GARDEN AS IF THE EARTH DEPENDS ON IT
Visit our Earth Day plans and activities pages, which shape this Garden Club year.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2020:
SEED SWAP & SHARE | EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS | SUPPORTING POLLINATORS | SOIL RESTORATION | PARTNERING WITH NATURE
Carlisle woodland garden in summer
photo by Elizabeth Acquaviva |
Trees in winter, Great Brook State Park
photo by Kay Hurley |
Autumn color, Great Brook State Park
photo by Debbie Bentley |
CHECK OUT OUR ENTIRE CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE CURRENT SEASON.
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BRIGHT AND MERRY HOLIDAYS TO ALL! |
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January Meeting:
WELCOME 2020 AT OUR MEMBERS ROUND TABLE
When: Tuesday, January 14, 2020 10 AM – Noon |
COME FOR BRUNCH as members exchange Q & A, look forward to spring, and discuss any topics you'd like to share.
Exciting things are ahead in 2020. February brings a public survey of local trees, with favorites from the time of Thoreau to the present, co-sponsored by Gleason Public Library. March offers a special, renamed edition of our spring seed swap; as in the past, it's co-sponsored with the First Religious Society's Environmental Action Committee, but it's now called the Community Seed Share & Swap, with free seeds for everyone to try. We also plan to expand the town's environmental expo. In April -- the 50th anniversary of the original Earth Day in 1979 -- we'll start a community conversation about Carlisle's role in climate change. And our annual plant sale in May will feature native plants, with an ongoing program to offer free tree seedlings so residents can plant for the future. |
A NEW NAME, A NEW EMPHASIS:
COMMUNITY SEED SHARE & SWAP
Save the date: Saturday, March 14, 3-7 PM. Details coming soon.
OUR ANNUAL CARLISLE SEED EVENT HAS A NEW NAME! In the past, some people thought that the Seed Swap was just for people who always start their plants from seeds -- that you had to bring some seeds if you wanted to take some seeds away. We worried that folks would think planting seeds was just "not for them." But we believe that everyone should experience the joy of seeds.
Heirloom species at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, IA. They're one of the nation's leading suppliers of organic, open-pollinated, and non-GMO seeds, and the source of recent seeds shared at the Carlisle community Share & Swap. Check out their offerings at seedsavers.org
So we renamed our event the Community Seed Share & Swap to stress that everyone can enjoy the adventure of planting even a few seeds. By placing a seed in moistened dirt, we share what is perhaps the basic miracle of life on Earth: photosynthesis, a process that's still not fully appreciated, lets a seed use sunlight. moisture, and the nutrients in enriched stone dust to create a food supply that supports the entire web of life. And, along the way, these plants perform another miracle to benefit the human race. Since plants need carbon dioxide to create the carbohydrates that nourish them, they pull atmospheric carbon into the soil -- thereby reducing the planet's atmospheric carbon. It's all good.
It's a complex process that benefits us all, and the world is rethinking a science that's revealing new data every day. The world and the creatures in it are evolving. There's great news in learning how forests work together to care for their community, how plants have learned to create chemicals that can attract, repel, and heal. New techniques of sustainability and restorative agriculture are being promoted to encourage pollinators on our own property, how to work with our neighbors to build larger wildlife habitats, how to understand that the pesticides used in the past may have unintended consequences. Most of all, we are learning it takes entire village, even a nation of villages working together, to repay the planet for its largesse. Ultimately, agriculture is providing a model to show how diverse communities can work together to create an environment that serves them all.
It's a complex process that benefits us all, and the world is rethinking a science that's revealing new data every day. The world and the creatures in it are evolving. There's great news in learning how forests work together to care for their community, how plants have learned to create chemicals that can attract, repel, and heal. New techniques of sustainability and restorative agriculture are being promoted to encourage pollinators on our own property, how to work with our neighbors to build larger wildlife habitats, how to understand that the pesticides used in the past may have unintended consequences. Most of all, we are learning it takes entire village, even a nation of villages working together, to repay the planet for its largesse. Ultimately, agriculture is providing a model to show how diverse communities can work together to create an environment that serves them all.
Last Reminder: 2019-20 Membership Dues Payment
Dues for the 2019-2020 season were payable by Monday, September 30. For your convenience, we now offer a PayPal option for online purchase through a secure link. Like most non-profits, we ask that you pay the fee for the convenience, because our per-member dues costs are carefully calculated. The $50 dues, along with PayPal's $1.75 service fee, brings the total to $51.75.
When you click Buy Now below, you will be forwarded to a secure PayPal page where you are asked to pay the $51.75 online dues using the method of your choice. You will have an opportunity to review the amount before you finalize your payment.
When you click Buy Now below, you will be forwarded to a secure PayPal page where you are asked to pay the $51.75 online dues using the method of your choice. You will have an opportunity to review the amount before you finalize your payment.
Some recent club highlights
Download the most recent member list (password required)
2019-2020 Officers and Committees
Celebrating our 2019 Debbie Wright Scholarship winner
Alison Saylor's Template for land stewardship
Judy Blaikie Lane's Flower arranging demo
2019-2020 Officers and Committees
Celebrating our 2019 Debbie Wright Scholarship winner
Alison Saylor's Template for land stewardship
Judy Blaikie Lane's Flower arranging demo
LOVE TO GARDEN? JOIN THE CLUB. If you'd like to be part of the Carlisle Garden Club or if you'd like to attend a meeting as our guest, click the button below to contact our member chair.
THANKS TO ALL OUR 2019 TOUR SPONSORS
Our deepest thanks to the sponsors who so generously supported the 2019 tour. It was the club's major fundraiser, which supports civic beautification, community events such as the spring seed swap, and college scholarships for Carlisle students. As you will see when you open our preliminary calendar, we're planning a banner series of outreach events in the coming year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original Earth Day in 1970.
Please patronize our sponsors whenever possible and spread the word among your friends.
Please patronize our sponsors whenever possible and spread the word among your friends.
(Click any sponsor's logo to visit their website.)
Community Garden Sponsors
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Wildflower Garden Sponsor
Herb Garden Sponsors
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Add habitat for native bumblebees to your landscape
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At a fascinating April, 2019 lecture sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts in Cambridge, biologist Rob Gegear of Worcester Polytechnic Institute shared his research on the ecology of native bumblebees, and offered many evidence-based actions to help conserve these vital pollinators. A key component of Rob's guidelines for creating high-quality bumblebee habitat was plant selection, described later in this article.
His guidelines: first and foremost, avoid using non-native plants as much as possible. Exotic species disrupt the ecological systems within which bumblebees and native plants have evolved, and may actually contribute to bumblebee declines. Of the eleven bumblebee species native to Massachusetts, only a few have stable or expanding populations. Many of the species that are now rare have declined significantly from their historical abundance. Some non-native perennials might buzz with bees when in bloom, but they are often attracting only the most common, least threatened bumblebees. The true indicator of valuable habitat is seeing a diversity of bee species. |
Photo: Bombus impatiens visits New England aster. © Janet Wilder
TO VIEW OTHER VIDEOS IN THE EVENINGS WITH EXPERTS SERIES VISIT THE GROW NATIVE WEBSITE |
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Native Plant Trust: a new name for a beloved New England institutionThe visiting season has begun at Native Plant Trust in Framingham.(NativePlantTrust.org) Sound unfamiliar? It's the organization formerly known as NEWFS -- the New England Wild Flower Society, still headquartered at Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road -- open daily 10 AM to 5 PM. It's been renamed to reflect their important work in protecting native species. Take a look at the website, then plan a visit (or several) to watch the wondrous parade of NE native plants in bloom. You can even purchase natives, grown locally from seed, to grace your own property.
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RETHINKING YOUR GARDEN:
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OVER THE MOON ABOUT THE MOON?
If you're one of those wonderful "lunatic" gardeners who believes in planting or harvesting by the phases of the moon, you can click this link for a chart of the moon phases this month. |
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PLEASE SHARE THE RECIPE FOR YOUR FABULOUS DISH |
OUR POTLUCK PARTIES LEAVE US YEARNING FOR ONE MORE TASTE of that amazing salad or casserole, dessert or other special treat you brought to a party this year -- or any year. Though our version won't match your artful preparation, we'd love to share those tasty delights at our own family gatherings. And those who couldn't make it to the event will appreciate a vicarious bite, we're sure.
Pinterest graphic from
http://www.jeanettelynton.com |
THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS
CHECK OUT THIS PAGE TO SEE A LIST OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT OUR WORK. Many thanks to all our sponsors, donors and supporters. Please patronize them in return, whenever possible, and mention them to your friends.
What else is new?
LAST YEAR'S SEED SWAP/EXPO FEATURED SEED BOMBS, PEA SHOOTS, MILK-JUG MINI-GREENHOUSES, ORIGAMI ENVELOPES FROM RECYCLED PAPER, MASON BEE HOMES AND NEW COMPOSTING IDEAS for gardeners of all ages. Click here to visit recent Seed Swap documents.
KEEP MOVING, GARDENERS: TRY THE EGOSCUE STRETCHES FOR HEALTH AND REJUVENATION, available for all to download here.
A WORKOUT ROUTINE FOR GARDENERS WHO WANT TO GET IN SHAPE. Available to all site visitors.
MORE PUBLIC LINKS HAVE BEEN ADDED: Check out some exciting new addresses on our favorite links page describing permaculture resources, over-wintering tender fig trees, and new sources for obtaining native New England shrubs and perennials. These links are available to all site visitors.
MEMBER DOCUMENTS NOW AVAILABLE: Get a copy of our downloadable current member list, as well as recent newsletters, meeting minutes, financial reports, and member reimbursement form here. You'll be asked for the site password.
A WORKOUT ROUTINE FOR GARDENERS WHO WANT TO GET IN SHAPE. Available to all site visitors.
MORE PUBLIC LINKS HAVE BEEN ADDED: Check out some exciting new addresses on our favorite links page describing permaculture resources, over-wintering tender fig trees, and new sources for obtaining native New England shrubs and perennials. These links are available to all site visitors.
MEMBER DOCUMENTS NOW AVAILABLE: Get a copy of our downloadable current member list, as well as recent newsletters, meeting minutes, financial reports, and member reimbursement form here. You'll be asked for the site password.
HAVE A QUESTION OR SUGGESTION FOR THE CLUB?
OPEN OUR RESOURCES PAGE TO SEE WHAT'S NEW, ASK A QUESTION, OR SUGGEST A TOPIC. . .