February 19, 2000
Rhode Island Flower Show

December 26, 1999
Sea Captain's Houses
Newport, Rhode Island

September 15, 1999
The Gardens of Unity Close

September 1, 1999
Nancy Cohenno
Denise Batchis

August 1, 1999
Davie McNamara
Darya Cotter
Linda Beal

July 1, 1999
Ellie Strug
Kara Stephens
Monica Lawson
Jean Jones

June 1, 1999
Ward's Berry Farm

The Easton Garden Club members Davie McNamara, Sandy Medeiros, Suzanne Zaff, Denise Batches, Darya Cotter, Nancy Cohenno, Jan Paulsen, Kay Ryan, Marilyn Falzone, and myself all had great fun in setting up and taking down our East Bay Window entry to the New England Flower Show this year.

In the horticulture area (houseplants, succulents, african violets, and flowering forced branches) I will say that John Powers must NEVER move too far away from Providence or there would be a shortage of entries in this room. My, he DOES grow some nice little plants! I really missed their junior horticulture display. In past years, they had themes for different classrooms. I always spent a lot of time in this area, captivated by the children's imagination. As usual, the food vendors are decent. All in all it's a cute little show that certainly does give a hint of spring breeze. Next trip, the New England Flower Show.

On December 26th we took a "Garden Walk" to the Sea Captain's houses in Newport, Rhode Island. This is apparently an annual event for the 3 days following Christmas. There are 3 different places open for touring each night. The event is sponsored by the Newport Historical Society and is $3.00 per house. Kay, Nancy, Helen, Mary, and myself went. Kay, as usual, drove. The first thing we did was to drive over to Goat Island and watch the gorgeous sunset. It was chilly by the water. From here, we saw the Michael Moulton House, which was a small but charming house. The decorations were subdued, but lovely. The next stop was the Robert Brattle House. This house was quite amazing! From the outside it looked like a charming, little Newport house. Well, I can tell you that looks are certainly deceiving! Downstairs was set up so that the crowd funneled in and around the long wooden table, through the kitchen and into the living room. The ceiling had a 1-2 foot edge of ceiling height and then the center was indented with a scrolled border around it. The gracious homeowner said she thought it had been a mural at one time. As we started the upstairs tour, this house just went on and on. There were about 7 small rooms upstairs, all connected to each other, circling around the house. As we left this house, I found myself looking back, trying to decide just where all those rooms were, since the outside didn't look half big enough! Our last house was the Griffen Masten House. The most interesting features of this house, aside from it's grandeur, were the coal burning fireplaces in each room. This house, which has been a bed and breakfast, was thoroughly decorated with many a swag and candle (although the scent was too much for my asthma). Once our tour was finished, we decided to try out the new restaurant in Raynham, Stoneforge. Our trip was well rounded off here. It was not crowded at all (probably being the day after Christmas). We all had a wonderful meal. If truth be told, the houses were not decorated "to the hilt", but it was a lovely trip to extend the Holiday celebration by just one more day. I hope to do it again next year.

We had our first "Garden Walk" of the new club year at Unity Close on September 15th. Mrs. Elise Parker, a former Easton Garden Club member, owned this estate before the current owners, Jim Carlino and Peter Simpson. The gardens were designed in 1926 by Fletcher Steele.  Mrs. Parker won the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's Hunneman Award in the 1940's.  Jim and Peter are in the process of restoring the gardens and are doing it in "The Grand Style".  It is truly overwhelming to imagine the research and thought that goes into a process like this.

We all have had moments when a daydream takes over and we create in our mind's eye the most splendid, the most lush, the most exquisite panorama of greenery and plant material. Well, I'm envious- coz this was it! From the hostas to the ferns to the bedded red and white begonias in the circle gardens, to the perennial beds, everything moved and swayed to the garden beat. My personal favorite was the allee of apples. I can close my eyes and find myself walking through the arched tunnel of the sweet-scented dappled shade of the apple trees with the blossoms gently shedding petals all around me. Only a true gardener could contemplate a project that will near completion in another fifteen or so years. Detailed attention has also been given to the hardscape. Statuary stands erect surveying the splendor and old wrought iron fences stand pridefully alert warding the gardens, alive again. Ahhh. To be able to walk again in these gardens again, to see them grow and change and return to what they have always been, in a Gardener's heart.

The Easton Journal also had a nice article on the gardens.  Check it out, "Midday in a garden of Easton" (Easton Journal, September 17, 1999).

Well today was the last of the "Summer Garden Walks" Program. It has been a most enjoyable program this year, with many members touring around.  Today we started at Nancy's house. There were 11 of us (Helen, Davie, Rosemary, Kara, Kay, Suzanne, Sandy, Nancy, Linda, Ginny, and myself).  She showed us the living wreath she made out of various succulents. I am going to have to make one for next year. They are really quite handsome against a wall. I found myself paying extra attention to the overall look of a bed, and particularly, what was in bloom for color. Sedum is just coming into it's own now. Hydrangeas of various types were also lookin' good. The oakleaf hydrangea was already showing red leaves and the lacecaps were not yet fully bloomed out. The climbing hydrangeas, of course, were past. This is one plant that grips the tree solidly on it's
own without assistance. The sweet autumn clematis was growing across the roof. Nancy reports that Brad cuts it back annually. The Mimosa tree (Albitzia ssp.) was in bloom with it's sweetly scented pink Hostess snowball type flowers. This is a particularly nice yard tree because it is late to leaf out and so even tulips get enough sun in spring and it is a spreading tree so provides good shade in summer. We are at the edge of it's hardy zone. The Rose of Sharon were in full bloom in pinks and whites. The pia hydrangea had a lovely dusky plum rose color. Other plants in flower were bee balm, honeysuckle, tickseed, and daylilies.  Nancy had many examples of folliage plants which can add color all season (no small feat for a perennial) such as black taro, variegated hydrangea, ajuga, and hosta. There were bursts of color throughout with supplemental dependable annuals such as the double rose colored impatiens and the pink geraniums. I usually think of impatiens as a spring thing because it can be put out rather early and in the shade and looks pretty for a long time. Every fall I remember that it really comes alive this time of year- full
and lush. When I asked what her favorite hosta of her large hosta bed she had an immediate answer for me- Strip Tease- a green hosta of smallish size with a barely showing white area down the center. As Nancy pointed out to me, every time I see her hosta, my favorite is June, another bicolor. A most intriguing plant in her island bed is the variegated juniper, which lead into her water garden. A vine I saw which I found enchanting was the cup and saucer vine- good looking folliage with 3" light mauve cup shaped flowers. Davie reports that it has thick leaves and no bugs but theflowers tend to be scarce. The most spectacular plant in my opinion, however, is the ground cover rose creeping along at the height of 3 INCHES with white blooms. It was purchased at Mahoney's.  Mahoney's is definitely on the plan for a spring "Garden Walk". We then
selected plants from the plant swap to bring home.

From Nancy's we went to Kay's. The plans were changed because Denise returned to work this year as an art teacher and today was her first day of school. One of the plants I just fell in love with at Kay's was Mimulus. I learned that it is a tender perennial and weaves through other plants. The torenias were full and lush. I just love the red of crocosmia however the plant habit can be a bit difficult because the folliage is not particularly attractive and it is leggy. Mums, geraniums, something of this nature would probably
hold it up and disguise it well. There were many baby Chameleon Euphorbias about and hopefully these will make it into pots for the spring plant sale. Kay's clematis must have been fabulous this year from the look of all the seed heads. She has many annuals to supplement her garden. The ipomea has totally gotten away. It grew out of the pot and
snaked (sorry Kay, I had to have a snake for you) along the patio in no uncertain terms. I had not seen this garden since last year and I was surprised at how large everything has gotten even in this hot, dry summer. A fun time was had by all.

The next walk is on September 15, Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. at Unity Close. There will be a sign up sheet at the September meeting.

August 1, 1999
Davie McNamara, Darya Cotter, Linda Beal

Today was a lovely day for the August 1st garden walk. There were 14 members plus a few kids and husbands. We started out at Davie's house. Although she gave the usual "August Weeds Disclaimer" there were so many things in bloom that I can honestly say I didn't notice any weeds. There is a new rock wall with portulaca and sedum poking through. The whiskey barrels were looking good and overflowing with color. Many vines were climbing the fence around the pool. The roses and daylilies continue to bloom and rebloom in spite of the weather. We saw some of the daylilies blossoming that we dug from Doc. Everett's and sold at the spring plant sale for $1.00/lb. Davie has incorporated many cast off items from around and about which are quite intriguing in the garden. I am particularly partial to the living room table lamp used as a planter on the side of the pool and the extra mailbox planted just outside of the vegetable garden which holds and protects garden tools. The carpet of thyme under the moon gate is rampant and the various euphorbias seem not to mind the weather at all.

Darya's garden came next and we all "wagon trained" it to her house. Black-eyed susans are one of my favorite garden flowers. They bloom with loads of color from July 'til frost and cut beautifully. Darya had more varieties of black-eyed Susan than I knew existed- double, large, tiny, and all placed perfectly to show off their best. There was a small inula which really picked up the yellow and carried it through to the tickseed coreopsis. Around the back we admired the herbs, flowers and vegetables intermixed along with "Kay's" ground astilbe and "Nancy's" hosta. Darya made a point of showing me the euphorbia which we had scavenged from the New England flower show this past March.

We then had a brief surprise stop at Gloria's and got a preview peak at the miniature garden scene which she is creating for the N.E. Flower Show of 2000. Gloria is interested, by the way, in a day lily swap to mix and match better. I was quite taken by one lovely specimen called "Irish Elf"- yellow with a green throat.

Off to Linda's Hosta garden from there. Linda has some iron sculptures in her yard which she picked up from an artist in Easton. I was intrigued to see her upright "stick" apple trees. I think she said they came from Burpee. I remember when she planted them about 5 or 6 years ago- now they have apples. The peaches were very sweet and juicy. She has incorporated rocks which were harvested from Maine mines and used them to full advantage. It was hard to overlook the pumpkin and squash patch. It is an area about 15 square feet but the squash plants were not satisfied with the space and have grown straight out onto the blacktop driveway a full two car widths. The grandchildren have their own pumpkins with their names imbedded into the skins. "What!" you say? I have not mentioned the Hosta? Pardon me. Now we headed to the hosta beds in full regalia! Large, small, green, striped, golden edged, white centers, ruffled or smooth edges, yellow, blue- with white flowers, blue flowers, lavender flowers, scented and not. There was Sea Thunder, Sun Power, the Tokudamas (flavo circinates and aureo nebulosa), Supernova, and the people, Frances Williams, June and Janet. There was even her very own sport named "Confused". There was Crispula, Gold Standard, August Moon, Halcyon, and Spilt Milk (which is pretty enough to cry over). Towards the back, after passing many more which shall remain nameless, we came to the compost pile with poinsettias growing out of it! Linda is very active in the Hosta Society and had many plants she has potted up for their sale at Tower Hill.

Then back to Davie's house for a wonderful pot-luck pool party! It was just terrible to have to leave to come to work (but then that's why I work evenings- at least I didn't miss it entirely)!

July 1, 1999
Ellie Strug, Kara Stephens, Monica Lawson, Jean Jones

Well, today was our July 1st garden walk and after 30 days of hot, dry weather, it rained. Needless to say, I was NOT surprised that 13 gardeners and two children came boots, umbrellas, and all. We started off at Ellie's house. It is amazing to see what can be accomplished working around a water ban. Ellie has some gorgeous delphinium, lupine, and campanula. She starts them from seed (and to see them, clearly has wonderful success). Just before entering her newly fenced yard, as we strolled past her rose garden, we learned of Sainte Elizabeth, the patron saint of roses. She fed the birds in Hungary and as the seed fell it turned into roses. One of the roses which I really liked was 'The Fairy'. It is a small, pink, vigorous spreader- just charming!

An extra attraction was a trip to Stan and Deb's garden which is organic. ( How DID those roses get so beautiful organically?). There were huge monkshood and solomon seal. The lacecap hydrangea was just opening. The views of the pond were enchanting! These gardens coincidentally shared plant material. Several folks had linden trees and Harry Lauder's walking stick. We saw lots of clematis and hosta too. I always enjoy seeing what different gardeners do with the same plants. It's a good thing we didn't then go to a garden center because my trunk would have been full of new plants from all the ideas I got today.

On June 1st we went to Ward's Berry Farm and saw their unique greenhouse setup. We learned about some of the planning aspects of running a garden center. After this we went up to Garden in the Woods in Framingham to walk the wildflower trails. Many things were in bloom including the pink and yellow lady slippers. speckled wood lily, golden star, leucothoe, foam flowers, and solomon seal. There was a gorgeous small pink flower that I learned was silene caroliniana ssp. Wherri pink. The rodgersia was just coming into bloom- quite an impressive woodland specimen! The turtlehead, baptista, and turk's cap were all just budding up. The dragon flies were flirting with each other and the turtles were just "hangin' out". All the trilliums, bloodroot, camassieri, and devil's bit were past, but you could see where they had been. A truly huge leafed magnolia was in bloom, which took me a while to see, because I kept forgetting to look up. There were enormous patches of mayapples in bloom all over. Of course no trip to a garden center is complete without stopping at the sales area.... As those of you who have ever gone on a garden trip with me may remember, my trunk was full on leaving. Two stops on the way home were at Russell's Nursery and Mahoney's Nursery. These two will definitely be on my early spring trip next year. They both had abundant woodland plants and spring ephemerals. The next garden walk will be THURSDAY, JUNE 1st. It will begin at Ellie Strug's house at 8:30 a.m. and move on to Kara Stephen's at about 9:00 a.m., Monica Lawson's at 9:20 and end at Jean Jones' house somewhere about 10:00 a.m. If anyone has questions about the Garden Walks Summer program please feel free to call me.