September 2025

NEWSLETTER

Tewksbury

Garden Club

Tewksbury, MA, USA

tewksburygardenclub.com

tewksburygardenclub@gmail.com

Welcome Back!!

We start our 2025-2026 Club year on September 10th.

We'll be meeting at the Senior Center.

Doors open at 6:30 PM for socializing.

The meeting starts at 7 PM.

We finish by 8:45 with clean-up completed by 9.

We'll be celebrating the start of Fall with Autumn themed pastries and drinks.

The meeting will consist of a review of the upcoming year including committee details and a by-laws changes discussion.

Roll call question is: What was your favorite book, movie, series, or podcast this summer?

Please bring:

Your dues - $35 for Active members and $40 for Patron members. Most payment types accepted.
Your yearbook binder
Your name tag
Any monetary contributions for Save-a-Tree (aka Pennies for Pines)
A Community Food Pantry donation - Foil, Plastic Wrap, Plastic Bags, Paper Goods, Tissues
A labeled indoor or outdoor plant for a Plant Swap (Participation not required)

Laetitia's Summer Garden Tour

Our second garden tour of the summer took place at Laetitia's home. We were treated to a tour of gardens created using permaculture principles. Garden locations, plant partners and using ecologically minded practices were all things we learned about during our tour through Laetitia's grounds. We ended our enjoyable afternoon with some tasty treats and a dip in the pool. We also got to meet her 'mister', Laetitia's water mister, that is. A delightful way to cool down. Some of us took home a container of Laetitia's home brew - an aromatic liquid compost. And don't forget the chickens.

Literary Blooms Arrangements at the Tewksbury Public Library

resume this month. Did you sign up? Check with Jeanne or Rose to confirm your month. The assignments are also in the yearbook.

ACE Committee

Club members were busy keeping the containers and gardens tended this summer. Hot, dry weather made this job particularly challenging. Lots of water was needed everywhere and the gardens and containers responded with gorgeous displays of color.

Muster Park is transitioning to a native plant pollinator garden and the new plants needed lots of attention, but they are flourishing. And you should see the bees! Many gallons of water were used to help the plants stay alive and thrive.

Thanks to everyone for your hard work!

Bayberry Garden Therapy

The residents at Bayberry Assisted Living facility have been enjoying the lovely raised garden beds planted at the beginning of the summer by the Club's Bayberry Garden Therapy Group. What a great way to encourage the residents to get outside on a beautiful day.

Happy Travelers

Club members enjoyed a trip to Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth NH at he beginning of August. It was a beautiful day to stroll around the buildings, exhibits and gardens at this museum that highlights various time periods in the history of New England. The group also dined at a local restaurant.

A trip to Lake George is planned for the end of September. Please see previous newsletters or contact Charlene or Trisha for details.

Dine Out Nights

Whet your appetite with anticipation of upcoming Dine-Out night options. Brothers Sports Bar, Three Amigos Bar & Grill, and Wicked Cheesy are all dining establishments we can look forward to visiting. Yum! And they are all part of a great fundraiser for our Club that provides funds for our scholarship program.

Members We Have Lost

We remember 2 club members lost to us this past year. Kathleen Donoghue joined the Club in 1985 and served as Club President from 1992-1995. She was also active in the community as a realtor and sold several Club members their homes.

Jean Metcalfe also passed this year. A Club member from 2016 through 2024, Jean was very active in the Tewksbury Congregational Church where she was a veteran bowmaker for their Winter Wreath and Basket fundraiser.

We are thankful for the contributions these women made to our Club and our community.

Federation Announcements

Sept 20-21 2025

139th New England Flower Show (at Elm Bank)

"World in Bloom"

The Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA

https://www.masshort.org/fall-flower-show

Check out all that the Federation has to offer at:

Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts

Horticulture Article

September Gardening Tips and Hints

by Joan Hoeckele

September isn't just for harvesting in the garden.

Things that can be done in the garden include:

Produce more strawberry plants from runners
Place a slate under squash and like vegetables to protect them from rot
Save seeds from beans by letting them dry on the vine to plant next year
Clear out finished crops
Plant green manure cover crops
Pick beans and tomatoes to keep them producing
Can, bottle or freeze produce and herbs
Remove spent flowers and stems with a bypass pruner for a clean cut
Anvil pruners crush the stem causing more damage

Book Recommendation

The Book of Wilding: A Practical Guide to Rewilding Big and Small

by Isabella tree & Charlie Burrell

The Book of Wilding is a book that addresses how we can help restore nature. The book grew out of the authors' mission to help rewild Britain, Europe and the rest of the world by sharing knowledge from their pioneering project in Sussex. It provides information and inspiration about how to rewild everything from farmland, pastures, rivers, ponds, urban areas, gardens, window boxes and public spaces.

Tewksbury Community Pantry Donations

Every month the Club collects food donations for the Tewksbury Community Pantry. These donations help members of our community who experience food insecurity. Our Club members are always generous. A list of monthly targeted donations is in the yearbook, but any item is appreciated.

Do Not Donate Expired Items, please. When possible, donate items that will expire at least 6 months in the future.

Monthly Board Meeting

All members are invited to attend the monthly board meetings.

Please contact Susan or the person holding the meeting to let them know you'll be there so we have enough chairs. Let Susan know if you have a particular topic for discussion, or if you just want to participate in the meeting, or to just listen in.

Our next meeting, will be held on Wednesday September 3rd at Pam's house at 6:30pm.

Newsletter Submissions

Post committee updates on our Facebook member's page so we can pull content from there and images are easy to grab.

Submit all info/pictures for inclusion in future newsletters to tewksburygardenclub@gmail.com by the 27th each month.

Thanks for all you do, and for contributing to this publication!