April Newsletter
Dear Members:
First things first: we will be meeting in person Wednesday April, 20th at TriCon Church beginning at 1pm. Members are kindly required to wear a mask during the meeting, as a courtesy to each other and especially for our guest speaker, Andrew Gapinski, Head of Horticulture at Arnold Arboretum. Andrew will provide insight into how global warming is effecting the Boston area through the microcosm of the Arboretum. He will also discuss what steps are being taken to moderate the effects. We are hoping to make the event available over zoom. A link will be sent on Tuesday, and we hope it all works out. If the zoom link doesn’t work at 1 pm, you’ll know that we did not figure it out.
For those of you who are coming, we will have tea and snacks after the meeting, and windows will be opened for members’ comfort as we take off our masks to eat. The Hospitality sign up remains as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, so Erika Rodriguez and Sarah Hoch ask for more members able to host. The link for the sign up is here.
Also at the meeting, flowers will be provided by Ellen Whitney. A version of her arrangement is pictured at the top of this newsletter. Ellen sent along a beautifully produced video she created with Minutemen Media, demonstrating her process. We will be treated to a different but similar arrangement on Wednesday. Settle in with some hot coffee and enjoy.
From the Outreach Committee
A big “Thank you” to the Spring Outreach Committee who made our first Spring Outreach day possible, since 2019. Co-Chairs, Anne Umphrey and Anne Hrabchak, did a wonderful job of creating a beautiful and vibrant Spring bouquet in a lovely green vase. The committee had everything organized perfectly.
Our Communications Team, made up of Sally Savelle, Dennis Fiori, Kelley Bothe and Paula Casey did a fabulous job of gathering close to 150 names of recipients from 11 town organizations, along with Garden Club member referrals and the list of Honorary Members. Sally also created a Google doc for all contact information the team gathered, to make the checkout process very efficient the day of the event. Andrea Meyer’s barn turned out to be an ideal place to have this event, with plenty of parking, and fresh air. Mother Nature provided us with a lovely day.
Many “Thank You’s” have been received by the Garden Club from recipients for the bouquets and visits from those who delivered, and some will be shared at our April meeting. – Wendy McNally
Town Gardens
On Friday last week, Sandra Conrad, Amanda von Weise, and Wendy McNally cleaned up the planting bed at the Milldam Veteran’s Memorial and planted a first round of seasonal annuals in time for Patriot’s Day.
Sandra sent along this cheerful snapshot of Amanda and Wendy. We should all look so good after digging in the dirt! You should note that Amanda and Sarah MacEachern are the Town Garden organizers for the coming session and we will be hearing from them as the sign up for garden maintenance will soon be available. Please look for that and fill in as your schedule allows.
Upcoming
Arbor Day, April 29th, 10 a.m.
Where: 407 Commonwealth Ave., West Concord (opposite the Concord Prison) in the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail parking lot.
Join us for the annual celebration of Arbor Day on its 150th Anniversary! For the first time since 2019, we will be able to observe the tree planting and dedication in person. What makes the return of the celebration special this year is our collaboration with the town as part of its Cooler Concord Sustainability Series, a multi-day program about climate change. Since our founding in 1928, Garden Club has contributed trees to the Town of Concord each year on Arbor Day. Join us to hear opening remarks by Concord Sustainability Director Amanda Kohn and the Arbor Day Proclamation read by Select Board member Henry Dane as well as declaration of Concord as a Tree City.
This year’s tree selection is a pin oak, Quercus palustris, which has a beautiful pyramidal form in maturity and provides a host of wildlife with nutritious acorns. For a view of the tree in its maturity you may wish to visit a specimen the club donated to the town in 1994 sitting at the intersection of Court and Bedford Streets at the entrance to Sleepy Hollow cemetery. Celebration attendees are encouraged to use the Bruce Freeman Trail to arrive at the event, but parking on site will be available. Free seedlings of Washington Hawthorn and Pin Oak will be distributed by Concord Pubic Works and we, the Garden Club, will be providing a table of light refreshments. As ever, the Club is indebted to Sandra Conrad for her leadership and organization of this valuable community event.
MFA Art in Bloom, April 29-May1
Pam Nelson and Erika Rodriguez will be creating a beautiful floral arrangement based on their assigned object (which is still a secret) selected by the MFA. Art in Bloom with take place Friday, April 29- Sunday, May 1st. We cannot wait to see what Pam and Erika create!
As some of you may know club member Nicole Kelley has been the organizer of Art in Bloom for the last two years. Nicole writes to remind us all that the museum continues to offer virtual options for the weekend event, and urges us all to enjoy this creative celebration in one way or the other. Details and tickets are available on the Museum website here.
Plant Sale: May 7th
The Plant Sale committee would like to remind all members of their obligation to participate in the Plant Sale in addition to providing 12 plants for sale. You will notice the Sign Up still has opportunities for the following:
- 3rdShift Workers to help take down the sale. It’s a short shift, starting at 11:15 and usually ending at 12:30 or 12:45, not 1:30.
- someone with a truck or trailer who can transport bigger bushes and plants to the sale.
- Talliers for all shifts! They tally plants for total cost due at cashier.
Garden in the Woods Field Trip, May 3
There’s still room! Details on the Sign up. Once you’re signed up, don’t forget to send your check to Holly or Andrea.
In Memorium
Long time member, Dawn Schnell, has sent word to the club that the Schnell family are mourning the loss of 16 year old son Charlie a few weeks ago. I am sure those of you who remember Dawn from when she was still a Concord resident will want to reach out on your own if you have not already.
Lovely links
Ever heard of No Mow May? I read about it first in a recent New York Times Story, but you can go straight to the source at the No Mow May website for more information. I plan to rope off a portion of my lawn for a while and I’ll let you know how it goes. I might even sprinkle it with some of this “Alternative Lawn” flower mix from High Country Gardens. Care to join me?
Tis the seasons for plant sales! The Garden Club Federation has a calendar of other local club’s plant sale days.
Two links for the best of the season: Get your Post in Notes ready for incoming bulb catalogs, Favorite Daffodill and Narcissus from Floret Flower Farm
and vicarious Tulip Love from Flower Magazine.
Some cautious good news about wildlife recovery in Massachusetts from the Boston Globe.
I am so looking forward to seeing many of you Wednesday.
Julia Farwell-Clay