Sudbury Garden Club
MEETINGS
The Club typically meets the second Wednesday of each month. Most meetings start at 9:30AM, with a brief business agenda, at the Memorial Congregational Church (MCC). Be sure to check each month’s listing since time and location may vary. Some meetings may be held on Zoom. Each meeting begins with a social period and light refreshments, followed by a business meeting and our featured speaker or program. Click on the underlined name of each speaker to visit his/her website and find out more about him/her. We follow the Sudbury School System’s weather-related decisions. If school is delayed or cancelled, our meeting is cancelled. You will receive notification by email, text or phone.
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Note: All members are invited to attend Board meetings which are typically held on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
The public is invited to join us at 10:30AM to enjoy the programs described below.
The Delightful World of Asters and Goldenrods
September 13, 2023
9:30-11:30 AM
Memorial Congregational Church
As we return from our summer adventures, we welcome all our members and a new slate of officers.
This meeting features Uli Lorimer, the Director of Horticulture for Native Plant Trust, who oversees the facilities and operations at Garden in the Woods and Nasami Farm. Uli explores the delightful world of asters and goldenrods, both of which are well-suited to New England gardens. These two diverse plants not only look good together, they also play an outsized role in providing crucial resources for insects and migratory birds.
Uli brings 20 years of experience working with native plants in public gardens, including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Wave Hill Garden, and the US National Arboretum. Throughout his public speaking, writing, lectures, and media appearances, he is a tireless advocate for the use of native plants. Uli feels most grounded with his hands in the soil.
Gardening with Dahlias
October 11, 2023
9:30-11:30 AM
Memorial Congregational Church
Just as peonies have been called the “Show Girls” of spring gardens, dahlias have come to be known as the “Royalty” of fall. Betsy Szymczak will introduce you to the history of dahlias and show you how to select dahlia tubers, where to plant them, and how to water and fertilize them. To stake or not to stake, to dig or not to dig: these are the questions! You will learn how to store and overwinter tubers, as well as how to wake them up and make cuttings.
Betsy Szymczak is an avid vegetable and flower gardener who started growing dahlias 15 years ago. Today, she is a member of the American Dahlia Society (ADS) and the New England Dahlia Society, as well as an ADS accredited Judge. She also grows begonias as houseplants and is an American Begonia Society Certified judge. She has judged begonia sections at the Boston and Newport flower shows. Betsy is an immediate past president of the Natick Garden Club.
A Certified Massachusetts Master Gardener, Betsy is a retired college professor who has taught clinical microbiology at several Boston area colleges and universities for over 35 years.
Field to Fork: Horticulture of the Food We Eat
November 8, 2023
9:30-11:30 AM
Memorial Congregational Church
Think about plants in a new way! The science, horticulture, and economics of where our food is grown and how it gets to our tables is fascinating! We’ll explore the origins of cultivated crops, what it means for products to be GMO-free (or not!) or Certified Organic, ways to decrease food waste, and more.
A Certified Master Gardener, Michele is passionate about the art and science of horticulture and leading a balanced and healthy life, both in and out of the garden. She utilizes organic practices and weaves native plants into cut flower arrangements and creative tablescapes. Michele has designed for Art in Bloom at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and created cut flower arrangements for numerous residential and commercial events. Gardens she has designed are thriving in Vermont, Michigan, and Massachusetts.
Michele Fronk Schuckel, MBA, BSN, RN, is the owner and principal designer of Natural Selections, Designing Native Gardens. She has served on the Board of Directors for Land’s Sake, a non-profit farm and forestry organization committed to connecting people to the land and providing hunger relief through the availability of fresh vegetables.
Holiday Luncheon
December 13, 2023
Time TBD
Location TBD
This year's theme is "Home for the Holidays". Sorry, members only!
The Heirloom Gardener – Traditional Plants and Skills
January 10, 2024
7:00 PM
Zoom meeting
John Forti’s newest presentation draws from his best-selling book, The Heirloom Gardener – Traditional Plants and Skills for the Modern World. Richly illustrated, with period images and contemporary photographs, it is based on a long history of heirloom preservation, garden craft and homestead life that we can apply to our own gardens and landscapes.
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At a time when we could all use a little good news, join us for a refreshing look at how you can make a difference and build habitat in your own backyard and community.
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John Forti is a garden historian and ethnobotanist who has directed gardens for Plimoth Plantation Museum, Strawbery Banke Museum, Massachusetts Horticultural Society and Bedrock Gardens. As a “Slow Food USA” leader and biodiversity specialist, his preservation work has helped to restore countless native and heirloom plants and brought traditional artisanal practices to modern thinking. He has won numerous awards for historic garden preservation, children’s garden design, herbal and historical education and the 2021 Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs. His new book was inspired by his posts as The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti which go out regularly to millions on Facebook.
Aurelia's Garden
February 7, 2024
9:30-11:30 AM
Memorial Congregational Church
You might be surprised to learn that Aurelia’s Garden is a community of dedicated volunteers growing fresh and nutritious organic produce for those in need. The volunteers farm on a few acres of privately-owned land in Wayland, MA.
The Garden got its start in the early months of the COVID pandemic when food insecurity in MA was at 8.2%. In 2023, when the need had spiraled to a staggering 21%, Aurelia’s Garden committed to grow more produce for distribution to food pantries. Though their first year’s yield was less than one ton of food, with determination and the use of regenerative farming practices, they have produced more than seven tons of organic produce for MetroWest food pantries!
Hannah Traggis, Founder, President, and Agricultural Director is not only a grower, farmer, horticulturist, and plant breeder, but also a teacher. With an MS in Plant Physiology from UNH, she worked for five years as Senior Horticulturist at the MA Horticultural Society at Elm Bank.
Loring Schwarz, a Member of the SGC with degrees from Tufts University and the Yale University School of the Environment, is a Senior Principal Master Gardener and Co-Chair of the Conservation Advisory Council for the Mass Land Trust Coalition.
Floral Designs for Entertaining
March 14, 2024
10:00 AM
Goodnow Library
Joint Meeting with Thursday Garden Club (Members Only.)
Who cares how the food tastes if the flowers look great! BBQ? Formal Dinner? Flowers can set the mood for your dinner party, cocktail party, and special occasions. Maureen Christmas will demonstrate arrangements for various get-togethers using eco-friendly techniques.
Six Simple Steps to Successful Rose Gardening
April 10, 2024
9:30-11:30 AM
Memorial Congregational Church
Discover how easy it is to grow beautiful roses in your home garden, once you know how! Mike and Angelina Chute’s presentation, "Six Simple Steps to Successful Rose Gardening", takes the mystery out of growing beautiful roses and explains everything you need to know. As co-owners of Rose Solutions, a landscape consulting company that specializes in roses, they include lots of tips and personal anecdotes.
Accomplished garden writers, the Chutes will be available to sign copies of their books, Rose Gardening Season by Season: A Journal for Passionate Gardeners, as well as Roses for New England: A Guide to Sustainable Rose Gardening.
The Chutes maintain a website, a blog, and publish a quarterly newsletter, The Northeast Rose Gardener. Co-founders and past presidents of the Rhode Island Rose Society, they have held lectures and workshops throughout New England, including the Boston Flower and Garden Show, the Maine Flower Show, and the Newport Flower Show.
General Meeting
May 15, 2024
9:30-11:30 AM
Memorial Congregational Church
Come to hear a debriefing of the Plant Sale. We will give a brief overview of our committees. This is an opportunity to ask questions about how the club operates and each committee’s role. Newer members may find this particularly useful.
You will also be able to sign up, if you haven’t already, for committees, hospitality, and library flowers.
Our members will also be available to answer any gardening questions you have as we enter the gardening season.
Annual Meeting
June 5, 2024
Time TBD
Place TBD
Members only!