2023 -2024
PROGRAM & EVENTS
Monday, September 18, 2023
Bedford Library – McAllaster Room
9:30 AM Breakfast Social and Meeting
“A Garden is not a place it is a journey”, Monty Don
Breakfast Social & Club Meeting
The BGC 2023-2024 year begins with a breakfast social and club meeting. PLEASE BRING A BREAKFAST DISH TO SHARE WITH THE MEMBERS. The Hospitality Committee will offer coffee, tea, juice and water. This meeting is an opportunity to re-establish friendships, get to know our newest members and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow gardeners. The business meeting provides a brief history of the club, discussion of our community gardens, the years’ programs, events and workshops, the budget consideration and Master Gardeners’ Moment.
Monday, October 23, 2023
Bedford Library – McAllaster Room
6:00 PM Social, 6:30 PM Program, 7:30 PM Meeting
“Native Plants give us a sense of where we are in the great land of ours. I want Texas to look like Texas and Vermont to look like Vermont” Lady Bird Johnson
Go Native!
Sheila Steele, UNH MG
Go Native! Incorporating Native Plants into Your Landscape. Learn what native plants are and why they are important to add to your landscapes. Photos of native plants appropriate for various growing conditions will be shown as well as photos of native garden examples. Members will learn where to purchase natives and how to use them in new and existing gardens and container gardens.
Sheila Steele is a retired science educator and a UNH Extension Master Gardener with special interest and passion for native plants. She is a volunteer in the Edible Garden Program at the Souhegan Valley Boys and Girls Club where she and her students created both a vegetable garden and a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat using all native plants.
Monday, November 27, 2023
Bedford Old Town Hall
5:30 PM Social, 6:00 PM Meeting, 6:30 PM Program
Holiday Swag
Aimee Godbout/Jacques Flower Shop
Aimee is a return presenter and offers her design expertise and enthusiasm to demonstrate the techniques of designing a Holiday Swag.
Members will be able to create their own holiday swag with supervision and suggestions. Participate for a fee or watch others put together their own swag. Further information will be provided regarding cost for individual swags and time to sign up and pay prior to the November meeting.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Bedford Old Town Hall
1:30-2:00 PM Unloading and Sorting
2:00-3:00 PM Decorating
3:00-4:30 PM Distribution of Town and Member Wreaths
“A Christmas Garden” There’s a special winter garden and it blossoms each December. It’s planted with the seed of every Christmas we remember. There’s mistletoe for laugher, there’s holly for good cheer, there’s evergreen to symbolize the hope of the new year and there’s poinsettia for beauty. May the harvest of all these, and more, be yours this Christmas Day
Holiday Wreath Decorating Workshop
Natasha Riddle
Members will enjoy holiday music, refreshments and fun while decorating wreaths for several Town of Bedford Locations such as the town offices, Bedford Library, Police and Fire Department complex and many more. Members may purchase personal wreaths to decorate at the workshop or at home. To order your personal Holiday Wreath, click on this Holiday Wreath Form and mail it in with your payment by November 8. Members that have pre-ordered wreaths may pick up their wreaths either at the workshop or curbside at the Town Hall from 3:00-4:30 PM. Members can also bring their own decorations to complete decorating their pre-ordered wreaths at the workshop.
Sunday, December 10, 2023
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Hosted by: Cynthia & John Ickes
Holiday Social
“A Merry Christmas to everybody, A happy New Year to all the world” Charles Dickens
Join the members and guests to celebrate the spirit of the season at our annual holiday social. Enjoy the holiday season as you mingle and chat with members and their significant others. Please RSVP when requested to let our host know if you will be bringing an hors d’oeuvre or dessert. Members are responsible for bringing their own beverage bottle. Look forward to seeing everyone at this event!
Monday, January 22, 2024
Bedford Library—McAllaster Room
9:30 AM Social, 10:15 AM Program, 11:30 AM Meeting
“I’ve planted many flower seeds, down near the garden wall. A few of them have sprung right up so green and straight and tall. But where are all the other ones? They’re as lazy as can be. I try to find them every day, why don’t they look for me? Author Unknown
Touched By Stone
Pete Ryder, Owner of Touched by Stone and Director of Education and Training at The Stone Trust
Touched by Stone was founded in 2016 by Pete Ryder to bring the art and craft of dry-stone walling to life in New Hampshire. Pete operates a small team of specialized dry-stone masons that implement one project at a time. They adhere to dry stone construction standards developed over centuries and maintained today by the Dry-Stone Walling Association of Great Britain (DSWA).
Pete is a certified instructor with the DSWA and The Stone Trust in Dummerston, VT. Stone Trust courses are offered multiple times a year through a satellite training site in Mont Vernon, NH.
Monday, February 26, 2024
Bedford Library—McAllaster Room
9:30 AM Social, 10:15 AM Program, 11:30 AM Meeting
“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man” George Washington
Introduction to Sanborn Mills Farm
Helen Westergren
Sanborn Mills Farm is a working farm and craft school located in Loudon, NH. Sanborn Mills teaches workshops in blacksmithing, woodworking, fiber art and historic craft as well as farming with draft animals and ornamental gardening. It is a center for the renewal of the human spirit, a place to cultivate creativity and joy and an anchor for our individual collective and shared experiences.
Helen Westergren is the Head Gardener at Sanborn Mills Farm. She oversees the flower gardens throughout the property as well as the Natural Dye and Cut Flower Gardens. She completed her horticulture education at Stonecrop Gardens and Chanticleer and holds a degree in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to her work in gardens, she designed floral arrangements for restaurants and homes across Manhattan.
A special tour of Sanborn Mills Farm is being planned for the Bedford Garden Club during the summer of 2024. Information will be provided.
Monday, March 18, 2024
Bedford Library—McAllaster Room
9:30 AM Social, 10:15 AM Program, 11:30 AM Meeting
“Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the Seeds you Plant” Robert Louis Stevenson
Foodscaping: Edible Landscaping
Charlie Nardozzi
Many of our gardens are flourishing with trees, bushes and perennials, but now we would like to grow some vegetables and fruit. How and where to do that? We will learn where to grow foodscape plants in the yard, how to substitute ornamental plants with foodscape plants and not sacrifice beauty, techniques to make your landscape more beautiful and view examples of some foodscape yards.
Charlie Nardozzi is a nationally recognized garden writer, speaker and radio and television personality based in Vermont. He has worked for over 30 years to bring expert gardening information to home gardeners. On his website he offers articles, podcasts and videos on flowers, bulbs, groundcovers, lawns, houseplants, trees, shrubs and vines. In Spring of 2023 he led a tour group through the Gardens of Ireland and in the Fall a tour through the Gardens of Puglia, Italy. Let’s put one of those tours on our wish list!
Books written by Charlie: The Complete Guide to No-Dig Gardening, Month by Month Gardening New England, Foodscaping: A Practical and Innovative Way to Create an Edible Landscape, New England Getting Started Garden Guide, Urban Gardening for Dummies, Northeast Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Vegetable from an Italian Garden and Vegetable Gardening for Dummies. Books will be available for purchase with personal signing.
The Goffstown Community Garden Club has been invited to join us for this presentation. Please welcome them.
Monday, April 22, 2024
Bedford Library—McAllaster Room
9:30 AM Social, 10:15 AM Program, 11:30 Meeting
“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments” Janet Kilburn Phillips
Getting The Garden Ready for Spring
Ron UNH Master Gardener
We will learn the best practices for getting our vegetable and flower gardens ready for Spring, ensuring that both plants and planting areas are properly prepared for a bountiful harvest and beautiful display. Additional information will be presented on how to bring the lawn out of hibernation, how to care for trees and shrubs, dealing with aggressive weeds, the benefits of composting, managing pests and diseases and tending to tools and supplies. A lot of great information as we prepare for our May Plant Sale and June Garden Tour.
Ron Trexler has been a UNH Master Gardener since 2016 and has achieved the level of Advanced Master Gardener. He is extensively involved in the training and mentoring of new Master Gardeners, trains Master Gardeners who wish to participate in the Master Gardeners’ Speakers Bureau and regularly presents to libraries, garden clubs and community organizations. In addition, Ron serves in a leadership role with the Hooksett Garden Club and serves on the Executive Board of the New Hampshire Garden Clubs. He especially enjoys growing vegetables in raised beds that benefit from his home composting system.
Monday, May 20, 2024
Bedford Library—McAllaster Room
6:00 PM Social, 6:30 Membership Meeting
“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always great it in the garden” Ruth Stout
Membership Business Meeting
The BCG Executive Board encourages ALL members to attend the annual business meeting to elect the BGC 2024-2025 Officers, Board of Directors and a 2025 Nominating Committee. The annual budget, fundraising results and the May Plant Sale will be discussed, as well as the annual 2023-2024 Community Gardens’ Report. Summer activities will be announced – the June Luncheon sign up, details of the Garden Tour and sign up, tour of Sanborn Mills Farm, Garden Hops and other planned events. Your enthusiastic participation is what makes our Garden Club blossom!
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Bedford Village Common, 15 Bell Hill Road Bedford
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
“May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.” Irish Blessing
Plant Sale
The plant sale is our primary major fundraising activity to support all our charitable endeavors, education and scholarships. Each member is asked to provide five labelled plants (either from their garden or purchased) or provide a $20.00 financial donation. All financial donations of $20.00 will be required by May 1 (checks or cash can be given to the treasurer at the April meeting or mailed into the BGC Meetinghouse address). The financial donations are used to purchase annuals at a NH grower for the sale. Members are encouraged to volunteer and help the digging teams to divide and pot plants from the numerous gardens of either members or Bedford Residents. This can take place either in the fall or in the spring. The generosity of spirit, hard work and support from our loyal members has earned respect and admiration from the community. Please join the Plant Sale Team to make the 2024 sale bigger than the previous year!
Monday, June 19, 2024
June Scott’s Home
12:30-2:30PM
Annual Garden Party
Join the members at the annual garden party luncheon! June Scott is graciously opening her home and garden to the members, so we can end a successful garden year with good food and friends in an outdoor garden setting. Please RSVP when requested to let our hosts know what you will plan to bring to the party.
Thursday September 5, 2024
Bedford Village Common
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
“Autumn is a second spring when Every Leaf is a Flower” Albert Camus
Mum Sale
BGC’s second major fundraising activity of the year, the fall Mum Sale is held the first Thursday after Labor Day. Proceeds from the sale help to support the club’s educational programs and maintenance of its eight community gardens. Our beautiful 9” potted mums are NH grown. The Mum Sale is by order and pre- payment only with a sale period from June to late August. Order forms are available on our website and in the Bedford Public Library foyer. Members are encouraged to purchase mums for their own use and to contact neighbors, friends and family about the sale.
On September 5, a one-day, drive-up/pick up operation for all pre-paid orders will take place at the Bedford Village Common parking lot from 2 – 6pm. In August, members will be asked to volunteer for the event including the set-up, unloading the mums from the delivery truck in the morning, placing orders in customer’s vehicles in the afternoon, and cleanup. We look forward to all the members volunteering their time and enjoying the fellowship of other members!