UPCOMING EVENTS: Free and open to the public at St. James Methodist Church, 646 DW Hwy, Merrimack!
DOORS OPEN at 6PM .ALL PROGRAMS BEGIN AT 6:30PM!
- May 23rd -Master Gardener, Donna Lussier will present a program about seed saving. She has been a UNH Extension Master Gardener since 2017 and a Master Gardener Speakers Bureau presenter since 2018. During this presentation attendees will learn why saving seeds is important, what kinds of seeds to save and when to harvest them, the different methods for processing seeds and preparing them for storage, and several tips and tricks to ensure successful germination.
- June 17th -In celebration of the 400th anniversary, the Great Island Garden Club is hosting a tour of the Secret Gardens of Newcastle. There are only 15 tickets at the price of $22.86. Excellent opportunity to tour an historic area and beautiful gardens! If you want a ticket, bring payment to our meeting next Tuesday or text me at sampudge2@gmail.com.
- June 27th Friends and Foes in the Garden with Steve Luce, owner of Depot Farm Stand
- July- 25th The History of Bridal Bouquets with Fortin Gage
- July 29 th-interested members will travel to Pumpkin Blossom Lavender Farm in Warner where we will receive a 45 minute talk on lavender, a demonstration on distillation, visit to the gift shop, and will be able to pick our own lavender. We need to arrive in Warner at 10:00 AM so will be leaving Merrimack before 9. Members can carpool. Drivers will be compensated for the cost of gas. Afterwards we will enjoy lunch at the Tavern in Hopkinton. Those attending will receive $20 toward lunch. Please, sign up at the May or June meeting.
- August- 5th- Our Annual Plant Sale
- September 26th Heirloom Apples of NH with Jared Kane Preservation Orchard at Branch Hill Farm
- October TBA
- November Floral Workshop MEMBERS ONLY
- December Holiday Social MEMBERS ONLY
The Fun we had last year!
- March 28th -We got Fift to Garden! Dr. Brandon and Dr. Jo of Blue Zone Health spoke to us about getting in shape to dig, plant and weed. W
- April 25th- Ron Trexler shared his wisdom with us regarding best practices of composting.
- January -We began the evening with pizza and welcomed new members. Following dinner, participated in a fun activity to get reacquainted. We enjoyed dessert while in our business meeting.
- December - Holiday Social Date TBD MEMBERS ONLY
- November 15 - Our annual MEMBERS ONLY floral arrangement workshop was run by Linda Rattigan of Beautifully Brightened Flowers. Though we all had the same greens, flowers and decorations to select from, every arrangement had its own unique look!
- October 25 - Unfortunately, our guest speaker was unable to join us due to illness. We held our meeting and members nominated a new slate of officers.
- September 27 - Putting the Garden to Bed with Master Gardener Ron Trexler. We are pleased to have Ron back with us as we wrap up another gardening season
- August 27- Summer Social outing to Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA. was a terrific time! MEMBERS ONLY
- August 6 - successful annual plant sale...see our photos!
- July 26 - Advanced Master Gardener Ruth Droescher spoke to us about Growing a Pollinator Garden. In recent years, there has been a decline in insects such as bees and butterflies that are essential pollinators. Ruth suggested ways in which we can encourage natural pollinators.
- June 28 - We're very fortunate to welcome Ron Trexler, a UNH Extension Master Gardener, who spoke to us about the benefits and drawbacks of gardening in containers.
- May 24 - Creating Shady Retreats- with Joan Butler and Jana Milbouer of Enchanted Gardens Excellent, Jana Milbouer shared her insights along with a colorful slide show about how to design plantings and using strategies to light up shady corners, highlight unusual plants and illustrate the creative use of art objects.
- April 26 - Marti Warren, from the Amherst Garden Club. Marti spoke to us about those invasive Jumping Worms, which are of great concern to everyone. The rest of this meeting we focused on our August plant sale preparations.
- March 22 - Raptors—Learned about raptors, their seasonal habitat locations and the challenges they face in our changing world.
- February - Succulents presented by Jeff Frizzell . Jeff is Assistant Manager at Frizzhome Gardens and an expert in the care and growth of succulents. If you haven’t been to the succulent greenhouse, you’re in for a treat as Jeff has a true passion for succulents.
- January - Our first meeting of the year is our 'getting to know you' and all people interested in joining the Merrimack Garden club are invited to join us! This was a Zoom meeting given the recent rise in Covid numbers. Participants learned about the wonderful activities we have enjoyed together and what we have planned for this year. We enjoyed chatting in small groups about our gardening challenges, memories and what we home to try this year in our home gardens!