Welcome to the Carlisle Garden Club
'Garden as if the Earth Depends on it'
We are a volunteer organization supporting people interested in horticulture, floral arrangement, garden design, and sustainable garden practices. Our mission is to provide information and education on all aspects of gardening; to facilitate the exchange of knowledge based on experience and to promote the civic beautification of Carlisle. We encourage the use of native plants, support pollinators and soil restoration and partner with nature to make the world a kinder place.
Our mission statement
"To provide information and education on all aspects of gardening;
facilitate the exchange of knowledge based on experience
and to promote the civic beautification of Carlisle."
Our mission statement
"To provide information and education on all aspects of gardening;
facilitate the exchange of knowledge based on experience
and to promote the civic beautification of Carlisle."
Carlisle Country Gardens Tour 2023 - On Sale Now!
Don't Miss the Tour That Defines What Country Gardens Can Be!
Friday, June 9th and Saturday, June 10th
10:00 am - 4:00 pm each day.
10:00 am - 4:00 pm each day.
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This Year's Theme - The Artistry of Nature
Features 6 fabulous private country gardens and 2 beautiful public gardens. Come experience the country and get fabulous ideas for using native plants in your garden! How it Works You can purchase tickets online at a reduced price until June 5th. After that date, tickets are available at the regular price online. Or you can buy in person on the days of the tour at the Carlisle Town Common. You can pick up or purchase your tickets at Carlisle Town Common on both days of the tour between 10:00am-3:00pm. At that time you'll receive your booklet/guide to the gardens! |
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Shrubs & Trees Native Plant SaleBuy Now - Pick Up At Center Park on April 22
Deadline for online orders April 12th Our annual native plant sale is now open. You can order and pay for your plants online and pick them up at Carlisle Center Park, 42 Lowell Street Carlisle, MA any time between 9am and 2pm on Saturday April 22 during the Earth Day celebrations.
These are curated native plants designed to add value to your landscape. These plants are sourced by Weston Nurseries in Chelmsford, MA. We have included pictures and descriptions to help you choose plants that are appropriate for your site conditions for soil texture, moisture and sunshine. Click on the picture of Shrubs or Trees to review our selections and place your order. |
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Garden Club Will Join Carlisle's
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The Garden Club will host several activities at the Carlisle environmental sustainability celebration on Sat, April 22 (by no coincidence, it's also Earth Day) from 10 AM to 2 PM. Activities occur at various locations in the center of town.
On the Common:
The Club will hold its annual Seed Swap and Share, with free and swapped heirloom/native seeds (no recycled F1 hybrid seeds, please; they do not breed true). Knowledgeable gardeners will be available at the Garden Club table to swap ideas. Farmer's Market staff will be there with special tips and perhaps some garlic starts to share.
Thoreau called Carlisle "the city in the woods" and we are proud of our trees. To help our residents learn more about them, a group of Club volunteers has prepared a stimulating, rhymed scavenger hunt that individuals or families can use to locate a number of tree species around Carlisle Center. Prizes will be awarded to those who complete the hunt.
At Center Park:
Club gurus affiliated with Center Park, as well as Massachusetts Master Gardeners, are assisting with a limited-time plant sale of specially priced native trees and shrubs that can be ordered online and picked up during the April 22 event. As you stop by Center Park on Earth Day, you'll discover more fun, educational activities!
On the Common:
The Club will hold its annual Seed Swap and Share, with free and swapped heirloom/native seeds (no recycled F1 hybrid seeds, please; they do not breed true). Knowledgeable gardeners will be available at the Garden Club table to swap ideas. Farmer's Market staff will be there with special tips and perhaps some garlic starts to share.
Thoreau called Carlisle "the city in the woods" and we are proud of our trees. To help our residents learn more about them, a group of Club volunteers has prepared a stimulating, rhymed scavenger hunt that individuals or families can use to locate a number of tree species around Carlisle Center. Prizes will be awarded to those who complete the hunt.
At Center Park:
Club gurus affiliated with Center Park, as well as Massachusetts Master Gardeners, are assisting with a limited-time plant sale of specially priced native trees and shrubs that can be ordered online and picked up during the April 22 event. As you stop by Center Park on Earth Day, you'll discover more fun, educational activities!
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NEXT CLUB MEETING: MONDAY, APRIL 3, 7 PM
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Spring Ephemerals
Speaker: Joan Butler Where: Zoom Description: Early-blooming native wildflowers such as snowdrop, winter aconite, or Virginia bluebell are the stars of the early spring garden, but may be unfamiliar to many gardeners. Learn about the habitats, ideal growing conditions, and unique adaptations of these ephemerals, which bloom early and then go dormant. 
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CHECK OUT OUR SEASON SCHEDULE
Membership Notes
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.
We accept new members throughout the year. For the rest of this season, you may send a $25 check, payable to Carlisle Garden Club, to Carlisle Garden Club Membership, P.O. Box 231, Carlisle, MA 01741. New members please provide your name; email and mailing address; land and/or cellphone number; and put an asterisk next to your preferred contact method. We look forward to meeting you! Whenever members gather, the fun and learning follow!
To access the current member list, choose the Members/Programs/... option from the Members menu at the top of this page. The Club password will be requested.
Useful Websites
HOSTS - A searchable database from UK's venerable Natural History Museum that lists host plants of the world's lepidoptera. You need to know at least the scientific family name of the butterfly/moth you're seeking. The more precise your request, the more focused the data returned. Tip: Scroll down to specify the USA location to limit the display.
The Lepidopterists' Society - Professional association. Some online articles, and membership confers full benefits.
Monarch Watch - All things Monarch. Seeds for school or community projects are free if available, or they may be purchased.
North American Butterfly Association - Citizen projects, butterfly count info, photo contests, garden certification, and more.
The Xerces Society - A major publisher of information on North American pollinators. Some documents are available as online PDFs.
The Lepidopterists' Society - Professional association. Some online articles, and membership confers full benefits.
Monarch Watch - All things Monarch. Seeds for school or community projects are free if available, or they may be purchased.
North American Butterfly Association - Citizen projects, butterfly count info, photo contests, garden certification, and more.
The Xerces Society - A major publisher of information on North American pollinators. Some documents are available as online PDFs.
Invasives & Natives in Eastern Massachusetts
COMMON INVASIVE PLANTS LISTED BY MASS AUDUBON SOCIETY
Click this link to see a picture gallery of invasive species that you can learn about.
ALISON SAYLOR'S STEWARDSHIP TEMPLATE
Her valuable list of natives to consider planting.
Click this link to see a picture gallery of invasive species that you can learn about.
ALISON SAYLOR'S STEWARDSHIP TEMPLATE
Her valuable list of natives to consider planting.
Composting
COMPOST IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN: YOUR COMPOST IS BROWN GOLD!
It's wonderful that Carlisle has a contract with Black Earth to handle composting on a town-wide basis -- and thanks to Launa Zimmaro and all the forward-looking people who made this possible) but the VERY BEST DEAL is to keep your compostable material (kitchen waste, leaves and grass/yard cuttings) on your own property. It may take a special strategy to dispose of your kitchen scraps over the winter, but those scraps are the perfect fertilizer for a vital garden bed, a shrub border, or a tree understory. Remember to mix kitchen scraps (nitrogen) with shredded paper, leaves and weed-free yard scraps (carbon) in a ratio as high as 1:9 to mimic nature's ratio.
THANKS TO ANGELA SMITH FOR GUIDELINES FROM BLACK EARTH COMPOST (click link below for info):
what's compostable at the Transfer Station, and what is not
HOPE IT HELPS YOU SORT IT OUT.
It's wonderful that Carlisle has a contract with Black Earth to handle composting on a town-wide basis -- and thanks to Launa Zimmaro and all the forward-looking people who made this possible) but the VERY BEST DEAL is to keep your compostable material (kitchen waste, leaves and grass/yard cuttings) on your own property. It may take a special strategy to dispose of your kitchen scraps over the winter, but those scraps are the perfect fertilizer for a vital garden bed, a shrub border, or a tree understory. Remember to mix kitchen scraps (nitrogen) with shredded paper, leaves and weed-free yard scraps (carbon) in a ratio as high as 1:9 to mimic nature's ratio.
THANKS TO ANGELA SMITH FOR GUIDELINES FROM BLACK EARTH COMPOST (click link below for info):
what's compostable at the Transfer Station, and what is not
HOPE IT HELPS YOU SORT IT OUT.
STILL AVAILABLE: CHATTING WITH OUR 2021 TOUR GARDENERS
The 2021 Carlisle Country Gardens chat video is
now available on demand
Click here to see our video conversations with the five gardeners on the Tour. If you visited the garden in person, you can now hear how the garden came to be. You can click Show More beneath the video to see a list of gardens that match their number in the program booklet. The videos were shot during the week preceding the Tour.
THANKS TO OUR 2021
COUNTRY GARDEN TOUR SPONSORS
Our deepest thanks to the sponsors who so generously supported the 2021 tour. It is the Club's major fundraiser, which supports our community outreach and educational events such as college scholarships for Carlisle students, civic beautification, the spring seed swap/share, Old Home Day appearances, and other special activities.
Please patronize our sponsors whenever possible and spread the word among your friends. Click any sponsor's logo to visit their website.
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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Some additional club highlights
Download the most recent member list (password required)
2022-23 Officers and Committees
Alison Saylor's Template for land stewardship
Judy Blaikie Lane's Flower arranging demo
2022-23 Officers and Committees
Alison Saylor's Template for land stewardship
Judy Blaikie Lane's Flower arranging demo
Add habitat for native bumblebees to your landscape
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At a fascinating 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 co-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 pollinator species. |
Bombus impatiens on New England aster. © Janet Wilder
TO VIEW OTHER VIDEOS IN THE EVENINGS WITH EXPERTS SERIES VISIT THE GROW NATIVE WEBSITE . |
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.
HAVE A QUESTION OR SUGGESTION FOR THE CLUB?
OPEN OUR RESOURCES PAGE TO SEE WHAT'S NEW, ASK A QUESTION, OR SUGGEST A TOPIC. . .