January 2026 Newsletter
Our member garden this month:
My garden has evolved in reaction to place, shares Dennis Fiori, no plan and little formality. It drifts in and out of the surrounding meadow and woods. It is mainly a Spring, early Summer garden since we are away much of the Summer. I need to tackle Fall. Emphasis is not on flowers but on foliage texture, mass and color—lime, burgundy, mottled, gray. Ease of maintenance has become more important as I age. It is tightly planted to discourage weeds and not cleanly edged. Self-seeding encouraged. Birds and insects abound.
Letter From Our President:
Happy New Year!
Thank you to Julia Falwell-Clay and her husband Walter for opening up their home for a beautiful Holiday Luncheon! It was so nice to mingle with members over a leisurely lunch during a busy time of year. Thank you also to the Hosts for a wonderful array of food!
Is there a graphic artist in the club who would like to work on our website logo and design? Unfortunately our current website is not working and needs to be revamped. We are in contact with a small tech company who came highly recommended to us. Stay tuned for more information but in the meantime please send me an email if you are interested in joining this committee.
Would you be interested in being on an ad hoc committee to research projects for a Garden Therapy project with assisted living homes? Should we or should we not add this to our outreach programs? Several people spoke to me at the luncheon about joining this committee. I would greatly appreciate it if you would send me a quick email so I don’t leave anyone out.
On Tuesday watch for a Survey Monkey in your email inbox. The Nominating and Program Committees need your help!
Just a reminder that our next program, Floral Witness: Opening the Spirit to Time and Place presented by Ellen Whitney, on January 21st will start at 11:00 AM at the Trinitarian Church.
Welcome back to Jane Deering! We are delighted she is returning after a short hiatus.
The COA was very well attended and much enjoyed by 26 participants who happily created arrangements and visited with friends in December. The committee of GC preppers and helpers included Georgine Feldt, Jeanne Hamilton, Lisa MacDonnell, Faye Allen, Cathy Jenkins and Mary Pope. The arrangement included a variety of seasonal greens, a leucadendron pod, alstromeria, pepperberry and an orange slice tied with a green bow.
Field Trip to Roger Williams Park Botanic Center:
On December 12, 2025, a group traveled to Providence, RI to tour the Roger Williams Park Botanic Center. The original park was created in 1870 after Betsey Williams donated 102 acres of farmland and woodland to the city of Providence. Today, the park represents 345 acres that includes several different sites, such as a zoo, a museum of natural history, a planetarium, the Providence Police Department’s Mounted Command Center and the Botanic Center. The current location of the Botanical Center opened in 2007, and is the largest publicly owned indoor-display garden in New England, totaling 12,000 square feet. The RWP Botanic Center has more than 150 different species and cultivars of plants that provide the public a tropical oasis and an opportunity to view plants not grown in Rhode Island’s climate.
Our tour began with our docent, Mary, walking us through the Winter Garden, highlighting an impressive dawn redwood tree and beautiful lacebark pines. She also pointed out both the male and female ginkgo trees along the pathway. These trees are older than the dinosaurs, with the earliest leaf fossil dating back to 270 million years ago. These trees are bio-resistant, meaning they are known for their extreme resistance against pests, diseases, pollution, and drought. They can even survive a nuclear war. During the fall, the fruits that grow on the female trees are known for their pungent odor.
Upon entering into the Conservatory, we were relieved from the cold temperature outside. This greenhouse stands 40 feet high with open and airy space, having a similar feel to a large courtyard. There are very tall stately palm trees (17 types) with colorful tropical plants in bloom, such as red and white bird of paradise plants, that are positioned beneath the palms. Our guide discussed different palms throughout our tour, including the date palm, Madagascar palm, fish tail palm, American oil tree palm, and zombie palm. There is a pony tail succulent with flowers that many regard as a palm, but it is not. We also saw a papyrus plant, zizi succulent, asparagus fern, bird nest fern, and a ginger plant. No pesticides are used in the greenhouse.
We continued walking into another green house, known as the Mediterranean Room, with a large pond surrounded by plants, and extremely large koi swimming in the water. In one corner, the Orchid Society displays orchids growing in a moss-draped tree. Nearby, there is a magnificent banana tree. Mary discussed how she can grow a banana tree outside in Rhode Island (zone 7a), a slightly more moderate climate than Concord (zone 6b). In another area, the Carnivorous Plant Society has various pitcher plants (tropical, trumpet, bladderwort, sundew), and wild flowers in a raised bog. Bogs have unique plant species that adapt to growing in low nutrient conditions. Towards the end of our visit in the Mediterranean Room, we saw agave and cacti plants. We learned that agave is very important in curing cancer, constipation and jaundice. The agave plant produces a flower called a “death bloom” around 40 years. The plant dies after blooming, as it uses all of its stored energy for this final moment.
A flavor lab, designed for chefs and farmers to compare the taste of vegetable varieties, was a unique area of the Botanic Center. Currently, there are a variety of plants growing (“magazine worthy”), including bay leaf, ginger root, basil, beets, arugula, kale, hot peppers, and strawberries, all of which are grown from seeds. The produce is harvested every other week in the winter, and every week in the summer. Almost 4,000 pounds of vegetables are donated throughout the year. The Amos House in Providence, a non-profit providing services to the homeless, impoverished and unemployed, is one of the recipients of such produce.
Towards the end of our tour, we walked through an area with citrus trees, a papaya tree, aloe plants, a crown of thorns from Madagascar and flowering jade plants. Our guide shared with us a story about how billy goats discovered coffee at a monastery in Ethiopia. For coffee lovers, this is an important event. In the end, there was much to see at the RWP Botanic Center, and we were lucky to have a beautiful sunny day for our adventure.
After our tour, we traveled to the Briggs Cafe in Attleboro, MA for an enjoyable lunch together. Before departing, some of us wandered throughout Briggs Nursery, admiring the plants and merchandise. It was a memorable field trip!
From left to right: Melinda Shumway, Patria Waters, Nan Gustafson, Jane Rupley, Sarah Paino, Kate Wharton, Maryrose Sykes, Erika Rodriguez, and Pam Nelson
Our December Christmas Luncheon:
Hosted by Julia Farwell- Clay our December Christmas party was full of smiles, laughter and great food. A huge thank you to Julia for hosting in her stunning home that was festooned with the holiday spirit. The center piece was a floral masterpiece by Jeanne Hamilton and the food was simply delish!
In Memory of Anne Miller:
Finally on a sombre note, one of our Garden Club members and past presidents passed on recently. Anne Miller was a lifelong learner and educator, she was an esteemed higher education leader and professor at Middlesex Community College and served as Chair of the Science Department. She was recognized nationally as “Teacher of the Year” for her excellence and impact on student learning and institutional advancement.
Anne was also a long time garden club member often organizing the plant sale when it was held near the Middlesex bank. She was often the one who brought a smile and quick can do attitude to all tasks big and small. She was remembered fondly by member Wendy Mc Nally who notes, ” She was a wonderful woman, who had an amazing, forward thinking spunky attitude towards both life and committee work. She will be sorely missed.”
Keep Your Eyes Out for a Survey:
Pam Callahan and Susie Winstanley write:
Joan Campbell, Susie Winstanley and I are putting together a survey for members that will be sent out in an email shortly. This survey is soliciting feedback from members in a few areas.
First, the Nominating Committee is looking for input on perspective member skills and from which we might all benefit. The Committee seeks to have existing members share their innate skills which they might offer to the Club. Finally, the Program Committee is seeking input on the type of monthly programs members are interested in attending.
We will email you a brief survey this week, and we hope to achieve 100% participation. Your input will help us match members with roles and programming.