Meeting Information
Meetings take place the third Wednesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. at ST. JOHN’S CHURCH. Held September through May, meetings begin with a professional speaker, followed by a brief business meeting.
Upcoming Programs & Events
2022-2023 SEASON
END OF YEAR DINNER, WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2023 6P- TOWN HALL– MEMBERS ONLY
Other Garden Related Events
Massachusetts Horticultural Society
Offers many garden-related lectures and events throughout the year, many but not all of which are held at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s headquarters at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA. Seasonal garden tours and daily programs are also held Gardens at Elm Bank, 36 acres on the Elm Bank Reservation at 900 Washington Street in Wellesley, MA 02482.
The site includes open fields and meadows, streams and pools, wooded areas and formal gardens. Mass Hort is uniquely positioned, not only to protect these natural resources, but also to develop spaces that enhance visitors’ appreciation of the landscape and the surrounding Charles River.
Massachusetts Master Gardeners Association
Master Gardeners are experienced and trained volunteers who provide horticultural information and education resources to the gardening public, offer technical support for horticulture projects and contribute outreach programs for community events.
The first Master Gardener (MG) program was started in 1972 in Seattle, Washington by Cooperative Extension Agents as a means of more effectively addressing questions posed to them by eager home gardeners. Within a few years the program was adopted throughout Washington and by many other states. Today, Master Gardeners are in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several Canadian provinces. The vast majority of Master Gardener programs are run by the Cooperative Extension Services of land-grant universities. MG programs are usually organized county by county, with extension agents and university professors serving as program instructors.
Programs You May Have Missed
May 17, 2023
“Horticulture As a Transformation Tool for Incarcerated Students”
The New Garden Society.
The New Garden Society is run by horticulturists, landscapers and farmers who seek to expand green industry opportunities for our incarcerated and formerly incarcerated neighbors in Greater-Boston.
The New Garden Society was founded in response to requests for horticultural programming from people living in Massachusetts prisons and jails. TNGS offers weekly vocational, therapeutic horticulture classes in MA detention facilities through the growing season. This presentation will explain the possibilities of gardening for incarcerated people, and the reflections and words of our educators and students. Using personal examples from the field, we’ll expand on the ideals and ethics that bring gardeners together to transform the living world.
April 19, 2023
“Establishing a Home Herb Garden”
Kathi Gariepy – Former special needs preschool teacher, Lifetime Mass. Master Gardner, Past VP Mass. Master Gardeners Assoc. Currently lives in an old farmhouse surrounded by gardens, grapes, blueberries, raspberries and some very old apple trees. Kathi will explore the world of herbs, and talk about modern-day herb gardens.
March 15, 2023
“Thinking Globally, Acting In Your Own Yard”
Rebecca Warner – Author of The Sustainable-Enough Garden and blog @ The sustainable-enoughgarden.blogspot.com. Rebecca will share with us her successes and failures when planning her own garden.
February 15, 2023
“The Chrysanthemum’s Journey”
Ila Cox- Plant lover, gardener, student of plant history, has served as Chair of the Flower Committee (MFA) and conducts lectures on flower arranging. You will learn this flower’s history from 1500 BC to 2023, how it was used as an herbal medicine to today’s use in personal gardens and commercial growing.
January 18, 2023
“The Fascinating Story of Where our Vegetables Come From”
Bonnie Power- Massachusetts Master Gardener. She holds a Bachelors and Master’s Degree in Zoology. Bonnie will tell the story of 15 common vegetables and 2 fruits, where they grew first and what they probably looked like originally.
November 16, 2022
“Curious about Mushrooms??”
Elizabeth Alemeida- Farmer/Owner, Fat Moon Farm Mushrooms
Elizabeth grew up on a farm and raised her own chickens. After purchasing a “grow your own” mushroom kit for her son, she realized this was the crop to produce. She began commercial production in 2016. She recently help launch Flowers to Empower which enables young women to develop skills through he operation of a seasonal cut-flower business.
Oct. 19, 2022
“Invasive Plant Management for Tended Landscapes”
Elissa Landre -Community Advocacy and Engagement Mgr for Mass Audubon MetroWest Region.
Presentation will provide best practices for identifying and managing a variety of Invasive plants. Seasonal scouting and removal techniques will be discussed as well as landscape restoration to inhibit future unwanted plant incursions.
MARY HAYES “GREEN ALTERNATIVES TO FOAM” (Sept 21, 2022)
Learn alternatives such as, Agrawool, Oshun coir pouches, chicken wire, frogs and more. Expand your design skills.
May 18, 2022- “Splendor in the Grasses”
Andi Ross- Landscape Designer, Certified Organic Land-Care Professional and Garden Coach.
The popularity of planting ornamental grasses in New England has skyrocketed over the last 20 years. Ornamental grasses offers the busy gardener easy maintenance and stunning design elements. There are grasses for shady, sunny, part- sun garden locations as well as an assortment of colors and textures.
April 20, 2022 – “A People’s Garden: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens”
Jean Rosenberg- AGC member and CMBG volunteer
In 1991 a small group of visionaries discussed the idea of a Maine botanical garden which would include natural landscapes, cultivated gardens and a focus on education, horticulture and research. The gardens opened to the Public in 2007. These gardens have become one of the most distinguished botanical destinations in the country.
March 16, 2022- “Trees: Their Importance to the Environment and the Community”-
Tim Lecuivre-Town of Arlington Tree Warden
Tim will speak on the value and necessity of having a variety of trees in Arlington and how can help mitigate the effects we have experienced from global warming.
February 16,2022- Gardening with Dahlias
Betsy Szymczak – American Dahlia Society, Judge and Member
Betsy will share her knowledge of dahlias, their history and their introduction into the American garden. You will learn how to select Dahlia tubors, where to plant, how to fertilize and water them. Members can contact one of the Program Co-Chairs to receive the program handout.
January 19, 2022 – Gardening for our native pollinators:
Brucie Moulton, Co-founder, Mystic Charles Pollinator Pathways Group; Member, Massachusetts Pollinator Network Steering Committee; Co-chair, Sustainable Arlington.
Rosemary Malfi, Ph.D., Coordinator, Massachusetts Pollinator Network, Co-leader, Community Pesticides Reduction Network. 10 years’ experience as a research scientist in the field of pollinator health pollinators and birds. However, plants vary in the extent, timing and type of support they provide, and different pollinators need nectar, pollen and other plant resources at different times throughout the growing season.
November 20, 2021 – Fessenden’s Herb and Spice Factory on Arlington’s Mill Brook
Richard Duffy – Historian and author
Richard Duffy will share the discovery in recent years of long-lost business records of the mid-1800s from the Philip Fessenden spice mill in West Cambridge (Arlington) that provide a vividly detailed picture of this fascinating enterprise.
Learn about Fessenden’s raw botanical materials, some of his remarkable customers and the place of his business in the Boston market for herbs, spices, and other stone-ground specialty products.
October 20. 2021 – Nancy Brais.
Ergonomics for Gardening; Keep diggin’ what you love in comfort and safety. Ergonomics is fitting the task to the person to maximize the safety, productivity and comfort for doing the task.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 – Maureen Bovet on Greater Boston Parks and Gardens
Maureen is passionate about gardens and has compiled her beautiful photos to illustrate the bounty of public garden spaces we enjoy in southern New England. These will include her favorites, the ones she visits each year and in as many seasons as she can. This will be a great opportunity to plan some garden visits before the winds blow cold!
APRIL 21. – Jen Kettell on Pruning
“Avoiding the Green Helmet”
Jen Kettell, of Radiant Leaf Consulting, will help us learn how to prune shrubs at this time of year. In some ways, Jen says, pruning flowering shrubs can be a bit more complicated than pruning trees. When shrubs have been improperly pruned or just left to their own devices, they begin to resemble what she calls “the green helmet”.
In this virtual workshop you will learn how to avoid the green helmet by selective and timely pruning using her 10-step guide along with the appropriate tools and personal protective gear.
MARCH 17 – Mystic River Watershed Association
MyRWA is an environmental organization based in Arlington, which works for a vibrant, healthy and resilient Mystic River watershed for the benefit of all community members. Learn about some of its initiatives that impact Arlington, including, park, plant and garden-based strategies to reduce flooding and stormwater pollution which you might have seen around town.
FEBRUARY 17 – Hot Topics in Waste Diversion
Arlington’s Recycling Coordinator Charlotte Milan has early memories of making crafts out of ordinary household objects. As a natural maker, she sees value in stuff that’s lying around that others might consider trash. Charlotte values collaborating with colleagues and volunteers to find all kinds of creative ways to promote waste diversion.
Arlington’s School Sustainability Coordinator Rachel Oliveri grew up in a family of educators and reuse/repair enthusiasts. She loves supporting students who work as a team to advocate for the environment at their schools and in their community. She feels lucky to work with Charlotte and connect Arlington youth and their families to local waste diversion projects.
FEBRUARY 17 – Floral Interpretations
Noted flower arranger Thelma Shoneman will show us how to make flower interpretations of our favorite music pieces. On March 27th the Robbins Library will host an evening soiree, a fundraiser for our Arlington libraries as well as the Friends of the Robbins Gardens, representing all types of music, from operas to musicals to children’s books with scores. You’ll be seeing reminders of that often in coming months.
JANUARY 20 – Historian, food designer, and former TV chef for Boston’s Good Day Show Lou Greenstein will demonstrate —“Using Carved Vegetables and Fruit as Centerpieces” – to our members. His creations will become property of the club to raffle, auction off, or eat! (Remember that January is a bag-lunch meal with the board supplying desserts and beverages.)
NOVEMBER 18 – Botanical Art: Then and Now
Diane Piktialis and Joyce Westner are members of the New England Society of Botanical Artists as well as numerous other botanical institutions. They are lovers of art and gardening, and the art of gardening, and will do demonstrations along with their talk.
OCTOBER 21 – Easy First Steps to an Earthy Friendly Garden
Speaker:Rebecca Warner
Ms. Warner, a home gardener and blogger, will give us a quick recipe for marking peat-free potting mix for use in containers.
MAY 8 – Birds in Your Backyard
Through colorful digital images, lecture and demonstration, Betsy Grecoe will reveal interesting facts about the birds you can expect at your feeder, how to feed, house and care for them, and especially how to landscape and plant to attract those birds.
APRIL 10 – Pressed Flower Workshop
In this hands-on workshop, Cheryl Monroe, a licensed adult educator and Master Gardener, will lead us in the use of pressed flowers to make arrangements that will be computer-scanned and then sent back to us as greeting cards. There will be a $5 charge for any member who would like to participate in the workshop part of the presentation.
MARCH 13 – Pets and Plants
April Daley, Master Gardener and former veterinary nurse, will help us understand what “toxic” and “poisonous” mean with respect to our pets. She will provide us with a method to evaluate the pet, the plant, and horticultural practices to assess how much risk is involved in each situation.
FEBRUARY 13 – Mass Audubon’s Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary and Its Connections to Arlington
Garden club members, Jan Ford and Lolly Bennett will present a program originally prepared for the Historical Society, but of special interest to all in Arlington.
Coordinator to top
Arlington Garden Club 