Summer Garden Tours ... Check out the List

Alicia Moore refers us to a very good list of upcoming summer garden tours. Check out "Peek Into Your Neighbor's Backyard Oasis: Our Summer Garden Tours Preview" at WBUR's The ARTery website http://artery.wbur.org/2014/06/19/garden-tours-preview. You'll find a full schedule to inspire your horticultural explorations. And just a reminder that the Stevens-Coolidge Place perennial gardens have been restored and a trip to North Andover to see them might be a wonderful local adventure.

Happy Summertime

Free Lecture... Phragmites... Dealing with Phragmites

If you can't attend the live presentation, you will be able to watch this program live on your TV at the same time it is being presented. Also, in the week following the presentation, ICAM will show it each day at various times. About 3 weeks after the presentation you will be able to see it on your own computer by going to the video/film section on ICAM's web site. You can also borrow the hard copy from ICAM and view it that way.

Mayflower to be published ONLINE

Earlier this fiscal year, the Federation committed itself to making our quarterly news magazine, Mayflower, accessible to all members of federated garden clubs. Our objective is to enable a wider audience to learn about the GCFM and local club activities, as well as educational opportunities that can help make us all better gardeners, floral designers and stewards of Mother Earth.

We have concluded that the best way to do this is to make Mayflower available electronically, in addition to its current printed format.

Beginning with the summer Mayflower issue, you will be able to access the digital Mayflower two ways:

1.     Each time a new issue becomes available, the Federation will email all GC presidents a hyperlink that they can share with their members — either by forwarding the original email or by including the link in their own club newsletters. When clicked, this link will take you to a pdf (acronym for "portable document format") of the new e-Mayflower.  Club members will be able to read this pdf, save it to their own computer desktops, and/or print any (or all) desired pages. The e-Mayflower will be identical to the printed version — same photos, same articles, same advertising, etc.

2.     The e-Mayflower will also be accessible via the www.gcfm.org web site. At the top of the home page you will notice a new tab called "MAYFLOWER." Clicking on this tab will take you to a page where the link to the latest e-Mayflower appears. Click on this link, and you arrive at the pdf of the issue. Read, download, print, enjoy!

Another Annual Plant Sale Success!

IGC Spring 2014 Newsletter

CLICK HERE Read the 2014 Spring IGC Newsletter in PDF form.

IGC Annual Plant Sale- See You There!

Some Ideas on Perennial Books from Gail Anderson

Gail,
I seem to remember you mentioning a perennial book or two that you like. Do you have a recommendation? Mine are so lacking.
Thanks,
Laura Larson

If you want a book that concentrates on the perennial plants themselves individually and in groupings without a lot of side topics, then you might like RODALE'S ILLUSTRATIONED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PERENNIALS by Ellen Phillips & C. Colston Burrell. Be sure to get the 2004 edition or a later one if it exists (you can find cheap copies on ebay). Obviously it will not have the latest cultivars, but it has all the tried and true varieties (over 700 pages).
http://www.rodaleinc.com/products/books/rodales-illustrated-encyclopedia-perennials
Another book that, apparently, is wildly popular is THE WELL-TRAINED PERENNIAL GARDEN by Tracy diSabato Aust. It has more about planting, maintenance etc. but also covers the plants. I don't own it so can't speak from personal experience. Again, be sure to get the latest edition which may be 2006. (note: Paula J. loves this book)
http://www.amazon.com/Well-Tended-Perennial-Garden-Planting-Techniques/dp/0881928038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397502779&sr=1-1&keywords=the+well+tended+perennial+garden+by+tracy+disabato-aust
Then American Horticultural Society offers two huge comprehensive references. One is A-Z ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GARDEN PLANTS. We use an earlier version as the "big book" reference at the garden club plant sale. It covers not only perennials but some woody shrubs and trees and some plants that are not hardy in our zone. It's also a bit outdated and does not include some of the cultivars. However, as a one-stop go-to reference I still like it.

There's also the A H Society's A-Z ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PERENNIALS, which is also huge and comprehensive. However, it too, covers some perennials not hardy here. Have been tempted to buy this one but haven't sprung for it yet.

Link for both of the above:
http://www.ahs.org/gardening-resources/gardening-publications/ahs-gardening-books

Best wishes,
Gail
 

Marathon Daffodil Project

See the results at the link below:
 http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/25286392/marathon-daffodil-project-lights-up-race-route-with-hope

Dig Days Calendar

Annual Meeting... New President and Officers... a Note from Deb

And the Winner Is...

Thank Your Maureen

from MAUREEN

Recommended Viewing from Alicia- What Plants Talk About

Recommendation for Viewing from Alicia:

Nova-like PBS' NATURE science series is definitely worth watching. As the growing season begins you will learn so much from watching the episode "What Plants Talk About".
This episode premiered last year in April 2013. We watched this the other night and it is excellent, presents new research. Clever experimentation shows recent discoveries of how plants communicate.
     This is fascinating; it is amazing. It gives a new understanding of what plants are up to. I notice there are several books related to the fairly new topic of  "plant thinking".
Watch the episode online at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/what-plants-talk-about/video-full-episode/8243/