Past Programs & Field Trips

Past Programs and Field Trips

Our club provides education, resources, and national networking opportunities for our members. The Program committee works with the President to secure speakers that relate to our annual theme and that promote the love of gardening, floral design, civic andenvironmental responsibility. In addition, the Program committee schedules field trips to advance members' knowledge of gardening and conservation techniques throughout the area.

The programs usually begin at about 1:00pm, after the BRGC General Meeting.

Program and Field Trip Schedule 2024

January, 2024 No Meeting

February, 2024 Pot Luck Social

March, 2024 Mid-Winter Flower Design Workshop and Pizza Day

April, 2024 Spring Ephemerals-Irene

May, 2024 Getting to Know your Club- Learn about committees and activities

June 12, 2024 Annual Meeting

“Blooms Through the Season” is a fast paced, exciting talk that is like speed dating for perennials. John Fromer, Maine Master Gardener Volunteer, and his wife Kathy have grown over 140 perennials along the shore at Islesboro and on their flower and vegetable farm in Appleton, ME. Fromer will talk about each perennial for 30-45 seconds with tips based on personal experience for approximately 90 perennials. The perennials are sorted by color and presented from spring to fall.

Fromer is the Program Director at Merryspring Nature Center, presents garden talks and workshops there and teaches gardening and the MidCoast School of Technology. He also teaches the vegetable class at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

June 14 and 15, 2024 FIELD TRIP and WORKSHOP: Creating Concrete Stepping Stones

July 10, 2024

July 13, 2024 SUMMER FAIR on the Boothbay Green: "Boothbay in Bloom" from 9:00-4:00.

July 24, 2024 FIELD TRIP to Glendarragh Lavender Farm, Appleton, Maine

MEET AT THE BOOTHBAY FIRE STATION AT NOON

August 7, 2024 FIELD TRIP to Brae Maple Farm in the morning, lunch in Camden and then to Merryspring Nature Center in Camden in the afternoon

August 14, 2024

September 11, 2024

October 9, 2024

July 13, 2022 Art and Whimsy in the Garden Lisa Colburn

October 12, 2022 Winter Sowing: Mini-greenhouses for winter seed germination Deanna Clarkson

March 8, 2023 Veggies to Table Erica Berman...see presentation details and notes

December, 2023 Field Trip to Victoria Mansion, Portland, Maine

April 12, 2023 Conley's Introductory Presentation

May 10, 2023 Getting to Know Our Club
Jane Lunt shared about our scholarship program.
Melissa Thornton introduced the new and improved website.

May 21, 2023 The First Member Garden Visit: Cocktails in the Greenhouse at Melissa Thornton's
June 14, 2023 Annual Meeting at the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club Presenter: Martha Blakeslee on 'Flower Arranging at the White House'

July 12, 2023 Summer Inspiration Flower design Workshop-Members make arrangements from their own and Club flower materials

August 9, 2023 Stan Wakefield: Birds in the Garden

September 12, 2023 Veggies to Table FIELD TRIP

September 13, 2023 Barter's Island Bees

October 11, 2023 CMBG Speaker, Irene Barber

November 8, 2023 Soup Pot Luck and wreath decorating

December, 2023 Holiday Festival--no BRGC Club meeting

Program and Field Trip Schedule 2022 and 2023

SEPTEMBER 13: BARTER'S ISLAND BEES

Our BRGC September program by Donna & Denny Denniston, from Barter’s Island Bees, provided our club members with the wonderful opportunity to learn about their beekeeping, the bees making of honey and for us to sample and buy a variety of products made from their honey. For more information visit their website at bartersislandbees.com.

Concrete Leaf Bird Bath and Stepping Stones Workshop 8.16.23
Instructions

Press photo and cursor right & left. Read description below.

Lisa Freeman presented the workshop at Linda Redman's beautiful property in Boothbay Harbor

Ready to start the concrete...

More of Linda's inspiring gardens....

Lisa Freeman presented the workshop at Linda Redman's beautiful property in Boothbay Harbor

1/14

AUGUST 9: BIRDS IN THE GARDEN

Stan Wakefield has been an enthusiastic birder and gardener for the past 25 years and has tried to combine his interest in both by planting trees,

shrubs, and perennials to attract and benefit wildlife. He lives in East Boothbay and is known to get long-winded when talking about birds.

A Short list of Native Plants to Attract Birds and Pollinators

Flowers
Goldfinger shrubby cinquefoil/Potentilla fruiticosa
New England aster/Symphotricum
Baby Joe Pye weed/Eutrochium dubium
Autumn gold sunflower/Helianthus salicifolius
Ruby Spice summer sweet/Clethra alnifolia
Spicebush/Lindera benzoin
Bush honeysuckle/Diervilla rivularis & lonicera
Flowers & Berries
Hollies
Little goblin red winterberry/Ilex verticillata
Jim Dandy (male) & Wildfire (female) winterberry/Ilex verticillata
Blue prince (m) & princess (f) holly/Ilex meserveae (now self-pollinating version available)
Groundcovers
Bunchberry/Cornus canadensis
Massachusetts bearberry/Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Tall shrubs
Black/red chokeberry/Aronia melanocarpia & arbutifolia
Serviceberry/Amelanchier canadensis Vine
Coral honeysuckle/Lonicera sempervirens