SHIRLEY — You are invited to join the Gardeners Exchange for a presentation on “Curious, Quaint, and Unusual Plants for the Garden,” on Saturday, April 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the Hazen Memorial Public Library, at 3 Keady Way.
This lecture and slideshow will feature some favorite plants that are a little out of the ordinary. From new introductions to old-fashioned heirloom plants, we’ll look at plants that aren’t found in everyone’s garden.
Presenter Ellen Todd will share some of her first-time successes — plants that have been successful after several attempts, failures that she will try again, and a few that she will be trying for the first time this year. Unusual ways to grow ordinary plants will also be briefly covered.
Todd, a resident of Groton and owner of Todd Landscape Designs, has designed hardscapes and plantings for residential and public properties for many years. She attended the Landscape Institute of the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, and specializes in the use of native and sustainable materials. Ellen is also a watercolor artist, often painting botanicals and landscapes.
The Gardeners Exchange is a community garden club with members from areas around North Central Massachusetts. It meets monthly on weekends between February and October to visit each other’s gardens, take field trips to other gardens and nurseries, participate in workshops, and gain expertise on a wide variety of horticultural topics.
The garden club acquired its name from its members’ exchanges of ideas, as well as plants. After the April 20 meeting, members will receive their spring dividends, plants which are paid for through members’ annual dues.
Upcoming meetings include a May 18 visit to the garden of GE member Cathy; a June 22 spring plant swap and talk on medicinal plants with Jodie Gilson of J. Gilson Greenhouses in Groton; a July 20 summer garden tour and cookout with member Lucy Lindley; an Aug. 17 container garden contest and pruning workshop with Denis Wagner of Denis Wagner Fine Gardening in Harvard; and a Sept. 21 fall plant swap followed by a hypertufa container workshop.
First-time attendees to meetings are not required to join, but membership is encouraged. Annual membership dues are $20 per individual or $30 per couple. Membership benefits include all events, spring and fall perennials, and discounts at many area nurseries and garden centers.
For information visit gardeners-exchange.org or contact GE Co-Chair Dina Samfield, 978-448-9311, or Lela Rhodes, 978-425-0027.
