Meetings and Programs 2024-2025

Welcome to the Meetings & Programs page of the Holden Garden Club website!

Each year, we plan a very informative and enjoyable assortment of lectures and activities with the goal of appealing to the wide variety of horticultural interests of our members.           Please feel free to browse the details of this year’s collection below,

If you prefer, you may also click on the link below to view a printable summary of this year’s activities:                                                                                                                                                         Holden Garden Club 2024-2025 Meetings & Programs Printable Summary

Thursday, September 5, 2024 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center                   How To Build Your Very Own Hometown National Park:  please join us for a fun evening as Comedian, Neal Sanders returns with his newest program on the agonies and joys of gardening.

Thursday, October 3, 2024 @ ****6:45 P.M.,**** at the Holden Senior Center:           Apple Tasting:  please join us as Patrick McDonald, spouse of our Holden Garden Club member, Mia McDonald, will treat us to a wonderful sampling of the autumn apple harvest!

Thursday, October 24, 2024  from 2:00 PM to 4:00 P.M., at 1157 Main St., Holden, MA:   Hendricks’ House Fall Clean-up: please bring rakes, pruning shears, and gloves to help prepare Hendricks’ House gardens for the winter.  See you there!

Thursday, November 7, 2024 @ 6:00 P.M. at the Holden Senior Center                                           ****PLEASE NOTE:  this is an earlier time than usual****                                         Thanksgiving Potluck Supper And After Dinner Lecture– Spouses Welcome!         Please join us for our Annual Potluck Supper, followed by our after-dinner lecture:  Carol Cohen will present the very interesting lecture Meet Abigail Adams.  Carol, while dressed in period costume, will delight us with a very fun history lesson about strong women in the Colonial/Revolutionary era.  A slide show will follow.

Please bring a dish for 8:

A-F    Salads
G-M   Casseroles
R-Z    Desserts

Thursday, December 5, 2024 @ 6:45 P.M. at the Holden Senior Center                Decked Out For The Holidays:  We are pleased to welcome Jana Milbocker, who wlll present a survey of the shimmering & lovely Christmas decorations of great mansions in Rhode Island and around the country.

Thursday, February 6, 2025 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center            Chrysanthemums Journey:  Ila Cox will teach us about the long and circuitous history of this lovely flower.                                                                                                                         NB:  This meeting will be held via ZOOM if weather is inclement.

Thursday, March 6, 2025 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center                   Spiders:  The Most Misunderstood Garden Protector:  Bonnie Power, of the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association Speakers Bureau will inform us about the many myths, misunderstandings and the benefits of having these arachnids in your garden.

Thursday, April 3, 2025 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center                                     Jaw-Dropping, Traffic Stopping, Get Your Neighbors talking Containers:  Guest speaker, Deborah Trickett will share some great ideas for planting containers just in time for spring planting.

Thursday, April 24, 2025 from 2:00 P.M to 4:00 P.M., @ 1157 Main St., Holden, MA Hendricks’ House Spring Clean-up: please bring rakes, pruning shears, and gloves to help prepare Hendricks’ House gardens for the summer.  See you there!

Friday, May 16, 2025 from 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Damon House                                                                                     1187 Main St., Holden, MA    Perennial Plant Sale Prep: please bring your clean, labeled plants to the Damon House (across the street from the Gale Free Library).  Help price plants & set up for the following day’s sale.

Note:  Plants may also be dropped off Thursday or on Friday morning.  Please tuck them  against Damon House or under the steps of Damon House.  Thank you.                             Members may refer to our Dividing & Potting Tips document for assistance in preparing your potted & labeled plant donations.  Thank you!

Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M., Damon House                                                                                     1187 Main St., Holden, MA     Perennial Plant Sale: our club’s only fundraiser & best community service.  All members are urged to contribute 10 plants (or more) & to share their expertise with our faithful customers by working at the Perennial Plant Sale.  See you there!

Note:  members may refer to our Dividing & Potting Tips document for assistance in preparing your potted & labeled plant donations.  Thank you!

Thursday, June 12, 2025 from 10:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.                                                     Members’ Garden Tour, Annual Luncheon and Annual Meeting:  We are tentatively planning a tour of the gardens we support with grants, including some of the school gardens and the Holden Community Garden.  The Tour will  be followed by our Annual Luncheon and our Annual Meeting.  At our Annual Meeting, we will review the highlights of the past year and preview our next program cycle. New officers will be elected.

Annual Luncheon:                                                                                                                                      Time:          noon until approximately 1:00 P.M.                                                                     Location:   50 Union Street, Holden                                                                                      Cost:          $20.00 (to be collected at the final garden of the Tour or paid                                         in advance to the Holden Garden Club Treasurer)