Although the fireworks and Ag Fair are over for 2023, the Garden Club’s activities will continue for another four months!

At the August annual meeting, we presented two successful votes to the membership. The first was to approve our slate of officers, in which we proposed a “bigger tent” of positions. We hope that the several new committees will involve more members, institutionalize our knowledge, and minimize the “fire drills” to recruit and prepare for events and activities.

Secondly, the members approved rebuilding the stairs of the Old Mill to comply with the current building code. The West Tisbury Community Preservation Committee had awarded a $20,000 grant for a building feasibility assessment, which was completed by Sullivan + Associates Architects and Sourati Engineering and presents a roadmap of structural and functional improvements.

The Board is seeking $50,000 funding through grants and donations for this first project. Donations can be made on the Garden Club website (https://www.marthasvineyardgardenclub.org/join-the-club-renew-or-donate.html ). The Board is also exploring partnerships with MV nonprofits that could assume management of the Old Mill without changing its status as the Garden Club’s permanent home and meeting venue.

Garden Club members...don't forget to participate in Nancy Cabot's floral design foraging challenge, 'Summer's Over' at the September meeting!

Bring an arrangement you have created, using ONLY foraged materials from your garden or from the side of the road to display at the meeting!

The arrangement that receives the most stars (from other GC members), will win a prize, supplied by Nancy!

The MVGC received a BLUE RIBBON for the creative and fun entry into the

Ag Fair that was held at the Fairgrounds last month! FIRST PRIZE... Woohoo!

Huge THANKS and CONGRATS to Laurisa Rich, Fawn Hurwitz,

Angela Egerton and Fern Vaughan!

Photos from top down, close up of the BLUE RIBBON...then the entire Ag Fair entry with photo taken at a distance...photo to the right, well-known Island Quilter, Wendy Nirerenberg with her compliant companion (who both said yes when I asked them to pose for this pic! :-)

The bottom two photos are of the creative designers of the blue-ribbon winning display,...starting at left is Angela, Laurisa, second image, Fawn and Fern.

To see more images in 'the frame' that some happy fair-goers shared with us, do visit the MVGC website via this page:

Thanks to Joan Cavazuti, Special Projects Chair for Organizing this Old Mill Cleanup!

Trudy Williams reminded us to order bulbs for Fall planting from Brent and Becky's and Ty Johnston spoke about the final walkabouts for this year and gave a bit of news on the plans that are currently in the works for the celebrating the 100th year anniversary of our Club. Susan Hobart, Club President addressed the 'state' of The Old Mill, and carved out time prior to the general meeting to answer specific questions that attendees had.

The shelves contain books on:

Garden Design and Plant information

Books on different type of gardens: water gardens, prairie gardens, shrubs and flowers

Flower arranging and Individual plants

There is also a shelf for vases to be used for the floral design committee

Anyone can borrow a book when we hold a meeting at Wakeman. We request that people please return at the next meeting they attend. Vases are for the use of the floral design committee and Blooming Art....Joan will follow up with additional Information as it becomes available, and do contact her with any questions. (pics of the shelves below)

We are sure you know that the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club hosted ‘An Edgartown Garden Stroll’ on August 10. The Summertime event featured five private gardens owned by Garden Club members along with The Cooke House and Legacy Garden, owned by the MV Museum. Close to 300 attendees strolled the town from 10am to a bit after 3pm and we extend our thanks to the MV Garden Club owners who opened their gardens to attendees...they are Jane Bradbury, Anne Kushwaha, Greg Palermo, Kathy Ploss and Judith Tankard! There were two gardens on South Water Street, two on School Street and one on Upper Main Street. The weather cooperated with lots of sunshine and smiles shone throughout the entire day!

This fundraising event exceeded expectations of the MV Garden Club Co-Chairs by netting a bit over $14,000.00! Our costs were minimal (less than 10% of what we took in total) and our goal was to have the sponsorships cover our printing costs, which is pretty much how it turned out. We want to extend our sincere appreciation to the Sponsors of this event who were: Jardin Mahoney, Donaroma’s, Cronigs Market, Quitsa Landscape & Home Care and Stephanie Roache of Donnelly + Co.

Thanks too to Morning Glory Flowers for providing bouquets at each of the gardens on the ‘Stroll’. Stop and Shop gave us gift cards which were used for spring water that was offered to all event attendees. In addition, we thank the MV Museum for allowing us the use of the Gate House for check-in and day-of admission purchase. * 178 advance admissions were sold via our website and 85 admissions were purchased on the day of the Stroll. Complimentary admission was extended to the garden owners and one guest, the docents all received complimentary admission as did a handful of additional contributors to the Stroll.

Brooke Kushwaha created the watercolor that set the tone for the event and we thank her sincerely for her original design which suited our vision perfectly.

We could not have done this event without the cheerful garden club members who acted as greeters/docents for the day. They are: Joan Apt, Lesley Apt (Joan's sister, but not a GC member), Wiet Bacheller, Deb Boyle, Ed Cavazuti, Joan Cavazuti, Al Eville, Joan Eville, Nancy Falb, Susan Hobart, Fawn Hurwitz, Ty Johnston, Sarah Lolley, Penny Nemzer, Linda Pashman, Robin Perschel, Linda Shaw, Gay Smith, Caroline Taylor and Nancy Wolf. Your good nature, graciousness, and ability to be on time at your garden was much appreciated and absolutely added to the good feelings which prevailed that day!

Huge thanks to Susie Wallo who worked with me (Donna) at the Gate House greeting attendees, checking in pre-paid admissions and selling day-of tickets from 8:00am until 4:00pm. Together we made it fun and Susie was really a whiz with the Club's brand-new credit card machine...woohoo! We really have moved into the 21st Century!

Finally, very special thanks to Caroline Taylor who immediately jumped in to help by offering to do whatever was needed very early on in planning this... and wound up painting the Island with our 'Stroll' posters! You made great traction, Caroline, and we appreciate your efforts and diligence so very much!

So it seems based on the success of the Stroll, 2023, that the Club wants it to continue next year... And there is a lot more on the horizon for our Club in 2024.

For those who don't know, next year will mark the 100th Anniversary of the Martha's Vineyard Garden Club and we are super excited!

In the meantime, we thank everyone who supported and helped with this event very much. We enjoyed working together, seeing the Stroll come to fruition and are beyond thrilled with its success!

Our Very Best, Co-Chairs, Anne Kushwaha and Donna Arold

P.S. If you want to see some more images of the gardens along the Stroll, do visit https://www.marthasvineyardgardenclub.org/apres-edgartown-garden-stroll.html via our website.

I know how boring numbers and statistics are...I'm not really a stats kind of person either, but they are important to note and to stay aware of if we are to keep our Club healthy and growing!

Social media allows us FREE communication with the outside world, and via Facebook and Instagram, we are able to spread the word about events the Club is hosting (meetings, Blooming Art, Plant Sales, etc) along with general things, related to conservation, gardening or the simple beauty of the Island that folks all across the socials can enjoy through our posts and the sharing of information we deem valuable.

Through our social media outlets we have been able to garner over 2 thousand likes and follows via Facebook. Our Instagram has grown by 500 followers since May of 2021. And all growth is simply from the sharing and liking of what we are posting, and the best thing is that its all FREE! All it takes is a little bit of time.

Our news outreach has grown as well...When someone clicks on our website, a pop-up allows the visitor to subscribe to our newsletter, and through that pop-up, we presently have 283 contacts from the website pop-ups alone. The total of email addresses we presently send the newsletter to is 791, and that includes sign ups from Club events we have done, active GC members and from the website pop ups. I import the information myself, and have seen a trend of visitors to our website after an event, and then within a few months that person joins the Club. It trended that way right after Blooming Art and the same after the Edgartown Stroll. As a result the Club has grown to 204 MV Garden Club members! Membership in 2021 was 101 members and since then it has more than doubled! Go, us...this is super exciting!

We are asking you to help us keep the Club growing by liking, following and sharing our Club info if you take part in social media.

Our Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/gardenclubmv and our Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/gardenclubmv/.

Regarding the MV Garden Club website, https://www.marthasvineyardgardenclub.org/ do take time to look at it if you haven't lately. It is updated monthly with timely news and resource reference material along with what is happening with the Club. Do familiarize yourselves with its components as we hope members will begin to use the website more regularly. There are topic-related pages under a good portion of the headers, so do note the contents of the drop down menus as well.

- Donna Arold, Communications

Thanks, Laurisa for sharing your Chilmark rain garden with the Club! ...thanks to Club Member Bob Johnston for sharing the below images with the news.

Thanks, Irene for sharing your Chilmark meadow garden with the Club...and to the handsome Ernie who helped guide attendees! ...thanks to Club VP Ty Johnston for sharing the below images with the news.

Our Next Meeting is:

~

@ The Old Mill in WT

'Heirloom Gardening with Traditional Plants and Skills' is John’s newest presentation. This PowerPoint program shares inspiration from our long history of heirloom preservation, garden craft and homestead lifeways. Artisanal lifestyles that are helping us to rebuild vibrant local agricultural economies and celebrate sustainable cottage industries that are contributing to our new, homegrown American arts & crafts movement and backyard environmentalism. This program allows for a look at how you can make a difference in your own backyard and community. The presentation draws from his book of traditional plants and skills for the modern world. John hopes that attendees will find a renewed sense of connection to a sense of place and purpose as a gardener. 

*** Garden Club members...don't forget to participate in Nancy Cabot's floral design foraging challenge, with the theme, ​'Summer's Over'! 

On August 7, members of the MV Garden Club arranged the flowers for the Hospice Soiree' that took place at the Farm Neck Golf Club for Hospice & Palliative Care of MV. Thanks to Wiet Bacheller, Joan Cavazuti, Paula Craft, Betsy Dripps, Joan Eville, Fawn Hurwitz, Ty Johnston, Anne Kushwaha, Sarah Lolley, Sarah Murphy, Susie Wallo and Trudy Williams for their kind and creative work!

And a THANK YOU and shout out to Whippoorwill Farm and Slough Farm for donating the flowers for the event!

This plant is called the Night Blooming Cereus. Wiet's daughter send it to Wiet's husband, John perhaps 10 years ago and at the time it was just a small plant. Well, she says its humongous now! It blooms almost during a new moon and the bloom lasts only 12 hours starting at about 10:00pm. Wiet says it fills the entire room with its fragrance. What an interesting plant this is...

Thanks Wiet for sending this photo and info to us!

From Joan Eville, Secretary and Windemere Chair: Windemere flower arranging 🌺 project. On September 20 Joan Eville and Gay Smith will collaborate

with Nancy Cabot to lead a flower arranging and art project at Windemere Nursing Home. The joint activity worked so well in August they have decided to do it again. Joan and Gay will help residents arrange flowers donated by Donaroma. Nancy will facilitate an art project with flowers as the theme. We will submit pictures to post on the MVGC website.

Some AG Fair Fun!