'A Way We Grow'
Martha's Vineyard Garden Club
December 2023
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From our President...
My term as President of the Garden Club ends next month when Ty Johnston, currently First Vice President, will ably assume leadership of the Club. I will remain on the Board through 2024 as Past President (kind of like being Queen Mother) and continue to work on the future of the Old Mill for the Garden Club.
I became President over two years ago to fill a vacancy and committed to stay on for two years to rebuild the Board and help revitalize the Club. We now have a capable Board, energetic volunteers, and a healthy, vibrant Club. I’m proud to have worked with all of you and have made many new friends.
I look forward to 2024 and all the Garden Club will offer.
-Susan Hobart, President
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From MV Garden Club Vice President,
Ty Johnston...
IMPORTANT DATE CHANGE!
Last month it was reported that one of our centennial celebrations would be taking place on July 11 of next year, at the Field Gallery in West Tisbury. After the Garden Club's Board met, however, it was decided there was too much going on in those weeks of the summer and that we should change the date of the members' celebration. Please keep watching this newsletter and the website for news of when it will be scheduled. If you replied “yes” to the last notice, Ty Johnston will get in touch with you to make sure you have all the details. Thank you so much for all your flexibility!
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We’re thrilled to be able to hold, once again,
our social event of the season!
The Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 12th / 4-6pm
Agricultural Hall / West Tisbury
This year there is no fee for members to attend the party. Any member in good standing may bring one guest, and the guest fee will be $10: there will be a basket for the guest donations at the door. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by email to Linda Shaw no later than
Just as we did last year, we are asking members to bring an appetizer or dessert, finger foods only, nothing that requires utensils.
If your last name begins with A-P, please bring a savory appetizer
If your last name begins with Q-Z, please bring a dessert
This year we will provide compostable plates and napkins, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer. Just as in other years,
it is BYOB and glasses.
If you would like to help decorate, have any questions, or would like to help with any other aspect of our celebration, please contact Linda.
From Joan Eville, re the Holiday Party: Our goal in honor of the 100th anniversary of our Garden Club is to donate 100 items to the Food Pantry. As usual I will have a box labeled 'Food Pantry' at the party to drop in your donations. Checks made out to the food pantry are also welcome. Thank you, Joan Eville.
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From Anne Kushwaha, Committee Chair for the Greenhouse!
The greenhouse committee is off to a great start. Thanks to everyone who donated plants for cuttings. They are rooting well and we should be offering lots of new plants and varieties at next May’s plant sale. Volunteers are always welcome so contact Anne Kushwaha if you would like to help, please email to annekushwaha@gmail.com.
- Reminder - MV Garden Club Plant Sale Dates for 2024 are:
May 21 - Plant Sale for MVGC Members
May 25 & 26 - Plant Sale for the general public at The Old Mill
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DON'T MISS the articles below. If they appear chopped off, just follow the instructions in the lower left hand corner of this email and click on the link that says "View entire message."
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A HUGE Thank You to
VOLF for the history and field trip the MVGC took to the Island's Cranberry Bog in early November!
Our 'field trip' began at the Vineyard Open Land Foundation field that is located below the Wakeman Center (and you can get to it off of Lamberts Cove Road).
Thirty-seven Garden Club members attended and we learned a bit of history from Carol Magee, a VOLF employee since 1975. The cranberry bog was her pet project from the beginning and she explained how the bog came to be 'Cranberry Acres'
as well what it is today!
Once we arrived at the barn and bog, we were shown how the cranberries are harvested, sorted and packaged for market. Some members picked cranberries, others just made a purchase of the pre-packaged cranberries... all-in-all, we had a wonderful day which was full of Vineyard history, sunshine, and cranberries! To see photos from the day and/or to access some cranberry recipes, visit our website's homepage via: https://www.marthasvineyardgardenclub.org/
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Submitted by Ty Johnston, MVGC VP:
In honor of our upcoming centennial celebration, here is a small excerpt from an editorial written on the occasion of our 40th anniversary in 1964:
Editorial in the Gazette Aug. 14, 1964
“The fortieth anniversary of the Martha's Vineyard Garden Club this summer may well remind lovers of the island that despite a widespread antipathy for the word, the island has benefited by a considerable degree of planning. This, of course, has been the result of the wise concern of the Garden Club and its early leaders with protection of the Vineyard's natural resources and an enlightened oversight of exploiting influences.
“There is a distinct Garden Club tradition with an element of militancy that has ….. come to be respected and valued. It would be hard to find anyone on the Island who is not proud of the freedom of the roadsides from billboards and defacing structures, and of the native hedgerows attractively clipped instead of hacked and deformed. This pride has been enhanced, year after year, by the admiring astonishment of visitors who look upon these conserved values as miraculous.”
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Some info from our Conservation Committee, submitted by Laurisa Rich...
No-Cost Home Energy Assessment
Sign up and take the first step towards reducing your energy use and your building's carbon footprint. Get rebates through MassSave to help with this. Call Vineyard Power at 508-504-9508 or sign up online.
Guided walks in December:
MV Land Bank - Sunday, December 3rd 1-3pm Land Bank guided walk of Trade Wind Fields Preserve in Oak Bluffs. Walks are given rain or shine, dress appropriately. Walks begin at 1 pm and last approximately 1-2 hours unless otherwise noted. For more information call the Land Bank office at (508) 627-7141. Free
Vineyard Conservation Society (VCS) - Saturday December 9th 10am-12pm at Lagoon Pond and the Shellfish Hatchery. Registration required:
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation- Sunday December 10th, on Chappaquiddick - full with waitlist only
Keeping it Clean with the Beach Befrienders!
The next monthly cleanup, in collaboration with Trustees of Reservations, is at Long Point Beach, December 16, 1-3 pm.
Polly Hill Winter Walks:
Winter Walk | Saturday Dec. 16th, 10am | $5; Free for members | Registration is required. Please register here: https://bit.ly/WinterWalkPHA
In every season the Arboretum offers something of beauty and interest to visitors. At this time of year plants display unique foliage colors, textures, cones, and berries. This walk will be led by Executive Director Tim Boland and Education Coordinator Jenna Zier, and will highlight PHA's significant holly collection. Please meet at the Visitor Center.
Enjoy an easy, mindful walk through beautiful Arboretum trees in a peaceful winter setting. This walk is led by Shanta Gabriel, who has worked in the field of alternative health for 40 years and has been leading groups in nature for over a decade. Please meet at the Visitor Center.
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Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life
Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life
Beetle Webinar Recording Now Available via this link on youtube:
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The recording of “Introduction to Beetles with Jenn Forman Orth” is now available on the BWorks YoutTube channel! Originally presented on August 22, 2023, this hour-long webinar introduces beetle observation, ecology, and ID, and showcases the MassBeetles website that Dr. Orth created to compile Massachusetts beetle records.
This webinar and many other resources for Vineyard naturalists are available any time in the “Resources” section of the MVAL website!
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A Martha's Vineyard Garden Club 2024 Membership MAKES A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT!
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, maybe GIVE THE GIFT of GARDENING...you will be giving the gift of:
Interacting with Community and Garden-Minded People by joining the Martha's Vineyard Garden Club!
Each member can attend our monthly meetings, learn about conservation, nature and gardening topics while chatting with other Club members at each of our meetings through the Club's social time.
MV Garden Club Members can participate by joining a MVGC Committee of their choosing. Our Committes allow members to further the Club's mission while expanding their own individual interest and knowledge within a particular area of interest. CLICK HERE FOR MVGC Committees!
Your 'Gift of Membership' will improve the Island Community as it relates to conservation, beautification, gardening and general 'give back'. CLICK HERE to see a little of what we have been involved with over the years!
Gardening is great exercise and affords wonderful time spent outdoors! Check out some of what we've done by clicking here!
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Garden Party Celebration of Mrs Meikleham, Founder of the MVGC in 1924, and the garden club’s remarkable achievements during her years as President .
Thursday, August 1, 4-6pm
Location: A Private Edgartown Harborfront Garden, (Exact location to be disclosed in 2024) Tickets will be limited.
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HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
Our archivist, Irene Ziebarth, presents here our oldest flower show program, a precursor to Blooming Art. It's from 1929. Presumably, we've been doing flower shows since 1926.
- Submitted by Irene Ziebarth
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From Anne Kushwaha, Chair of the 2024 Garden Stroll:
DO save the date for next year’s Edgartown Garden Stroll: Thursday, July 25th. We will need new gardens in Edgartown in the North Water Street vicinity as well as docents to help host at the gardens on the day of the Stroll. If you would like to docent, volunteer your home garden or if you would like to suggest a friend’s garden, please email Anne Kushwaha at annekushwaha@gmail.com. In addition, Anne needs a Co-Chair for this event, so if you are interested in being a part of making this 2024 Stroll happen, email Anne!
...and one more thing! If you have any vintage frames you are willing to lend to the Garden Club, please let Anne know...we are working on creating a display of Garden Club momentos to compliment the Edgartown Stroll, 2024!
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NOTABLE DATES for our Club in 2024...so far!
February 10 (Saturday) - A fun workshop and gathering for Valentine’s Day for our members from the Floral Design Committee
May 21 (Tuesday) - MV Greenhouse Plant Sale for MVGC Members and GC meeting
May 25 & 26 (Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend) - Greenhouse Plant Sale at The Old Mill for the General Public
June 14, 15, 16 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) - Blooming Art at the Old Mill
July 25 (Thursday) - Edgartown Garden Stroll, 2024.
August 1 (Thursday) - Harborfront Edgartown Garden Party Celebrating our founder and the Club's accomplishments through her years; tickets will be sold and limited.
The Club's 100th celebration at Field Gallery for MV Garden Club members - Date TBD
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Thanks Caroline Taylor, (Edgartown VP in 2024) for this info about Plant Hardiness Zones from the USDA!
The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced changes to its Plant Hardiness Zone Map and to its website. This is big news for gardeners...it seems our zone on Island is still 7A, but you may want to check if you have a second home in another location or a friend you want to let know about the change! CLICK HERE to access the USDA website.
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Happy Winter Solstice!
Thursday December 21, 2023, 10:27pm
For centuries, cultures around the globe have turned winter solstice into a time of celebration. Some use this time as a countdown to Christmas. Some bring their own light to the night, with fires, candles, and music.
1. MEASURE THE DAYLIGHT - Winter solstice can be a reminder of our connection to the natural world. This is a good time to get in touch with nature’s cycles. The solstice doesn’t have to be a bleak reminder of darkness. Entire festivals revolve around celebrating it as the day the sun begins to return to us.
2. MAKE A WREATH - Some holiday traditions, such as hanging mistletoe and wreaths, have roots in pagan solstice rituals. Even if you aren’t religious, you can make a connection to nature.
Go outside and collect holly, ivy, evergreen boughs, and pinecones. These are meant to symbolize everlasting life, protection, and prosperity. You can use them to decorate a table or mantle or make a wreath. Your treasures could even become gifts for loved ones.
3. PREPARE A FEAST - One tradition that overlaps many cultures is to celebrate the solstice with a winter feast. Since the winter solstice falls at the end of the harvest season, families have long celebrated with an abundance of in-season food. Get the kids involved in the kitchen by letting them help prepare the family meal. The recipes you prepare could become family traditions by themselves!
4. DINE BY CANDLELIGHT - You can create your own festival of light. Bring some light into the darkest night of the year by lighting candles. You can make it a ritual by adding another step.
The extra step could be coming up with something to say as you light your candle. Get everyone involved by making resolutions and saying them out loud as you light a candle. Your intention could be something as simple as a wish you want to come true in the new year. Then try dining by candlelight.
5. BURN A YULE LOG - Lighting a “Yule log” fire is a Nordic tradition that goes back before medieval times. During the longest nights of the year, they would decorate and hoist a large log (sometimes a whole tree) into the room and feed a fire through the 12 days of Christmas. Those who helped were said to bring good luck into the new year. Your “Yuletide” tradition doesn’t have to involve dragging in an entire tree. Your tradition could be having a bonfire in the backyard or placing a log in your fireplace as you tell the Yule log story of days of yore.
…Info from the Sparks website
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Windemere Project
The Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club has been leading a flower arranging activity with the residents at Windemere Nursing Home since 2002. This monthly event was started by Judy Bryant, a long time member of our club. Joan Eville took over this popular Garden Club project in 2010. On November 29, Joan and Gay Smith led the residents in arranging flowers in vases to take back to their rooms. They also worked together to make displays for the nurses’ stations. In addition, Nancy Cabot instructed those attending in a holiday art project. Everyone enjoyed both of the hands on projects. Our club is grateful to Donaromas for supplying the flowers each month. They give so much pleasure to everyone involved.
- Submitted by Joan Eville, Windemere Chairperson
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IT'S THE SEASON OF GIVING!
Maybe consider donating to Our Scholarship Fund or to
The Old Mill Fund in the Spirit of Giving this Holiday Season
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Looking for a Holiday Gift for the Gardener in your life?
Classic navy and white gardening aprons with large front pockets to hold all of your garden tools. Made of cotton twill for easy laundering. Also makes a great kitchen apron too. For the holidays, partner our apron with some seeds, a favorite gardening tool OR membership to the MVGC for our Centennial Year! Yahoo...now you've got a present to please your gardening friend. Contact membership@marthasvineyardgardenclub.org to purchase
(Apron price $30)
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HAVE A JOYOUS SEASON!
However you celebrate this Season, may it be wonderful for you and those closest to you. And may 2024 bring peace, happiness and good health to all of you and to those you love.
Hanukkah ( December 7-15 )
Christmas ( December 25 )
Kwanzaa ( December 26 -
January 1 )
Our Very Best Wishes
to you all from,
The Martha's Vineyard
Garden Club Board
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