SCHEDULE
~ September 2023 to June 2024 ~
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Board Meetings are held at 9:30 at
The Harvard Congregational Church in the Parish Hall, 5 Still River Road.
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Regular meetings are usually held at
Holy Trinity Parish St. Theresa's Church at 15 Still River Road.
Meetings begin at 9:30am
unless otherwise noted.
Masks are strongly encouraged.
Brunch is served from 9:30am until 10:15am.
Meetings are cancelled if Harvard Public Schools are closed.
Nature Walks take place on area conservation lands. They are tentatively planned for Thursdays, with time varying seasonally. More information will be available the week before the walk.
We hope to visit all the conservation lands with trails this year.
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September
Meeting Date: September 25
101 South Shaker Road
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NATIVE LAWN ALTERNATIVES
Alexis Doshas
Nasami Farm Nursery Manager
9:30am
How can we as homeowners, land stewards, gardeners, and landscape professionals better support biodiversity and resiliency in our green spaces? Kill our lawns! - Or at least reconsider them. In this informal and practical talk we will discuss ways to increase life and support healthy ecosystems through the use of native groundcovers. We will review tips and techniques for landscape transformations, and introduce a palette of native plants for various conditions.
October
Meeting Date: October 30
PANEL DISCUSSION
Oh, boy, what a year this has been in the garden! Lots of precipitation, lots of mosquitos, climate change reminders galore! This meeting will feature our own experts looking back on this year at what did well in these challenging conditions and what struggled to survive. They will remind us what we should be doing in the garden right now—how to care for what we have and what changes we might make for our gardens to fare well in the future. Stay tuned for an always popular panel discussion, and bring your questions.
November
Meeting Date: November 27
CONSERVATION TRAILS & BIRDING
Pam & David Durrant
The Durrants will give an introduction to our local trails, identifying where they are and describing how to enjoy them best and learn from their exploration. Pam had led our trail walks and is deeply experienced in them. Both Pam and David are birding experts and will talk about birds we are likely to see or hear on our conservation lands.
December
Workshop Date:
Monday, December 11
Time: 9:30am - 11:30am
Place: St. Theresa’s church,
15 Still River Road
Chairs: Kathy Jackson and Nancy Webber
The club gathers each year to make baskets
of greens for shut-ins and
arrangements for themselves.
Bring some greens and a container for your arrangement, trade with other members, and buy foam and trimmings.
January
Meeting Date: January 29
PREPARING THE SOIL FOR GARDENING
Gretel Anspach
Master Gardener
Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Mass. Master Gardener Association
The quality and make-up of your soil has a huge influence on how well your plants will do. Unlike sunlight, air, and water (the other 3 requirements), you can't tell whether your soils are right for your plants by looking at your soil or even by looking at your plants. Learn about soil structure, compaction, fertility, and pH, and learn how you can modify these qualities for a more successful garden.
February
Meeting Date: February 26
Joint meeting with the Woman’s club
NATIVE PLANTS, NATURAL SOLUTIONS
Michele Fronk Schuckel
Michele Fronk Schuckel, owner and principal designer of Natural Selections, is a Climate for Health Ambassador. She will talk about the role that native plants play in helping to mitigate the effects of climate change and the different ways in which natives are helpful to the environment. As a Master Gardener, she will give advice on how to select native plants and how to incorporate them into the home garden.
This is a joint meeting with the Harvard Woman's Club.
March
Meeting Date: March 25
PANEL DISCUSSION
’Tis the season for new garden resolutions, and a panel of members will explore how to translate them from dreams to actual landscapes, using natives, annuals, and perennials. And they will bring an element of reality to bear on how those dream gardens can be affected by unknown weather conditions. Be sure to bring your questions along—it will be fun!
April
Meeting Date: April 29
GOOD SPIRITS FARM
Christiane Turnheim
Good Spirits Farm is the perfect name for this East Bare Hill farm that offers guided and self-guided tours for visitors to learn more about trees, shrubs, and wildflowers native to Harvard that are said to have healing powers. The farmstead there—self-serve and honesty-based—sells plants, eggs, flowers, honey and jam, and herbal teas. The farm’s muse and co-farmer, Christiane, will take us behind the scenes and tell us the many things Good Spirits has to offer.
May
Plant Sale
May 18
Westward Orchards
178 Massaschusetts Ave
9am to Noon
June
June 10, 2024
Annual Meeting
and
Luncheon
