From Our President

Spring Has Sprung!

We’ve officially made it to April Showers, and the signs of spring are everywhere. My hydrangeas are waking up, with their buds opening a bit more each day. And that cheerful splash of soft yellow from the forsythia? It’s lighting up the island in the most beautiful way. Everywhere you look, spring is starting to bloom!

Our club runs entirely thanks to the energy and dedication of all of you! We always have room for more helping hands! Whether you’re into arranging flowers, caring for garden spaces, balancing budgets, growing plants in the greenhouse, coming up with creative ideas, or supporting local conservation efforts, we’d love to have you on board.

We’re especially excited to connect with folks who have skills in writing, marketing, bookkeeping, or event planning—because who doesn’t enjoy a party…How good is that! If you’re someone who doesn’t mind a bit of soil under your nails, our greenhouse crew or summer watering team at the Old Mill might be just the spot for you. Connect with our island community: join our outreach visits to Windemere or help us push forward with our environmental projects. Do you love island history and especially the history of our Club and the Old Mill? We’d love your help as we continue organizing and preserving our archives—get in touch and join the effort!

Whatever your strengths, there’s a way for you to contribute and help our gardens—and our community—flourish. Lend your talents behind the scenes and be part of making the Island a brighter, greener place.

Reach out to me, and I’ll help you discover the perfect way to get involved—there’s a place for everyone, and the more the merrier!

When April showers are behind us, May will bring not only flowers but a lineup of exciting programs and events for our Club. It’s going to be a season to remember!

The April Monthly Members Meeting

Feature Topic: Container Gardening

April 15 12:30pm ET

The Wakeman Center, 57 David Avenue, Vineyard Haven (click here for directions)

Kathi Gariepy, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, will present an inspiring and information-rich program on the art of container gardening. A former special needs preschool and kindergarten teacher, Kathi has been cultivating her green thumb since childhood and now shares her expertise as a Landscape Design Consultant and active member of the Gardening Study Council.

Her talk, described as “an adventure all its own,” will spark your creativity and offer a wealth of practical tips for gardeners of all levels. A lively presentation filled with vivid images will kick things off, followed by a hands-on demonstration that brings the techniques to life. Don’t miss this opportunity to dig into the beauty and versatility of container gardening with one of our most passionate garden educators!

Meeting Agenda

12:30 - 1:00 Social time with refreshments provided by Vineyard Haven

1:00 - 1:20 Welcome by Susie Wallo followed by committee reports and other business and announcements

1:20 Kathie Skinner, Educational Programs Chair will introduce our featured speaker, Kathi Gariepy

Where are we? Take a guess at where the above photos were taken. Answers will be posted in next month's newsletter. March photos are of Main Street Vineyard Haven and hydrangeas in our President Susie Wallo's Edgartown garden. Send your mystery nature photos to News@marthasvineyardgardenclub.org to be included in a future newsletter.

Floral Design Update

Jayne Isford and Nancy Cabot

“Spring: A lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be” Author Unknown

Conservation Committee News

Laurisa Rich & Kim McCarthy

Island-wide Proposed Leaf Blower Regulation  

April 19 Public Information Session 4:00-5:00 Chilmark Library

Proposals that set day and time limits for leaf blower use and phase out gas leaf blowers by 2028 are on the path to town meetings across the island this spring.  

Upcoming Town Meetings are scheduled as follows: April 8: Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, West Tisbury, April 28: Chilmark, April 29: Tisbury

For more information and to view links to the leaf blower regulations proposed for your island town and the details for upcoming public information sessions click here to go to the Vineyard Conservation Society web site.

Constance Conservation Corner: An excerpted reprint from the March Newsletter with link to additional resources on natural techniques to control weeds without using Round Up with glyphosate



Roundup may make weeds vanish in a flash, but it comes at a steep cost. Its active ingredient, glyphosate, is not only harmful to soil, microbes, beneficial insects, and even turtles, it’s also found in our soils, rain, and bodies—posing risks as a probable carcinogen and endocrine disruptor. With glyphosate approved by the FDA, yet banned in over 30 countries and thousands of lawsuits against its maker, many gardeners are asking: what can we do about those pesky weeds?

Here are some favorite ways to manage weeds before they become a midsummer chore:

• Mulch: Use brown materials like leaves, wood chips, straw, or shredded newspaper—or green options such as grass clippings weed carcasses, clover, trefoil, wild strawberry, sweet alyssum —to help inhibit weeds, preserve moisture, and enrich your soil.
• Work Smarter: A long-handled cultivating hoe is a gardener’s best friend, especially when used on young, easily disrupted weeds.
• Work Together: Share your gardening know-how with a friend, neighbor, or relative. The joys of gardening—and even weeding—are better when shared.
• Welcome Weeds: Some weeds are highly nutritious (chickweed, purslane, lamb quarters), medicinal (comfrey, mullein, nettle, plantain), or even beneficial for pollinators and other insects.

Happy weeding!



Send your eco-questions to “Constance” at conservation@marthasvineyardgardenclub.org

Greenhouse Committee

Anne Kushwala

Garden Club members have access to the Members Only Plant Sale Pre-sale

May 20 Before and after the May Members Meeting

Public Sale Memorial Day Weekend: May 24 & 25, 2025

Contribute YOUR Perennials for the Plant Sale

This year we are asking members to donate divisions of perennials to our plant sale.

We will provide details in early May on potting up and contributing your plants.

Up-cycle your Plastic Plant Pots for Plant Sale

Remember to up-cycle your 6" pots to our club’s spring plant sale. The Greenhouse crew will wash, sterilize and give the pots new life for use at the plant sale. Drop them off anytime at the MVGC Greenhouse at the Wakeman Center. Leave pots OUTSIDE the greenhouse.

Bringing Blooms & Cheer to Windemere

Joan Eville



On March 12, Nancy Cabot and Joan Eville brought the luck of the Irish to Windemere Nursing Home with a festive St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Joan led a cheerful flower arranging activity, while Nancy guided residents in creating St. Patrick’s-themed artwork. The participants decorated their vases with handmade shamrocks and donned green visors and beads, adding to the holiday spirit. Of course, no celebration would be complete without singing a few favorite Irish ☘️ tunes!

Next month, we’re looking forward to a joyful spring and Easter 🐣 gathering.

Martha's Vineyard Garden Club

PO Box 5061

57 David Avenue

Vineyard Haven, MA 02568