Archive of Past Meetings

Note that this is on a Sunday. Watch member email for details.

Presented by Joann Vieira FarandNear, 156 Center Road, Shirley, MA Saturday, September 21, 2024 10:30am to 12:30pm Description: Trustees Horticultural Director Joann Vieira will be [...]

Location will be sent in members' email. Saturday, August 17, 2024 11:00am to 1:00pm Tour Judith and Scott's mix of existing, new and work-in-progress gardens [...]

In addition to our members meeting in August, we also have a members field trip to New England Botanic Garden onb August 3rd. Registration is [...]

Presented by Anna Barker Location will be sent in members' email. Sunday, July 28, 2024 10:30am to 12:30pm Description: This is a special program which [...]

Presented by Deb Fountain Meet in the Lawrence Library, 15 Main Street, Pepperell, MA 01463 Saturday, July 13, 2024 10:30am to 12:30pm Description: Join local [...]

Presented by Chuck Andersen Mason Hollow Nursery, 47 Scripps Lane, Mason, NH 03048 Saturday, June 29, 2024 10:30am to 12:30pm Description: Chuck will explain how [...]

This a members-only event. As an added bonus for members, we have added a casual spring get together and self-guided garden tour at the home [...]

Location: Reuben Hoar Library, 35 Shattuck St., Littleton, MA 01460 Note that this is a Sunday meeting! Join us on Sunday, May 19th from 10:30-Noon [...]

Presented by Gayle Joseph Location: Hazen Memorial Library, 3 Keady Way, Shirley, MA 01464 Saturday, April 20, 2024 10:30am to 12:30pm Description: From tuber or [...]

Presented by Monique Bosch Hazen Memorial Library, 3 Keady Way, Shirley, MA 01464 Saturday, March 16, 2024 10:30am to 12:30pm Description: Join NOFA Soil Health [...]

Presented by Michael Koutelis Reuben Hoar Library, 35 Shattuck Street, Littleton, MA 01460 Saturday, February 17, 2024 10:30am to 12:30pm Description: Later frosts in the [...]

Note that this is on a Sunday. Watch member email for details.

Garden Tour Gardeners Exchange member Judy will show us her vegetable garden with unique trellising for cukes and tomatoes, and climate mitigation for summer greens.  [...]

Rescheduled from May 20th to September 10th. Sunday, September 10, 2023 11:00am to 1:00pm Garden Tour of the Brigham Hill Farm Presented by owners Shirley [...]

Presented by M.L. Altobelli Fredonian Park and Nature Center, Fredonian St. (near Mill St.), Shirley, MA 01464 Saturday, August 19, 2023 10:30am to 12:30pm In [...]

Special weekday evening program 100 Great Road, Littleton, MA 01460 Tuesday, August 8, 2023 6:00pm to 7:45pm  

This meeting was rescheduled from June 17th to Saturday, July 29th Registration is required for this members-only event as we have a maximum attendance limit [...]

Greene Acres 36 Elaine Road, Sudbury, MA 01776 Saturday, July 15, 2023 11:00 to 1:00 Steve and Ruth Greene have been avid gardeners for 30 [...]

New Member Meet and Greet Members new and old are invited to gather for a Gardeners Exchange "Meet and Greet" at Bev's home in Shirley [...]

Presented by Claudia Thompson in Shirley on May 6, 2023 10:30 to 12:30. Integrating more native plants into our gardens and managed landscapes is today’s model for being ecologically smart.

Presented by Dr. Robert Gegear Reuben Hoar Library, 35 Shattuck Street, Littleton, MA 01460 Sunday, April 23, 2023 10:30 to 12:00 Note: masks are recommended for all [...]

Presented by Tim Brothers, VP of IDA (International Dark-Sky Assoc.) Reuben Hoar Library 35 Shattuck St., Littleton, MA 01460 Saturday, March 18, 2023 10:30am to [...]

Presented by Amanda Sloan Hazen Memorial Library, 3 Keady Way, Shirley, MA 01464 Saturday, February 18, 2023 10:30am to 12:30pm Note: masks are recommended for all [...]

Note that this is on a Sunday. Watch member email for details.

Member Garden Tour & Plant Swap – Saturday, September 17, 10:30am Please join fellow Gardeners Exchange members for a guided tour and discussion at Juliet’s [...]

Registration is required for this members-only event as we have a maximum attendance limit and we need to know how many people are coming in [...]

Note that this event is at Far and Near but there is very limited parking there. Parking will be available nearby. Look for the address [...]

This is a members only event. Those wishing to carpool, meet at the Shirley historic Center Town Hall, 3 Parker Rd., at 9:45 a.m. (It [...]

Tour Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH. This is a special event and is not a regular monthly meeting. There may be a per person cost [...]

This meeting is a tour of the Maynard's Gardens in Groton. Address will be sent in email reminders. Our Spring plant swap will take place [...]

What if our backyards could inspire, challenge, and delight us in the same ways that wild places do? Join landscape architect Toby Wolf as he [...]

Note: this is a Sunday meeting due to availability of meeting rooms. Trevor Smith holds several landscape certifications and is also a past President of [...]

Note: this is a Sunday meeting due to availability of meeting rooms. Join us for a Winter Sowing workshop to learn a great method for [...]

Our October meeting will be outside, on the lawn in front of Old Town Hall, Shirley, at 1:30 - 3:00 on Sunday Oct 17th. We're [...]

A presentation covering fall gardening activities including transplanting, lawn care, bulbs, preparing new gardens, and tips for preparing gardens for winter weather. About the Speaker [...]

Our August meeting is at the Lunenburg Community Pollinator Habitat. The Lunenburg Community Pollinator Habitat is located in a charming field on town conservation land [...]

Also includes our Container Contest and Summer Potluck.

We’ll visit the Tice/Paulding property where Janet has been diligently planting, replanting, transplanting, expanding, etc. in the ongoing pursuit of the woodland garden of her [...]

Lela and Garry will host a garden tour for members on Saturday, June 5 from 10:30am to 12 noon. Last year they completed an extensive [...]

Tour 4 acres of blooming rhodys and magnolias, and hear about creative ways to use them in your landscape. Opportunity to purchase unusual rhododendrons, magnolias, [...]

Docent tours. Hoping for daffodils in bloom on the hill. This is a members' only event.

Creative cultivator and designer Deanna Jayne presents intentional gardening, with a focus on attracting pollinators using plants from our ecological region. This event is open [...]

Author of The Garden Tourist’s New England, Jana will show us some of her favorite garden destinations. This event is sponsored by the Shirley Charitable [...]

Tour Judith and Scott's gardens, swap plants and help steer our 2021 plans! This event is in place of our normal year-end potluck due to [...]

This is a members only event. Please arrive at least 10 minutes early as there is a detour in the walk from the parking area [...]

Join us for a tour of a new member's gardens in August! Our container contest will be held at this meeting. Everyone is welcome to [...]

Tour Lucy's amazing daylily collection and John and Lucy's vegetable garden. Swap plants with fellow gardeners. Bring your own lunch, beverage and chairs if you'd [...]

Note that this event moved from May 16 to June 20. Further details will be shared in member email in early June. This is a [...]

This meeting will either be postponed or held as an online webinar. Please check back in mid-April for an update. The Garden Tourist’s New England [...]

This event has been postponed Tower Hill has suspended their programming and classes due to the Covid-19 situation. In order to not put our membership [...]

Our first meeting of 2020 includes introductory info for the year, a chance to catch up with each other after a few months with no [...]

Enjoy socializing with fellow members, sharing potluck dishes and brainstorming our 2020 season together at the Center Town Hall in Shirley. Note that this is [...]

The September meeting will include a presentation on how to make herbal teas with ingredients found in your garden. Attendees will get to sample several [...]

Our August 25 Gardeners Exchange Meeting will be a tour of the heirloom orchard at Tower Hill Botanic Garden. The location is 11 French Drive, Boylston, MA. [...]

Tour Lucy's amazing daylily collection and John and Lucy's vegetable garden. Enjoy a summer potluck with fellow members. Location will be sent in July member [...]

Our June 22 Gardeners Exchange Meeting will be a tour of member Dianne Kazanjian’s garden in Pepperell. Dianne’s property has been in her family since [...]

We are expecting about 20 people to attend the Sat., June 1, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. tour of the Lyman Plant House at the Botanic [...]

Our guided Horticultural Tour of Mount Auburn Cemetery is scheduled for Sunday, May 19th, at 11:00am. We will meet at the Shirley Town Hall at [...]

Ben Barkan of Home Harvest returns for "Creating the Edible Garden". Learn how to design and create attractive gardens filled with ornamental plants and nutrient-dense edibles. [...]

This program is the product of over 35 years of gardening experience. Gardeners Exchange member Dianne Kazanjian shares what she has learned about tools that [...]

Speaker Cheryl Monroe will help us prepare for a productive and creative gardening season. Topics include: what to prune now and why, tool sharpening (demonstration [...]

Once again the gardening year is coming to a close and that means it’s time for our final meeting of 2018: Delicious pot luck supper [...]

For our September meeting, we’re back at the Hazen Memorial Library for a special presentation and our annual fall plant swap. As always, light refreshments [...]

Our August Gardeners Exchange Garden Tour & Presentation will take place at the home of Lela & Garr (see member email for address) on August [...]

John and Lucy have again offered their wonderful gardens and hospitality for our summer cookout and garden tour. Location will be emailed to members.

We will visit Fuller Gardens in Rye, NH. Meet in Shirley center at 9:15am for carpooling or at Fuller Gardens at 11:00am. There is a [...]

We will tour members Bob and Cindy Carter's Gardens. Location will be sent to members by email.

We’re getting back to our roots in April! The Gardeners Exchange grew out of a desire for gardeners to meet and “exchange” gardening knowledge, tips [...]

In some ways, pruning flowering shrubs can be a bit more complicated than pruning trees. When shrubs have been improperly pruned or just left to [...]

We have added a special event to our calendar for 2018. On March 10, we will be visiting the glass houses at Tower Hill with [...]

Cold frames and hoop houses are great season extenders, allowing vegetables to be planted 2-4 weeks earlier than unprotected plants. They also play a key [...]

Pot Luck Supper & Planning for 2018 Once again the gardening year is coming to a close and that means it's time for our final [...]

Our fall plant swap and visit to Mason Hollow Nursery in Mason, New Hampshire are on September 23rd. We’ll enjoy a presentation, garden tour and [...]

Details to be added soon.

Our July meeting is our summer garden tour, cookout and container contest. Bring those containers you started at our May meeting! Note that there is [...]

Our June meeting will be at Marc and Tina's home in Fitchburg (see member list or June email reminder for address and driving directions).

Our Tomato & Veggie Plant Sale will be held at the home of members Judith Taylor & Scott Lewis on Wednesday 5/24 and Friday 5/26 [...]

Our Tomato & Veggie Plant Sale will be held at the home of members Judith Taylor & Scott Lewis on Wednesday 5/24 and Friday 5/26 [...]

Get ready for our Container Contest later this summer! Our May meeting is a Make Your Own Container Garden event at Stillman's Farm and Greenhouses [...]

This event is in a private garden in Shirley, MA. See the member email or email a board member for exact location. Join Gardeners Exchange [...]

Built landscapes serve both ecology and humanity. When done well they promote broader ecological functions of hydrology, soil conservation, and wildlife. Spaces to socialize, comfortably [...]

Looking for inspiration to tackle a new garden project? Need an approach for organizing and capturing your design?  Can’t get started until the spring plants [...]

Our final meeting of the year will be our potluck supper and planning session for next year. Fall dividends will be distributed at the end [...]

We'll be returning to Brigham Hill Farm for a workshop on preparing the garden for the winter. The fall plant swap will precede the meeting [...]

Save the date. We are tentatively planning to be at Tower Hill for a tour of the edible garden. Note that this is a special [...]

We will be visiting Pleasant Garden Daylilies, located at 111 Coventry Wood Road in Bolton, to view (and possibly purchase!) some daylilies of distinction. Bring [...]

John and Lucy are our gracious hosts for this year's summer garden tour and cookout. See email or member list for their address. Since their [...]

We will tour Scott and Judith's gardens. Vegetable gardens, berry bushes, shrubs and a variety of flowers, all surrounded by ample stone, mostly "harvested" on [...]

Guided tour of New England Wildflower Society's Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA. Meet at 9:15am at Center Town Hall in Shirley for carpooling [...]

Our Gardeners Exchange meeting on Saturday, April 23 will feature a not-to-be-missed presentation on a topic of vital importance for all gardeners: healthy soil. After [...]

Description: Known by many as a simple ground cover for dry woodland shade, Epimediums are finally getting the appreciation they deserve. This "perfect shade perennial" [...]

Description: Dividing, replanting, spraying, deadheading: at some point it begins to be too much. Making the effort to replace flowering non-native perennials with native flowering [...]

Pot Luck Supper & Planning for 2016 and Fall Dividend Distribution. (Note: This is a Sunday meeting.)

Fall Tour with Joann Vieira Members-only event. Free. We need an accurate count in advance, so see the email for RSVP info and respond by [...]

Fall Garden Tour Marc & Tina's, Fitchburg

Herbs: How to Grow & Use – Jen Mitton The Hillside School, Marlboro, MA Bring your containers for the judging and prizes!

Summer Garden Tour and Cook Out Please join us on Saturday, July 18th for a pot-luck cookout and herb plant swap at the home of [...]

Garden Tour Brigham Hill Farm, North Grafton, MA Meet at 9:30am for carpooling* or 10:30am at destination * Meeting place for carpooling is Old Town [...]

Meet at 9:30am for carpooling* or 10:30am at destination * Meeting place for carpooling is Old Town Hall, 3 Parker Road, Shirley, MA

Spring Garden Tour Diane Kazanjian's Gardens in Pepperell This event has moved to May 9th. More details will be sent by email.

Presentation Our presentation on plant propagation will be given by Master Gardener Joseph Rajunas. Joe is a retired chemist and has been gardening since he [...]

Workshop Make Your Own Flower Arrangement – Karen McDonald

Presentation Daylily Treasures & Secret Gardens – Denise Pavlovich

Annual End-of-Year Potluck ~ Planning for 2015 ~ Distribution of Fall Bulb Dividends

Annual Fall Plant Swap ~ Fall Workshop "Make Your Own Concrete Leaf Birdbaths" with Linda Donalds and Lois Dunham

Annual Container Garden Contest ~ Garden Tour of Hillside School's Farm & Garden

Visit to the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls ~ Picnic Lunch (bring your own lunch)

Garden Tour and Summer Cook Out at a Member's Gardens

Annual Spring Plant Swap ~ Garden Tour of an Italianate Garden by local author John Hanson Mitchell

Tour of (2) Members' Gardens in Shirley

Visit to Peter George's for tour of his Rock Gardens ~ Picnic Lunch (bring your own lunch)

Presentation on Rock Gardens entitled: "The Evolution of My Garden - OR - How My Garden Proves that There is No Such Thing as Intelligent [...]

Members-Only Winter Garden Tour by Joann Vieira Tower Hill Botanical Gardens in Boylston, MA

Annual Kick-Off Planning Meeting ~ Presentation on “Native Plants: Right Plant, Right Place” by Ellen Souza ~ Annual Houseplant and Garden Magazine/Catalog Swap

Annual End-of-Year Potluck ~ Planning for 2014 ~ Distribution of Fall Bulb Dividends

Presentation "Hypertufa Planter Workshop" by Linda Donalds and Lois Dunham ~ Annual Fall Plant Swap

Presentation "Pruning Workshop" by Denis Wagner of Denis Wagner Fine Gardening in Harvard ~ Annual Container Garden Contest

Garden Tour & Summer Cook Out at Member's Gardens in Shirley

Presentation on "Medicinal Plants" by Jodie Gilson of J. Gilson Greenhouses in Groton ~ Annual Spring Plant Swap

Tour of Brigham Hill Farm's Gardens ~ Lunch on the Terrace (bring your own lunch)

Tour of Member's Gardens in Leominster

Presentation on "Unusual Plants for Your Garden" by Ellen Todd of Todd Landscape Designs in Groton ~ Distribution of Spring Plant Dividends

Presentation on "Shapes & Sizes: Designing for Impact and Interest" by Cheryl Salatino of Dancing Shadows Garden Design in Sudbury ~ Annual Houseplant Swap

Annual Kick-Off Planning Meeting ~ Presentation on “Winter Floral Arrangements” by Karen McDonald, owner of Petal Pushers ~ Annual Garden Magazine and Catalog Swap

Annual End-of-Year Potluck ~ Planning for 2012 ~ Distribution of Fall Bulb Dividends

Tour of a Member's Gardens in Shirley ~ Fall Plant Swap

Workshop on “Make Your Own Leaf Birdbath” by Linda Donalds with Cindy Mitton and Liz Cole ~ Container Garden Contest

Tour of Daylily Gardens by Denise Pavlovich

Tour of Brigham Hill Farm's Gardens

Tour of a Member's Gardens in Shirley ~ Spring Plant Swap

Presentation on "Container Gardening" by Dawn Pavone of Turessa Botanicals Garden Design

Presentation on "Kitchen Herbs" by Linda Russell of Scentsibilities in Boylston ~ Distribution of Spring Plant Dividends

Presentation on "Caring for Houseplants" by Dina Samfield ~ Presentation on "Starting Seeds Indoors" by Cynthia Furman ~ Houseplant Swap

Annual Kick-Off Planning Meeting ~ Presentation on “Daylilies for Three-Season Bloom” by Denise Pavlovich of Covered Bridge Perennials in Pepperell ~ Garden Magazine and Catalog [...]

Annual End-of-Year Potluck ~ Planning for 2011 ~ Distribution of Fall Bulb Dividends

Presentation on “Intro to Soil Science for Gardeners” by Michelle Cannon ~ Fall Plant Swap

Presentation & Tour on “Not Your Grandmother's Hostas” by Sue Andersen Location:  Mason Hollow Nursery, Mason NH  

"Habitat Garden Tour" hosted by Ellen Sousa (presenter at our February meeting) Location:  Turkey Hill Brook Farm in Spencer, MA

Tour of a Member's Gardens in Shirley

Tour of a Member's Gardens in Shirley ~ Spring Plant Swap

Presentation & Demonstation on “Pruning” by Fran West

Tour of a Member's Gardens near Shirley Center ~ Distribution of Spring Plant Dividends

Presentation on "Simple Water Features for the Backyard Gardener" by Andrienne Clark & Natalie Delorey ~ Houseplant Swap

Annual Kick-Off Planning Meeting ~ Presentation on “Habitat Landscaping” by Ellen Sousa of Turkey Hill Brook Farm ~ Garden Magazine and Catalog Swap

Workshop on “Making Hypertufa Planters” by Linda Donalds ~ Fall Plant Swap

“Putting the Garden to Bed” by Ingrid Wheeler

Tour of Farandnear Gardens and Conservation Area by Dan Stephens

“Shade Gardening” at Blanchette’s ~ Tour of Joe Pye Weed’s Garden

“Growing Annuals” by Ingrid Wheeler ~ Spring Plant Swap

“Backyard Vegetable Gardening” by Ann and Mike Gagnon

Presentation on “Gardening in the Northeast Kingdom” by Beth Wade