The Saco Bay Gardening Club was founded in 2001 by a group of residents to promote and inspire home gardening. This year’s annual barbecue was held at the home of Cynthia and Jim Granger. The celebration began with a walking tour of the beautiful gardens surrounding their home. The Grangers joined the garden club six years ago and at that time they had no gardens and little knowledge about plants. With the help and support of club members, and plenty of work on their part, they have created a magnificent yard. That’s just one of the many benefits of being a club member.
The mission of the club also includes volunteer work and charitable contributions to gardeningrelated causes such as providing scholarships to horticultural students at Southern Maine Community College and purchasing farm shares for local elderly citizens who find it difficult to purchase fresh produce. Some members regularly give their time, working to beautify the community. Some of the community areas supported by the club include Saco City Hall, the property around Dyer Library and Saco Museum, MacArthur Public Library in Biddeford and the Transportation Center in Saco. Other members cannot afford the time to work on the community beautifying projects and simply attend the meetings. Growing every year, club membership encompasses all age groups, ranging from beginners looking for information on starting their first garden to master gardeners happy to share their knowledge.
The club has an annual garden sale each spring, held at Dyer Library. Healthy plants are available at great prices and proceeds support the club’s volunteer projects and charity work.
Plans for the highly anticipated biennial garden tour are underway. It will take place Saturday, July 12. Cathleen Fejedelem is chairman of the 2014 Garden Tour Committee. Anyone interested in having their gardens considered for display on the tour are welcome to contact Cathleen at 286-2711 or veilchen@yahoo.com.
The club meets the first Thursday of each month in the Deering Room at Dyer Library in Saco at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Meeting agendas include guest speakers presenting a gardening-related topic, roundtable discussions, seasonal craft workshops and plant swaps. During summer, most meetings are held outdoors at a members’ garden. This is an enjoyable experience that also provides participants with great gardening and landscaping ideas.
The program committee has prepared a wonderful calendar for the upcoming year. Topics include, “Vertical Gardening” presented by Jason Spinney from University of New England; “Flower Design and Arrangement” by Janet Johnson, owner of Maine Street Florist in Buxton; “Low Impact Gardening for Aging” presented by Horticultural Therapist Irene Barber from Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens; and “Identification and Treatment of Insects Pests in the Garden Landscape” given by Clay Kirby from the University of Maine Extension Service
Year-round or part-time residents from Saco, Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach and surrounding areas are welcome to join the club. Anyone interested can just attend a meeting as a guest. For more information, go to www.sacobaygardenclub.com.
Nancy Bancroft is secretary at Saco Bay Gardening Club.
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