Today’s annual Fall Conference of the Garden Club Federation of Maine was held in the Augusta Civic Center. With the weather wet and dreary outside, the Civic Center was filled with cheery witches and orange pumpkins. After a brief business meeting, the morning concluded with Jeff O’Donal of O’Donal’s Nursery giving a presentation on the Barth Daylily line available at the nursery. Originally hybridized in Alna, Maine, these day lilies are spectacularly large and offer a profusion of blooms on every stalk. He began with 72 of the original 75 hybrids, and has added more over the years they have been with his nursery. New colors and varieties are being developed each year.

The afternoon program was given by Farmer Kev, aka Kevin Levitt of West Gardiner. He shared slides of some favorite vegetables and some more unusual ones grown on his organic farm. At the conclusion of Kevin’s talk, several large baskets of vegetables were auctioned to members of the audience.

The day concluded with the awards presentation. The New England Garden Clubs annual meeting held on October 28 and 29 included an awards ceremony, during which the region award winners were announced. At today’s state meeting, GCFM Awards Chairman Kathleen Marty shared those region awards with the state membership. New England Garden Clubs Director Suzanne Bushnell was on hand to assist Garden Club Federation of Maine President Barbara Longstaff convey the awards to the Maine winners. Among the winners announced today was the Harpswell Garden Club! Our club was awarded the Virginia F. Thurston Landscape Design Award and $100 for the establishment and landscaping of the Gold Star Marker at Brunswick Landing. Congratulations to the club, especially those who worked so hard for the marker’s installation and the garden’s design. Job well done, all around!