Upcoming programs at Berkshire Botanical Garden
STOCKBRIDGE – Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming programs: Wednesdays, March 6 through 27, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., “Container Garden Design.” Acquire knowledge of the skills required for beautiful and successful container gardens with Jenna O’Brien, owner of Viridissima Horticulture and Design. Get to know the plants that thrive in containers and how to care for them. This class will cover practical aspects of gardening in containers with style throughout the New England garden season. Consider container selection, siting, planting, growing, and maintaining moveable gardens. Cost $215 members, $240 nonmembers; Saturday, March 9, 1 to 4 p.m. “Cannabis as Medicine.” Kimberly Geiser gives an overview of the endocannabinoid system and how cannabis can be useful as medicine. Explore what a “master plant” is how you can connect with a plant’s “spirit,” and what place that relationship has in the healing journey. You will be able to prepare the following at home: infused oils, alcohol extracts, cannabis as food medicine, and how to test for potency. Sip tea, prepare together a cannabis extract, and turn that extract into a variety of different preparations. Participants will take home recipes and a prepared extract, and the confidence to do it at home. Cost is $90 members, $110 nonmembers; Saturday, March 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., “Imagining and Observing Nature: Drawing.” Drawing is about seeing, wondering, and experimenting. It belongs to everyone, at any skill level. The tools for doing it are everywhere, from a stick in the dirt to proper art supplies. And if you’re already a painter, sculptor, or designer of anything, then drawing with fresh eyes and imagination can strengthen your work. With Ann Getsinger as a guide, participants will have the opportunity to work in mixed media on a variety of toned (not white) paper while working from natural forms like pods, cones, grasses, bones, etc, and imagination. The goal is to enjoy the process, for each person to experiment in their own way. Note: additional $10 materials fee. Cost is $100 members, $120 nonmembers. To register or for more information, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.
Springfield Garden Club scholarship
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Garden Club is accepting applications for their annual $2,000 scholarship awarded to a graduating high school senior, undergraduate or graduate college student majoring in a full-time plant science or environmental studies program, such as horticulture, floriculture, landscape design, conservation, forestry, botany, agronomy, plant pathology, environmental control, land management or other allied fields.
The candidate must be a resident of Hampden County, demonstrate financial need and have adequate academic standing. High school seniors, undergraduate and graduate college students are eligible for consideration. For additional information and to request a copy of the application contact Jane Glushik at SGCscholarship@gmail.com.
Scholarship applications are to be complete and meet the submission deadline of April 1, to be eligible for consideration. The SGC has awarded over $80,000 to more than 50 students during the past 30 plus years. Funds for the scholarship are raised at the annual plant sale held each year in the spring. The annual plant sale this year will be held at Forest Park on Sumner Ave. on Saturday, June 1 from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information on the Springfield Garden Club events, visit www.springfieldgardenclubma.org or visit them on Facebook.
Wilbraham Garden Club meeting
WILBRAHAM – The March meeting of the Wilbraham Garden Club will be held on Thursday, March 7 at noon in the parish hall at St. Cecilia’s Church on Main St. A luncheon of sandwiches and desserts will be served.
The speaker of the day will be Betsy Szymczak, who will give a presentation on “A Begonia for any Season.” Betsy will speak on how to grow begonias both inside and outside.
Springfield Garden Club hosts beginning gardening series
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Garden Club will host “Gardening Basics” a series of classes on the basics of starting a garden. The series will be at 10 a.m. on Saturdays in the winter and spring.
March 9, is “Preparing Garden Soil.” How to make sure you have soil (not dirt) for your plants. Presented by Kerisa Perazella of Crow River Farm in East Longmeadow.
April 13, is “Composting.” How to turn kitchen scraps and garden waste into brown gold. Presented by Janet Dolder, SGC member and Master gardener.
The classes will be held at the Shea Building at Forest Park, 300 Sumner Ave. The fee is $10 per class or the series of four for $30. Tickets are available on Eventbrite, by emailing spfldgardenclub@gmail.com or by calling 413-285-3163.
WMMGA 2024-In Person Spring Gardening Symposia
WESTFIELD – Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Associations’ in-person Spring Gardening Symposia returns beginning March 23 in Westfield, on April 6 in Lenox and April 13 in South Deerfield. For more information, registration forms and/or online registration visit wmmga.org.
The first symposium, “Let’s Get Growing,” will be held on Saturday, March 23 at the Westfield South Middle School. This half day event will allow attendees to select from a range of topics including “Planting for Birds in Your Backyard,” with Dan Ziomek from Sugarloaf Gardens; “Garden for Life: Using Native Plants in the Landscape,” with Kristen Nicholson from Blue Stem Natives Nursery; “Friend or Foe? Helpful and Harmful Garden Insects and Worms,” with Dr. Olga Kostromytska, entomologist form UMass Extension & Stockbridge School of Agriculture; and “Pruning for Better Blooms,” with Jen Werner, horticulturist and retired Professor of Landscape Design Management at STCC, along with classes taught by WMMGA Master Gardeners.
Agawam Garden Club 2024 Scholarship
AGAWAM – Applications are now available for the Agawam Garden Club 2024 scholarship. To qualify for the scholarship students must be a graduating senior of Agawam High School or a college student who graduated from Agawam High School and is planning to attend an institution of higher learning in the fall. Applicants must be majoring in or planning on majoring in one of the following: botany, environmental engineering, environmental science, earths systems, forest management, natural resources, plant soil and insect science, sustainable agriculture, sustainable horticulture or food and framing, turf grass science and management, landscape design and management technology, clean energy, technology studies, waste water or other environmental related studies.
The recipient will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship at the clubs annual June meeting. Completed applications along with transcripts and references must be submitted to Denise Carmody, 40 Primrose Lane Agawam, MA 01001 by April 1. Applications are available through Agawam High school or can be found on their website at agawamgardenclub.com.
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