Upcoming programs at Berkshire Botanical Garden
STOCKBRIDGE – Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming programs. Saturday, April 6, 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. “How to Design Plant and Care for a Low-maintenance, High-Impact, Pollinator-Friendly Flower Garden.” Led by Kerry Ann Mendez, this in-depth course covers key steps for designing and planting ever-blooming, sustainable flower gardens, including light and soil assessment, bed preparation, and plant placement. Proceeds will benefit BBG’s Education programs. Participants will learn about top-performing perennials, flowering shrubs and annuals (many of which are natives or nativars), as well as unusual, proven techniques for producing marathon-blooming compositions. Registration includes extensive handouts and gardening catalogs, a class gift, refreshments, door prizes, and a CEU form for Master Gardeners and green industry professionals. Also, a light lunch will be provided and free BBG admission for the weekend is included. Cost is $110 members, $130 nonmembers. To register or for more information, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.
Springfield Garden Club hosts beginning gardening series
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Garden Club’s last “Gardening Basics” class on the basics of starting a garden. will be held on April 13 at 10 a.m. The last class in the series is “Composting.” How to turn kitchen scraps and garden waste into brown gold. Presented by Janet Dolder, SGC member and Master gardener.
The class will be held at the Shea Building at Forest Park, 300 Sumner Ave. The fee is $10. 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 next symposium is on April 6 in Lenox and April 13 in South Deerfield. For more information, registration forms and/or online registration visit wmmga.org.
The second symposium, “Spring Into Gardening,” will be held on Saturday, April 6 at the Lenox Memorial Middle School and High School in Lenox. This half day event will allow attendees to select from a range of topics including: “Starting a Vegetable Garden” with Ron Jujawski, Horticultural consultant, author and educator; “Compost Happens” with Jodi Callihane, from Ward’s Nursery: “Ornamental Alternative: Replacing Invasives with Beautiful Natives for a Healthy & Beneficial Home Habitat” with Cornell University Master Gardener Christine Ferrero; and “Living Walls” with WMMGA Master Gardener, Shari Petrucci. For more information, registration forms and/or online registration, visit wmmga.org.
Guest night program
Monson – Monson Garden Club is sponsoring it’s “Guest Night” program Floral Design with Bob Whitney on Monday, April 1 at 7 p.m. in First Church of Monson on High St. This program is open to the public with light refreshments to be served. A suggested donation of $5 will give guests a chance to take home one of the arrangements made during the presentation.
Garden club luncheon
Wilbraham – The April meeting of the Wilbraham Garden Club will hold a sandwich luncheon at noon on Thursday, April 4. A reservation is needed for this meeting. Call Norma at 413-596-8173 for a reservation. The speaker for the day will be Bob Whitney, whose topic will be “Stix, Twigs, Moss, Stones & Flowers.” His program will consist of arrangements using items from nature that can be found in your own yard. His finished creations will be raffled a the end of the program.
Garden Club Scholarships
WEST SPRINGFIELD – The West Springfield Garden Club announces that two $1,000 scholarships are available for qualified high school seniors or post-secondary students during the spring of 2024. Applicants must be West Springfield residents. Scholarships are available for students with a focus of study in one or more of the following areas: Horticulture, Agriculture, Ecology, Botany, Environmental Studies, Landscape Design or Forestry. Applicants must submit a completed application along with a written one-page document that demonstrates their plans for after graduation in any of the above-mentioned fields and how the grant will assist in their career choice. Application forms are available at the Guidance offices of Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative located a 174 Brush Hill Avenue, the West Springfield High School at 425 Piper Road or on the West Springfield Garden Club website, www.wwsgardenclub.org.
Applicants from WSHS or LPVEC should submit their completed application and written entry to their Guidance office. Post-secondary student applicants can submit their materials directly to WSGC Scholarship Committee, c/o West Springfield Park and Recreation, 26 Central Street, West Springfield, MA 01089. All applications must be received by the scholarship committee by April 12, 2024. The successful candidates will be notified via mail in mid-May.
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