2023 - 2024 Programs and Events
The Old York Garden Club meets monthly from September through June on the second Wednesday of the Month. We host two design workshops each year, as well as many other events.
Several of our meetings are OPEN to the PUBLIC and NOTED in the CALENDAR entries below. Interested in participating in more of our programs, events and activities? Please consider joining as a member. To find out more about how to do that, click here.
Meetings are held at the Fellowship Hall of First Parish Church in York, Maine. The street address is: 180 York Street. It is the white building behind the stone building at 180.
Sep 13
Wednesday
1 - 3 pm
Program: “Loving Daylilies”
Our guest speaker, Sterling MacLean, is an expert on growing and cultivating daylilies. He will discuss pollination, hybridization, growing and use of these hardy and nearly pest free perennials. To promote the celebrity of these carefree plants, members will share daylilies from their own gardens in an in-house exchange.
Sep 14
Thursday
10 - 11 am
Horticulture Workshop: More Shrubs for Free Part I
In Part I of this hardwood cuttings workshop, we will learn how to choose a mature stem from a woody tree or shrub. We’ll head home ready to identify and mark out one of our own to propagate.
Sep 18
Monday
1 - 3 pm
Design Workshop: Hydrangea Wreaths
We will work with various wreath frames to make lovely fresh wreaths with all those wonderful blossoms. We’ll check back later to find how they look a few months after they’ve dried.
Sep 19
Tuesday
3:30 - 5:30 pm
Community Service Project: Greenhouse Workday #1
We will join volunteers from York Land Trust at York Middle School to clear the greenhouse of weeds and clean up the potting area in preparation for new collaborative youth programming focused on native plants.
Sep 20
Wednesday
3:30 - 5:30 pm
Community Service Project: Greenhouse Workday #2
We will join volunteers from York Land Trust at York Middle School for day 2 of clearing the greenhouse of weeds and cleaning up the potting area in preparation for new collaborative youth programming focused on native plants.
Sep 28
Thursday
10 am - 3 pm
GCFM Open Garden #3
Join Garden Club Federation of Maine (GCFM) members from across the state for an Open Garden here in Cape Neddick at the home of our club member. FMI click here.
Oct 11
Public Invited
Wednesday
1 - 3 pm
Program: “Martha’s Garden”
Our guest speaker is York resident Martha Fenn King, an avid gardener, friend of OYGC and new author! Her book, A Maine Garden Almanac, is a collection of seasonal information, heartwarming insights, poetry, and beautiful imagery. Whether you have a small or large garden, Martha’s advice supports you through the tougher growing seasons in your garden and your life. Book signing and Q&A to follow the presentation.
Oct 24
Tuesday
8:30 am - 3:30 pm
GCFM Fall Conference
Club members will carpool to Augusta Civic Center to join garden club members from around the state to chat about gardening and discover what other clubs are doing in their communities. Lunch and expert speaker programs are part of this full-day excursion.
Oct 26
Thursday
1 - 3 pm
Civic Development: Monument Island Fall Clean Up
Club members will don their safety vests and gather their tools to put this traffic island to bed for the season. We’ll plant a few tete-a-tete daffodil bulbs for additional early spring color too!
Nov 8
Public Invited
Wednesday
1 - 3 pm
Program: “Designing with Dried Flowers”
Our guest speaker is York resident Elizabeth Brown, a cut flower gardener focusing on local and sustainable floral design. She will share her expertise by teaching us which garden flowers are best for drying as well as how to dry them and design with them in our homes.
Nov 10
Friday
1 - 3 pm
Community Service Project: Veteran’s Day Breakfast Centerpieces
We will create simple Ball jar arrangements tied with red, white and blue ribbon to decorate the tables at the annual Veteran’s Day Breakfast coordinated by York Parks and Rec. Veterans are encouraged to take them home to enjoy.
Nov 15
Wednesday
10 am - Noon
Horticulture Workshop: More Shrubs for Free Part II
In Part II of this hardwood cuttings workshop, we will learn how to cut and care for the stems chosen for propagation.
Nov 21
Tuesday
10 am
Community Service Project: Festival of Fostering Trees
Committee members will assemble and decorate the club’s tree entry for this local fundraising holiday event. Proceeds benefit a nonprofit providing assistance to older youth aging out of the state foster care system.
Dec 6
Wednesday
12:30 - 1:15 pm
Youth Education: DIY Soil Testing
Participants from OYGC, York Land Trust and York Middle School will engage with 5th grade students in a hands-on lesson in the school greenhouse.
Dec 7
Thursday
3:30 - 7 pm
Outing: Dinner and Holiday Light Show
We’ll carpool to dinner first at Robert’s Maine Grill and then enjoy a timed-entry tour of the local “Winter Wonders” holiday light show at Sandy Hill Farm in Eliot.
Dec 13
Wednesday
11 am - 2 pm
Program: “Annual Holiday Workshop”
We’ll create seasonal decorations using greens, ribbon and other natural or faux elements. Soup and holiday cheer provided!
Jan 12
(Date Changed)
Friday
12:30 - 1:15 pm
Youth Education: Winter Sowing Native Plant Seeds
Participants from OYGC, York Land Trust and York Middle School will engage with 5th grade students in a hands-on lesson in the school greenhouse.
Jan 10
Wednesday
1 - 3 pm
Program: “In-House Panel Discussion”
Club members will lead round table discussions based on their expertise. We’ll rotate in groups so we can benefit from at least 3-4 topics of interest. Sharing our gardening knowledge and experiences with each other is what we’re all about!
Jan 10
Wednesday
3 - 4 pm
Crafting Workshop: Homemade Herb and Flower Scented Oils Part I
Immediately following our membership meeting, we’ll begin with a brief session to choose a dried flower or herb to take home with other supplies and instructions in order to start our infusions.
Jan 24
(Date Changed)
Wednesday
6:00 - 7:30 pm
GCFM Educational ZOOM: “Bringing Nature Home”
Author Doug Tallamy will present from his book, Bringing Nature Home, and teach us how we can sustain wildlife with the use of native plants. Access to learn from industry leaders like this is part of the benefit of membership. Tickets and registration found here.
Feb 9
(Newly Added)
Friday
10:30 am
Membership Welcome Social: 2023 New Member Brunch
Feb 14
Wednesday
1 - 3 pm
Program: “Conservation Strategies at Mt. Agamenticus”
Robin Kerr has been the Parks Natural Resource Manager for the Town of York and the Mt. Agamenticus Steering Committee since 2004. She helps oversee the cooperative management of lands in the Mt. A area owned by the state, local and non-profit organizations who work together to balance the protection of wildlife habitat and water quality along with safe and sustainable recreation. Robin will speak to us about long term efforts to battle invasive plants and restore and promote native habitats at Mount A.
Feb 20
Tuesday
12:30 - 3pm
Crafting Workshop: Homemade Herb and Flower Scented Oils Part II
In Part II of this workshop, we will complete our infusions then bottle and share the aromatic oils.
March 1
(Date Changed)
Friday
12:30 - 1:15 pm
Youth Education: Winter Sowing Native Plant Seeds
Participants from OYGC, York Land Trust and York Middle School will engage with 5th grade students in a hands-on lesson in the school greenhouse.
Mar 13
Public Invited
Wednesday
1 - 3 pm
Program: “Discovering New England Stone Walls”
Kevin Gardner’s informal talk will cover a few main topics of his book, The Granite Kiss, touching on history, technique, stylistic development and aesthetics of New England stone walls. While exploring the history of the significance of these dry stone structures to the New England landscape, he builds a miniature wall or walls on a tabletop using tiny stones from a five-gallon bucket. Copies of his book will be available for sale.
Mar 8
(Date Changed)
Friday
10 am - 12 pm
Art Workshop: Silk Scarf Dyeing – Shibori Technique
No drawing or painting skills needed, really! Begin this fascinating ancient Chinese art by folding and wrapping a silk scarf around a pole. String is used to secure and scrunch the scarf. Followed by using silk French dyes in three related colors. The scarves dry for 48 hours. Workshop followed up by a show and tell at the March 13th membership meeting.
Mar 19
Tuesday
6:30 - 7:30 pm
GCFM Educational ZOOM: “Creating a Meadow”
Author and landscape designer Owen Wormser will explain how to replace a lawn with a low-maintenance, eco-friendly meadow using ideas from his book entitled Lawns Into Meadows – Growing a regenerative landscape. Another expert lecture provided to us as part of the new GCFM initiative to offer educational events to its club members.
Mar 29
Friday
12:30 - 1:15 pm
Youth Education: The Early Spring Garden
What’s going on in the native plant garden in early spring? We’ll discuss insect activity and early pollinator food sources while making observations of our winter-sown seed containers.
Apr 10
Public Invited
Wednesday
1 - 3 pm
Program: “Spring is Sprung”
Back by popular demand is Bert Ford, one of New England’s leading floral design professionals. The currently retired owner of Ford Flower Co. in Salem NH has agreed to show off his design skills to OYGC again. Bert delights in creating different and unique designs, incorporating nature, art and today’s trends into his work. In a raffle immediately following his presentation, one or two lucky audience participants will have a chance to win one of the designs created during the demonstration.
April 5
Friday
10:30 - noon
Design Workshop: Turn an Old Basket into a Spring Planter
Meet us at Wentworth Greenhouses to repurpose your old basket into a new spring planter. Wander the greenhouse to select plants and decorative accessories of your choosing. Members will receive a discount toward purchases made that day. Soil and plastic lining will be provided.
April
Date and Time
TBD
Outing: Bus Trip to New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill CANCELED
We’ll travel by school bus to Boylston, MA to view the Tower Hill gardens in mid-April for displays of iris and hyacinths or late April to early May for the fields of 25,000 daffodils exhibit. Club choice!
April 11
Thursday
9:30 am - 1:30 pm
Piscataqua District Annual Meeting and Luncheon
The district’s annual meeting and luncheon will hosted by our friends in Eliot Garden Club at the Green Acre Conference Center. The planned speaker, Kelly Orzel, author, horticulturalist and herb farmer at Bowery Beach Farm in Cape Elizabeth will discuss the essentials for creating a cottage garden. Advance ticket registration is required.
April 17
Wednesday
10 - 11 am
Horticulture Workshop: More Shrubs for Free Part III
In Part III of this hardwood cuttings workshop, we will learn how to harden off the woody babies that survived the winter. After a show-n-tell, we might even wander outside into the garden to take more cuttings!
April 20
(Newly Added)
Saturday
9 am - 3 pm
Community Service Project: Spring Clean Up at Surf Point Foundation’s Wild Knoll Garden
Drop in to help volunteers of the Wild Knoll Foundation clean up the gardens at May Sarton’s former home located on Surf Point Road in York.
April 22
Monday
12:30 - 1:15 pm
Youth Education: Earth Day Appreciation
The students will observe the greenhouse condition post winter. We’ll compare the soil structure preferred by many native plants to the soil used in an annual vegetable garden. We’ll condition the soil in the greenhouse to prepare the beds for use by the farm-to-school specialist. We’ll plant annual pansies to provide an early nectar source for pollinators while also beautifying the school campus.
May 8
Wednesday
1 - 3 pm
Program: “Plant Sale Preparation Meeting and Grocery Store Floral Design”
All members are encouraged to attend this meeting when our Ways and Means Chairs present informative details in preparation for our annual plant sale. For a little fun, we’ll ask a few seasoned plant sale participants to break out in the back of the hall to create unique arrangements using the exact same botanicals picked up at the local grocery store. We’ll observe how a person’s whimsy, personality and creativity have as much influence on the final arrangement as the materials themselves.
May 3
(Date Changed)
Friday
1 - 4 pm
Crafting Workshop: Concrete Garden Sculptures
Use forms to make and decorate concrete home and garden ornaments for lasting enjoyment.
May 31
Friday
8 am - Noon
Set Up for the OYGC Annual Plant Sale
Save the date! All hands on deck! You’ll select an assignment to work in shifts to set up for the annual plant sale, our club’s primary fundraising event. No prior experience necessary!
Jun 1
Public Event
Saturday
9 am - Noon
OYGC Annual Plant Sale
Join us at the Grant House at Goodrich Park, 200 US-1 in York for our annual plant sale fundraising event. A variety of perennials, shrubs and native plants grown locally will be available for sale. Our club experts will be on hand to answer questions and help with your selections. Cash, check, and credit accepted. The proceeds benefit community-wide civic beautification, scholarships, outreach and continuous learning about plants. Members of the public are encouraged to bring their own garden cart to carry their plants, although a number of loaners will be available to assist.
Jun 11
Tuesday
12:30 - 3 pm
Design Workshop: Centerpiece Arrangements for Club Luncheon
Enjoy helping to make creative centerpieces for our annual club luncheon using ‘found’ containers, flowers, moss and other inventive materials.
Jun 12
Wednesday
11:30 am - 2:30 pm
OYGC Annual Club Luncheon
Wrap up another successful garden club year with a celebratory lunch at DuFour’s Stage House Inn, South Berwick. Sign up for one or more of our planned summer outings and garden tours.
Jun 24
(Date Change)
Monday
Time TBA
Outing: Boott Cotton Mills Museum and Pawtucket Canal Boat Tour
On this day trip, we’ll carpool to Lowell, MA, the first successful planned city in the U.S. We’ll explore the weave room packed with over 80 historic power looms from the 1920’s and learn how textiles are made. Weather permitting, we’ll take a boat tour of the Pawtucket Canal and learn how mill owners harnessed and directed water through the city. We’ll picnic or stop for a quick bite.
Jun 20 - 21
Thurs - Fri
Time TBA
GCFM Annual Convention
Club members have the opportunity to travel to Orono for the 92nd Annual GCFM Convention themed “Gardening for Tomorrow”. Stay tuned for details!
Jul 10
Wednesday
Time TBA
Outing: Golden Meadows Daylily Gardens
We’ll carpool to Somersworth for a tour of the gardens containing over 550 varieties of day lilies and other meticulously maintained perennials.
August
Date and Time
TBA
Outing: Bedrock Gardens
We’ll carpool to the garden for a guided group tour and have lunch at a local restaurant. This 30-acre site has transitioned from a historic farm and private garden to a “public oasis of art, horticulture and inspiration.”