Somerville Garden Club

The Wild Nature of the Middlesex Fells

Dr. Bryan Hamlin, Chairman of the Friends of the Middlesex Fells, will talk about the great variety of habitats as the basis for many plants and animals in the Fells. He will show slides of the various habitats found in the Fells – – mixed woodland, wetland, both swamp and pond-side, and rocky outcrop – and of the scores of flowering plants that have adapted to those particular habitats.

Dr. Bryan Hamlin grew up in the south of England after World War II. His parents were avid gardeners. He was educated in Britain and has a BS in microbiology and a PhD in biochemistry. He has lived in the Boston area for 38 years. Bryan is Chairman of the Friends of the Middlesex Fells, and President of the New England Botanical Club. In 2013 he and three others published a seventy-page paper in the journal Rhodora, reporting in detail on the flora and habitats of the Fells from the late 19th century up to 2011.

All Somerville Garden Club meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings are usually held the second Wednesday of each month at the Tufts Administration Building, (TAB), 167 Holland Street, second floor, wheelchair accessible. Parking is available, and the building is a ten-minute walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop.

Edible Landscape Design

Starting with a brief history of food gardening, Barbara Emerson will cover the concepts to consider when integrating edible plants in your ornamental garden, or edible flowers into your vegetable garden. Her goal is to help you have fun and enjoy the process of growing your own healthy food. She will show how the height, shape, texture, fragrance, and color of edibles can make your garden look and taste wonderful this summer. If you’re short on space, Barbara will demonstrate how container combinations can help gardeners with a patch of sun grow their own delicious (and beautiful) food.

After 30-plus years in sales and marketing, including sixteen years at Horticulture magazine, Barbara Emerson is currently having the time of her life working as an account manager for Edible Boston magazine. She is a past treasurer and past president of the Direct Gardening Association, a Principal Master Gardener, and an enthusiastic home gardener with a passion for growing both new and heirloom vegetables. Raising hens is a favorite pastime at her Manchester, MA, home.

All Somerville Garden Club meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings are usually held the second Wednesday of each month at the Tufts Administration Building, (TAB), 167 Holland Street, second floor, wheelchair accessible. Parking is available, and the building is a ten-minute walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop.