Meetings & Programs 2023-2024
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 2023-2024 Meetings & Programs Printable Summary
Thursday, September 7, 2023 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center Perennial Gardening: please join us for a lecture presented by Kathi Gariepy about perennials, which are the workhorses our gardens that return year after year. We will learn about which perennials work best in our gardens and how to keep them in good form.
Thursday, September 28, 2023 from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M., 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, October 5, 2023 @ ****6:45 P.M.,**** at the Holden Senior Center ****PLEASE NOTE:**** Those members & guests who wish to make hats for our 90th year celebration should arrive at 6:00 P.M. for a hat-making session with Barbara MP, Kathy McF & Cyndy J****
The Program for the Evening is: Tuber Goober: Success With Dahlias: our member, Carol Manning, who has a way with dahlias and who grows hundreds of these beautiful flowers, will share her valuable tips for helping us succeed in growing them our own gardens.
Thursday, November 2, 2023 @ 6:00 P.M. at the Holden Senior Center ****Please note: this is an earlier time than usual****
90th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION and HARVEST DINNER — SPOUSES WELCOME!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Put November 2nd @ 6:00 pm on your calendar for Holden Garden Club’s !!!!90th ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER CELEBRATION!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celebrating 90 Years of Flora, Fun, and Friendship!
~ Skits in period costume! 
~ Live entertainment with Paige Fowler!
~ A Harvest Dinner with deluxe main course!
~ Cake and ice cream for dessert!
~ Memento gifts for all!
~ Wear a vintage hat and attire if you wish.
Please bring a side dish for 8:
A-F Appetizers 
G-M Side Dishes N-Z Salads ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, December 7, 2023 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center Christmas at the White House: every year at the end of November, more than 125 volunteers decorate the public and private spaces at the White House. The First Lady, White House staff, the White House Historical Association and the National Park Service spend many months planning, designing and installing a marvalous holiday display. Please join us for a slideshow to be presented by Betsy Szymczak, who will share photos of her visit to the White House in December, 2016.
Thursday, February 1, 2024 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center Mindfulness and the Aging Gardner: once again, we are pleased to welcome Michele Schukel, MBA, BSN, RN, Certified Master Gardener & owner of Natural Selections Gardens, who will share her advice for modifying our gardening efforts as we age.
Thursday, March 7, 2024 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center Peonies, Love of My Life: please join us as we welcome Christina Paxhia of the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association Speakers Bureau. Ms. Paxhia will share her passion for peonies and her slideshow of the many peony varieties that she grows.
Thursday, April 4, 2024 @ 6:45 P.M., at the Holden Senior Center Garden Objects with Christie Dustman: Garden objects are the non-plant items that play a role in the landscape for function, aesthetic value or for both. Please join us for a very informative lecture about the key considerations in deciding what elements to include in our landscapes and where and why we should include them.
Thursday, April 18, 2023 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 17, 2024 from 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., 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 18, 2024 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 20, 2024 from 10:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Members’ Garden Tour, Annual Luncheon and Annual Meeting: We will tour the beautiful gardens of three of our members. At the third garden, we will hold our Annual Luncheon, followed by 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: 608 Shrewsbury Street, Holden Cost: $20.00 (to be collected at the 3rd garden of the Holden Garden Club Members’ Tour or paid in advance to the Holden Garden Club Treasurer)
