Daily Archives: July 26, 2016

Beach Plum Jam

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Garden Club of the Back Bay member and Recording Secretary Patricia G. Buddenhagen has written a new piece entitled Beach Plum Jam, the latest installment of the Ploughshares Solos Series.  Ploughshares Solos are single stories or essays published nine times a year.  The story: Polly always finds refuge in painting.  When the beautiful landscapes of the Maine island where she spends her summers leave her uninspired, she questions the life she’s been living for the past thirty years.  Will the reappearance of an old, seemingly successful friend be the spark Polly needs to get back on track, or will it derail her even further?

Patricia began her career in book publishing in New York and worked as an editor at the Book-of-the-Month Club.  She has since worked as a marketing specialist, a journalist, and for ten years served on the board of the Boston Branch of the English Speaking Union, an organization devoted to improving global communication through the English language.  She earned an MFA in Fiction from Vermont College.  Earlier stories have been published in Emrys Journal and Scrivener Creative Review.

Beach Plum Jam is available for $1.99 on http://pshares.org, and is also available in a Kindle edition on www.amazon.com.

Saturday, October 1, 8:30 am – 3:45 pm – Inspirations for Next Year’s Garden

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The Massachusetts Master Gardener Association will hold its 2016 Massachusetts Gardening Symposium, Inspirations for Next Year’s Garden, on Saturday, October 1 from 8:30 – 3:45 at Westford Academy in Westford, Massachusetts. The MMGA has chosen this year’s symposium speakers not only for their expertise and the respect they have earned, but also for their ability to inspire audiences with practical tips and techniques. Here is a sampling of what you can expect to learn.

MARGARET ROACH, author and radio/web site host – The 365-Day Garden

The garden is never really out of season, according to Margaret Roach. Creating year-round visual enjoyment requires a combination of tactics: Learn about “botanical stars,” site selection and – perhaps most importantly – how to engage your senses in planning for 2017.

ED BOWEN, plant breeder, horticulturist and nurseryman – The Best Plants You’ve Never Heard of

Tired of the “same old-same old”? There is a practical aesthetic value in employing alternatives in the garden. Learn about some lesser known cultivars and species of familiar genera as well as new collections from the wild, all suited to New England’s climate.

GORDON HAYWARD, garden designer, author and travel guide – Fine Art as Inspiration for Garden Design

A new way to look at your garden based on how artists and garden designers use similar elements of composition to construct their images…including creating foreground/background and the use of light and shadow, focal points, contrast, and positive/negative space.

BOB SOLBERG, nursery owner and hosta hybridizer – The Truth About Hostas: Why We Can’t Live Without Them

The dirt on hostas: Are they right for your landscape? How about minis? Are the new hosta hybrids the best hostas? How do you maximize performance and deal with pests?

REGISTRATION – $75 per person thru August 15; $95 per person August 16-September 24. Includes lectures, Garden Marketplace and lunch. No refunds after September 24, 2016. Register online at http://massmastergardeners.org/symposium/

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