Harpswell Garden Club member and outgoing GCFM President Suzanne Bushnell addresses attendees

Nineteen members of the Harpswell Garden Club came out in force to support outgoing Garden Club Federation of Maine President and longtime Club member Suzanne Bushnell this week at the 2017 GCFM Convention in Freeport.  An outstanding line-up of activities, tours, workshops, and receptions was enjoyed by 197 members of the Garden Club Federation of Maine, including guests.  The Convention kicked off Monday evening, June 19th in Portland at the Maine Historical Society and Longfellow Garden with a reception for State and National Life Members.  Also attending that evening was one of two GCFM scholarship winners.

Buff Harrington taking the watercolor class!

On Tuesday a full slate of activities was on tap.  First was a lecture by Maine Audubon Director of Education Eric Topper at the hotel.  Then folks could set off for either the all-day garden tour or participate in a watercolor workshop offered by a local artist.  The garden tour consisted of eight gardens in the Yarmouth area of Cousins Island and in Falmouth along the water with one smaller, intimate garden in town.  More than 150 attendees enjoyed the garden tour on a perfect sunny day!  The evening was capped off by an outdoor reception and cocktail party before the keynote speaker, landscape architect Thomas Rainer of Washington, DC, enlightened the dinner guests on a new way to think about planting our gardens — to make them look more like they would in nature.

The ladies of the Wedding Committee led by Jackie Pellerin who provided most of the floral arrangements for the Convention

On Wednesday morning, 21 hardy folks set off for Petengill Farm for a birdwalk led by Maine Audubon bird expert Doug Hitchcock.  Four members of our Club were treated to seeing a variety of birds and hearing their calls along with a perfect sunrise.  Later that day GCFM President Suzanne Bushnell handed over the leadership of the organization to newly-elected President Judith Tarbox capping an outstanding three days.  Everyone who attended said it was one of the best conventions ever!

An avid birdwatcher at Pettengill Farm!

Suzanne Bushnell with Neil Lash, National Award of Excellence winner. Neil was a guest at our August 2016 monthly meeting.