March 2026 Newsletter

Our member garden this month:

Nan Gustafson’s gardens have been evolving since they moved to Concord in 2006. She notes, over the years, our property has been transformed from mostly forest to a landscape with various outdoor spaces and gardens consisting of a combination of native and non-native trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers, which create diverse habitats attracting and supporting a variety of local wildlife throughout the seasons. Flowering Dogwood, River Birch, Serviceberry, Carolina Silverbell, Fringe Tree, Sourwood, Magnolia trees create a transition from the bordering tall White Pines and Oaks. Stone paths meander through woodland and sunny perennial gardens filled with a variety of blueberry, Viburnum, Andromeda, Magnolia, Hydrangea, Witch Hazel, Fothergilla, Lilac and Azalea. Nepeta, Iris, Columbine, Sedum, Rudbeckia, Chrysogonum, Agastache, Penstimum, Echinecia, Hellebore, Astilbe, Coral Bells, Geranium, Anemone, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Vancouveria, Tiarella, Bloodroot are some of the perennials we have growing. Deer have been a growing issue over the years and last year we finally succumbed and installed a permanent fence around the back portion of our property. It was exciting to see phlox, hydrangea, and lilies flowering without being chomped. We are looking forward to being able to incorporate new non-deer resistant plants in our gardens.

Letter From Our President:

February Garden Club Meeting:

During our February meeting; Lili Morss talked about the BIG IDEA…overall considerations for thinking about your landscape. Charity Trembley shared tips about gardening throughout the year…what happens when. Marty Wallace rounded out the meeting out by sharing how gardening supports the natural world. See some of the slides with ideas from the presentations.

Thank you Laurie O’Neill for the photos from the meeting!

New Member Highlight:

Kristen Tahirak-Bitterman has lived in Concord since 2020 with her husband Kevin and her two
daughters, Maia and Violet. Kristen graduated from Rutgers College with a Bachelor of Arts in
English Literature and Classical Studies. She spent over a decade in the world of women’s
fashion and retail, specializing in both buying and merchandising before transitioning to the
fulfilling role of a stay-at-home mom.
Driven by a passion for community and philanthropy, Kristen has been an active volunteer with
several local organizations since 2013. She served on the Board of Directors for Birthday
Wishes, a non-profit dedicated to supporting homeless children in New England and New York,
from 2018-2024. While her children attended the Nashoba Brooks School she served as the
Parent Board President. Kristen currently serves on the Board of Governors at the Concord
Museum.
Kristen enjoys traveling with her family, reading, antiquing, gardening and spending summers
on Nantucket.

Louis Caldarella is a born and bred New Yorker who came to Concord 33 years ago and, after becoming addicted to walks in Great Meadows and the Estabrook Woods, never left. He has devoted the last two decades of his life to working with struggling learners: Louis is currently the fourth-grade learning specialist at Shady Hill School in Cambridge and has a private tutoring practice. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in English, his picaresque career has included dealing rare books in London and Boston, selling antiques in Cambridge, and training people at the town gym in Concord. Eventually getting a master’s degree in Education, he has worked with students from as near as next door and as far as Rwanda. 

Field Trip to Lyman Estate:

Notes by Maryrose Sykes

On February 27, 2026, a group traveled to Waltham,MA to tour the Lyman Estate Greenhouses, a bit of respite from the cold winter days.  We were guided by horticulturist Lynn Ackerman, the greenhouse manager for 37 years. The Lyman Estate was built by wealthy Boston merchant Theodore Lyman with a series of greenhouses, looking to Europe for design inspiration. The family used the property as a summer residence for 150 years, growing to about 400 acres at its peak. It stayed in the family for four generations, until the 1950’s when Historic New England acquired the property and preserved the estate. There are still some family members remaining today, with Stephen Parsons as one of the most recognized at age 103 years old.

Left to right, front: Erika Rodriguez, Pam Nelson, Joan Campbell, Maryrose Sykes, Nan Gustafson,
Left to right, back: Monique Halleck, Elise Woodward, Sarah Paino, Barbara Kohler, Suzanne Broxson

The rich, rustic greenhouses are among the oldest operating in the United States and mostly have southern exposure, except for the nursery sales greenhouse where the public can purchase plants, garden supplies and gifts. We admired a hanging pitcher plant from Thailand, a primulina (native to Asia), and an oversized yellow blooming chrysanthemum while visiting the sales greenhouse.

The 1804 Grape House (greenhouse) is thriving today with rare orchids, citrus trees and tropical plants; there are exotic fruits, such as oranges, pineapples, bananas and figs. An extensive Black Hamburg grape vine is housed in this greenhouse, acquired from the Royal greenhouses at Hampton Court in England. Also, there is the original white grape called Green Muscat of Alexandria. These grapes have a very special rich, sweet taste compared to other grapes. You can’t miss the gorgeous pink Bougainvillea surrounded by begonias and a wall with exotic succulents and jade plants. Ground beds were built to help support various plant root systems, while an impressive 14-inch brick wall helps radiate sun within the greenhouse.  

The Camellia House (greenhouse) was built around 1820 for the cultivation of camellias native to China, Japan and Korea, including Camellia japonica and Camellia reticulata. These plants like a shady environment with cool temperatures and humid conditions.  Many of these camellias are more than 100 years old, and were in full bloom during our visit. It was such a delight admiring the camellia’s with different shapes and shades of colors – bright red, soft pink, and variegated white & pink. We learned that black and green tea both originate from the Camellia sinensi plant. This greenhouse also has a stunning collection of rare orchids.  Some of the orchids come from Australia (ie: dendrobium) and require cool and dry conditions in the winter.

Several years ago, many of the plants in the greenhouses began exhibiting signs of distress and growth problems. The greenhouse manager discovered that the ph level of the town’s water had grown to a level of 8, as opposed to the more acceptable level of 6.5. It was determined that the change in the town water’s ph level, which was likely raised to help preserve the aging town water infrastructure, was ultimately the cause of the impairment of plant growth. In an effort to save the plants, the greenhouse manager determined that a different water source was required for the plants and developed a system of using rain water and sterile water to keep the plants hydrated. Even horticulturists can be unexpectedly challenged when gardening in a more “controlled” environment as a greenhouse.

We all appreciated our tour of the Lyman Estate Greenhouses.  Such a fabulous sunny winter day with an opportunity to briefly escape to a warm tropical environment! After our tour, we had lunch at The Tack Room in Lincoln for an enjoyable lunch together.  

Arbor Day, Garden Tour Dates and Garden Lectures to add to your calendars in and around town:

The Concord Museum Garden Tour: June 5/6
The Rockport Garden Tour: June 27

MFA Events: Art in Bloom Dates: May 1 – May 3

Garden at Elm Bank Events: 

Setting Up your Garden: Early Season Prep: March 14;  10-11:30 am

Seasonal Pruning: Early Spring: April 11; 10-11:30 am OR 12-1:30 pm 

Hands-On Workshop, Hand-Tied Bouquets: April 11; 10-11:30 am ET 

Creating a Meadowscape at Home (Virtual): April 13; 6 pm – 8 pm ET, find more information and access to the virtual event at Mass Horticultural Society (masshort.org) 

Currier Museum of Art Events:

Bloom: A Floral Palate: March 12 – March 25th in Manchester, New Hampshire