Upcoming Meetings

Summer Garden Tour and Cookout

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

Summer Garden Tour

Gary and Lela will host a summer garden tour. We’ll also have a garden tools presentation and / or a DIY irrigation system presentation. Location will be emailed to members.

Good Bugs and Bad Bugs: What Every Gardener Should Know

Hazen Library, Shirley MA

This presentation will show us many of the most common garden pests and the beneficial insects and other arthropods that help our gardens thrive. It will include a number of handouts, including a graphic of beneficial and pest insects.

Bonnie Power has an MA in Zoology from Boston University and taught college level science courses for over twelve years before leaving teaching for industry. After she retired she began taking courses to augment her love of gardening by working on certification at Garden in the Woods in Framingham and by becoming a certified Master Gardener in the fall of 2016. In 2015 she began volunteering on a Facebook page for insect identification and began learning about insects. Out of these experiences she developed a talk aimed at gardeners to acquaint them with beneficial and pest species of insects and other arthropods.

There is a $5 charge for non-members attending this meeting.

2018 Potluck Supper, Planning for 2019 and Fall Dividends

Center Town Hall, Shirley MA

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 – dish/beverage assignments will be added below closer to October
• Seed drop off – bring any seeds you’ve collected for the Spring Seed Swap
• Fall dividends – if you can’t attend, be sure to have someone pick up your bulbs for you
• Elections for 2019
• Brainstorming for 2019 activities

This is one of our most popular events – the food is always delicious & the meeting is an important one as we prepare for 2019 with elections and input for next year’s activities, presentation topics, etc. You’ll also take home your fall dividends and drop off any seeds you’ve collected for next year’s Spring Seed Swap.

Election of Leaders for 2019

At the meeting we will be electing our Chair/Co-Chairs, Treasurer and members responsible for Communications, Programs, Dividends/Container Contest, and Swaps. Please give this some thought in advance and decide whether you would like to volunteer or nominate another member or members.

Volunteers for 2019

A big thanks to the many members who helped during 2018 – this was another good year in terms of sharing the workload. There will be volunteer signup sheets on each table at the pot luck – so be sure to add your name for 2019.

Brainstorming for 2019

And don’t forget to bring your ideas for 2019. We’ll be discussing the topics you’d like to hear more about & your suggestions for speakers, gardens you’d like to visit, field trips that intrigue you and workshops you’d like to participate in.

Fall Dividends

Fall dividends will be distributed at the end of the meeting. Perry will email photos and descriptions prior to the meeting. If you are unable to make the meeting, please arrange for someone else to pick up your bulbs for you.

Seeds for Spring Seed Swap

Fall is the time to save seeds from your garden to share with your fellow Gardeners Exchange members next spring. If you have already harvested seeds, place them in an envelope & label with the name of the plant, color, height, sun exposure, perennial/annual, etc. and your name and phone # (in case we need to get more information about the plant). Bring them to the pot luck and give them to Judith. They will reappear at the spring seed swap in individual envelopes, ready to be planted.