
Where: people are needed at 2 locations 264 Willow Ave and 19 Chester St.
What: load plants into trucks.
Contact: Teresa McGowan, teresammcgowan at yahoo.com
When: Saturday, September 19th 7:15-10:30am
Where: Davis Square Sculpture Park (in front of JP Licks).
What: set up for plant sale. Set up tables, unload and organize plants
Contact: Teresa McGowan, teresammcgowan at yahoo.com
When: Saturday, September 19th 10:30-1:15pm
Where: Davis Square Sculpture Park
What: assist shoppers with plant purchases. Even if you don’t know the answer, you can always find someone who does ! 12-1:15pm tidy and clean up. Load remaining items into truck.
Contact: Teresa McGowan, teresammcgowan at yahoo.com
When: Sunday, September 20th 11-4pm
Where: Harvard Sq.
What: Represent the Somerville Garden Club for an hour or so at the Urban Ag Fair. Chat about gardening, growing veg, etc.
Contact: Helen Snively, snively at post.harvard.edu
When: Sunday, September 27th, 11-3pm
Where: Tufts
What: Represent the Somerville Garden Club for a few hours at our table at the Tufts Community Day. Let people know about the club and what we do. Chat about our programs, meetings, newsletter, etc.
Contact: Vilma Sullivan
