The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts invites you to its 97th Annual Meeting at the Andover Doubletree Hotel, 123 Old River Road in Andover, on June 13. Keynote speaker is author Patterson Webster, whose topic is Learning to Look: The Art of Garden Observation. For registration details and complete information visit www.gcfm.org/
Join the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. on October 17 and 18 at The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, 11 Beaver Street in Milford, for the 82nd Annual New England Regional Meeting. A Journey Through the World of Daffodils by Catherine Felton is just one of many scheduled activities. A full schedule and registration form are available at http://www.ngcner.org/. Registration deadline September 17!
The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts will sponsor Flower Show School Course I: Growing, Staging, Exhibiting and Judging on October 8, 9 and 10 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 11 Beaver Street, Milford, Massachusetts. Subjects to be covered will be Design, with Garden Club of the Back Bay member Kaye Vosburgh, Flower Show Procedure Parts I and II, with Barbara May, and Horticulture, with Catherine Felton. The full course with exam is $120, and lunch each day is $17. To print the registration form go to http://gcfm.org/education/schoolsandregistration and click on “Flower School.” For more information call Cathie Healy at 508-429-5055.
During the 11th World Flower Show, to be held June 18 – June 22 in Dublin, Ireland, the RDS Convention Complex will be transformed into a haven of beauty filled with spectacular competitive floral exhibits. The creativity and innovation of floral artists never ceases to amaze. Irish and International floral demonstrators and lecturers will take you on magical tours of their countries with the use of their native plant materials and stories while the myriad of vendors in the Trade Hall will tempt you to shop. Explore the gardens, culture and scenery of Dublin and the surrounding counties on one of the planned tours. Join the party on the final evening at the Gala Banquet in the Burlington Hotel, now known as The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. WAFA Ireland promises a truly Irish evening of music, dance and fun.
Bookings for all events are particularly brisk with some demonstrations now full. Don’t be disappointed and book your tickets before the ‘Full House’ sign goes up. Accommodation in some hotels in the immediate vicinity of the RDS is sold out but our conference accommodation team has added extra hotels and will assist you in acquiring accommodation.
The World Flower Show is a triennial event and this is the first occasion it is staged on Irish soil. The show is open to all and even if you are not a flower arranger, please come and witness this colorful extravaganza. You will not be disappointed. Details may be found at http://wafaireland.com/ A complete listing of all events, day by day, may be accessed at http://wafaireland.com/uploads/files/ScheduleforWeb%5B1%5D.pdf.
Below is a picture of an arrangement by Ireland’s own Mary C. O’Keeffe from the 10th World Flower Show which was held in Boston – the flowers were truly spectacular.
On Tuesday, April 9, the University of Massachusetts Extension’s Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program will sponsor The Invasive Plant Issue and Invasive Plant Identification, from 9 – 2 at the DoubleTree Hotel, 11 Beaver Street in Milford, Massachusetts. This course is an overview of the topic of invasive plants, focusing on why we should be concerned about them and enhancing your ability to readily identify invasive plants as well as their look-alikes. The work of the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group, including its strategies, recommendations, and the recently released Early Detection/Rapid Response Priority List document, will be discussed. $75. To register, visit https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1362488 or call 413-545-0895.
The Invasive Plant Issue: why should you be concerned? Enhance your ability to readily identify invasive plants as well as their look-alikes, at this seminar to be held Tuesday, August 14, from 9 – 3:30 at the Doubletree Hotel in Milford. Discussion of the strategies and recommendations of the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group, and the recently released Early Detection/Rapid Response Priority List document. Part 3 of the Invasive Plant Certification Program. To register, go to http://www.umassgreeninfo.org . $75. For more information, call Ellen Weeks at 413-545-0895 or email her at eweeks@umext.umass.edu.
