December Nature Happenings

https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/outdoor-almanac/fall-2018

Christmas at the Coburn House!

Come visit the festively decorated Coburn House this holiday season! Admission is $10/adult, kids free when accompanied by an adult to tour the 17 room home decorated for the Christmas season. Fun kids' activities as well as raffle tickets for chances to win floral arrangements, crafts, and other goodies are included in the admission price. Additional raffle tickets can be purchased.

When:  Sunday, December 2, 2018; 11:00 - 4:00 PM

Where:  The Coburn House/ Dracut Historical Society, 1660 Lakeview Ave. Dracut, MA

Mother Nature’s Blanket

Let leaves that have fallen around the base of plants stay there—they are Mother Nature’s mulch protecting roots. Blowing leaves out of shrubs destroys the habitat for many beneficial insects that winter over in leaf litter, and exposes roots to frost and thaw cycles. Leaves that have fallen on the lawn are best run over by your mulching lawn mower. By spring they will have returned the nutrients they needed to grow to your soil. Your mower should be set at 2 inches for the balance of the season.

Bird Feeders

Clean up bird feeders and bird boxes before the weather get colder. Feeders encourage migrating birds to stop by to fuel up before continuing their migration. A steady supply of food means a winter’s worth of entertainment from the year-round residents.

November Nature Happenings

https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/outdoor-almanac/fall-2018

Monthly Meeting: New England Stone Walls

When:  Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at 7 pm

Where:  Harmony Hall, Dracut, MA

Kevin Gardner: Discovering New England Stone Walls

    

        Kevin’s informal talk covers a few of the main topics of his book about New England stone walls, The Granite Kiss (Countryman Press),touching on history, technique, stylistic development, and aesthetics.  He explains how and why New England came to acquire its thousands of miles of stone walls, the ways in which they and other dry stone structures were built, how their styles emerged and changed over time, and their significance to the famous New England landscape.  Other topics may include: differences in approach between historical and contemporary wall-builders, a discussion of restoration tips and techniques, and information about design, acquisition of materials, preservation, and analysis. There is always a generous question-and-answer period, during which listeners are encouraged to bring up specific problems or projects on their own properties. 

        Along the way, Kevin occupies himself building a miniature wall or walls on a tabletop, using tiny stones from a five-gallon bucket.  He often brings along his collection of books about stonework, and copies of The Granite Kiss will be available for sale. 

        Since the publication of The Granite Kiss, Kevin has presented his program at dozens of historical societies, bookstores, and town libraries all over New England, including Canterbury Shaker Village, the NH Historical Society, Castle-in-the-Clouds, Old Sturbridge Village, Boston's Arnold Arboretum, and many, many more. 

March meeting cancelled : (

Spring is supposed to be here

When crocus and snow drops appear

But with snow on the way

Safe at home we should stay

And hope in April we can finally start our year!

-Kathy Gauthier, DGC President

Our previously rescheduled meeting for March 21st is now cancelled due to ANOTHER snow storm!  Think spring and we'll see you for our first meeting of the season, Wednesday, April 4th!

Home Gardener Series

TEN INFORMATION-PACKED EVENING CLASSES designed to help busy home gardeners  be more effective at their favorite pastime  Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:00 PM, March 22 to May 24, 2018 Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate 2468 Washington St., Canton, just minutes off Rt. 128 REGISTER For the benefit of busy gardeners, this streamlined evening program covers the same topics studied by Master Gardeners ...with no outside reading, homework, testing, or volunteering required. The cost of the program is $250 per person for all ten classes. That's 15 information-packed hours of training! Home Hort classes include landscaping, how to improve soil health, choosing and caring for herbaceous and woody perennials, lawn care, and managing weeds, plant diseases and common pests. Instructors are senior Master Gardeners with years of experience in their topics and a wealth of tips and techniques to share. If you're looking to upgrade your gardening knowledge in time for this year's gardening season, click here to learn more and register online. If you plan to pay by check, you may also register offline: for details, email us at HomeHort@massmastergardeners.org.

Outdoor Almanac: March

2018 Season Kick-off Meeting!

Join us for our first meeting of the season! We will be discussing seed starting and spring garden prep. Bring seeds to swap and share...and start seeds for our gardens, and if you want, the spring plant sale! Kathy will be going over the revised bylaws and upcoming meetings and events. 

Hope to see you there! 

Bring a friend! We welcome new members and friends of the garden!

Good news about winter moths

Did you notice there were fewer winter moths about? Researchers have been releasing parasitic flies in several New England states. ​Along with the feeding of some native in-ground ​beetle on the winter moth pupa, the numbers are definitely down and that is great news for our oaks, maples, blueberries and many other trees and shrubs.

Forcing blooms

Time to cut branches to force indoors. Start with forsythia, witch hazel, and pussy willows; later look for quince and small branches from cherry trees to brighten your home.

Winter Pruning

Now is a good time to do your winter pruning. Start with any plant that has been damaged during earlier storms. If a tree is so damaged it needs to be removed, have an arborist do the work before the ground thaws in the spring. Next tackle fruit trees, grapes and evergreens to have them done before the spring growth spurt begins. Do not prune any spring or early summer bloomers—you’ll be cutting off the flowers.

Instead of chemicals...

Ice melting chemicals and road salt will soak into the ground during thaws where they will kill plants when they begin growing again in the spring. Instead of chemicals, use cat litter, sand or other non-toxic materials on sidewalks and driveways.

Outdoor Almanac: February

Forced bulbs—faded but maybe not dead

If you forced tulips, daffodils or crocus for the holidays – or if you received them as a gift – save them in a cool dry place (a basement is ideal) and put a reminder on your calendar to plant them in the garden as soon as the ground thaws.  Those forced in water, such as paperwhites, cannot be saved and should go in the compost.

Time on your hands this month?

Read a gardening book, work your way through gardening magazines you didn’t have time for last summer.  Look for upcoming classes that interest you.   All your growing should not take place in soil.  January is a great time to stretch your mind.

Are you starting seeds indoors?

Begin by first cleaning up seed-starting pots and trays.  Then disinfect them before planting so your work and seeds are not in vain.  Start seeds early this month for herbs such as parsley, oregano, thyme and chives as well as pansies so they are ready to set out in early spring.  Start seeds for onions and leeks at the end of the month for a great summer harvest.