What do Garden Clubs in the Winter?
As we enjoy a warm February day (it’s 40 degrees F!) our thoughts may turn to spring and the gardens. But how have we passed these winter months?
The first thing we do is enjoy the quiet time to view the outdoors without feeling obliged to pull a weed or trim back an unsightly perennial. And then we plan for the days to come. Some gardeners are browsing though seed catalogues, deciding what new plants to put in the gardens. Some are walking through the local woods, enjoying the peaceful quiet of winter, and others are contacting prospective speakers for our new year of programs in the garden club. We are calculating the costs of more mulch for the beds, plants to replace those lost to winter’s cold, and how much fertilizer we need this spring.
Some garden clubs take the winter off, but others continue to gather during the coldest months. In Harpswell, we held a workshop in December to fill mugs with greens and holiday decor that were distributed by Harpswell Aging At Home to more than 50 Harpswell residents in need of holiday cheer. We trimmed the tree at Centennial Hall with lights, put garland on the porch, and gathered to celebrate the holiday season with carols, cookies and cocoa. We attached nearly two dozen beribboned wreaths to the doors and fences at Pejepscot History Center and the Joshua Chamberlain House in Brunswick for their holiday celebrations. And now, we plan to meet virtually, on Zoom, through the spring, to learn more about gardens indoors (Terrariums on February 17) and the hazards of ticks (March 17). Our final virtual program of the spring will be a slide show of our Harpswell Gardens on April 21.
As we put the final touches on our plans for the annual meeting (May 19), our members look forward to renewing their connection to the Harpswell Garden Club. We enter the club’s 91st year with optimism for another satisfying year as a member of the Harpswell Garden Club, nurturing gardens and friendships alike.
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