MARK YOUR CALENDARS there has been a change in the summer garden schedule:

Community Service just confirmed extra dates:  

No further date for July   delete suggestion of July 25th -- that is the Lowell's Folk Festival weekend

Add: August 1st  8:30 Am  at Shelter on  Middlesex Street  (plant Flower Boxes and hosta along the  newly created seating area ) 

then move to Blue Star for 10 AM  ( Hospitality:  Bonni)

August 8th  Club Meeting and floral program at Andrea & Bruce's House (Westborough)  --carpool from Bonni's at 10 AM

ADD:  August 15th  Blue Star  8 :30 AM   ( need Hospitality host ( water and cut orange wedges?  grapes?)  -- 

 ADD:  August 29th  Blue Star  8 :30 AM   & Lyons park  ( need hospitality host)

September 12th  Blue Star  8 :30 AM  & Lyons Park ( need Hospitality host)

Moving our September 8th regular club meeting to following Tuesday Sept 15th   This is the ends our Big Year and the Golden Trowel Challenge-- who will be the lucky winner with the most sightings!  I'm amazed at the number of species of birds that has been complied by our members.  And I have on behalf of the club submitted our Big Year for the Garden Club Federation's Norma Zettler Award "For the Love of Birds"  it is a Certificate of Merit and a copy of Norma's book to a garden club that promotes the education and a program on birds.

Also this Saturday July 18th:     10 -Noon  National Parks Visitors Center/Market Street  Green Lowell with Jay Mason   see you there!

Last night and 9 AM US mail pick up Today: I completed and sent a grant application for Civic Development and Historic Preservation  requesting $1000, from each category to rehab the Lyons' WWI Memorial Park  -- I'll keep you posted!!  I'd be happy with $500 from each category!   and I think I have a mason lined up to build us a cement walkway,  labor gratis  we only have to pay for materials--  keep our collective fingers crossed!

Finally, I want to share:   There are times I think that I send all you into the stratosphere (Pluto to be exact !) with  programs, activities and offerings.  

As president I want everyone  to be able to participate in a smorgasbord of pick and choose..  so we can enjoy want we want to do GC not what we have to!  Saying that,I just receive this 2 emails from an out-of-state members:     (#1) I know you have lots going on with the GC.  I’m very proud to be a member of such a club that does so much good for the community.  You’re an amazing President and I just want to THANK YOU for all you do!!   Know that I appreciate all the great service our club does for the community.   

And #2 member writes :  do you ever sleep?!!  ( Ha!)

June Minutes will be forthcoming.  Bonni

Blue Star Garden Activity and July Meeting Agenda (2015)

Hi All it appears that it will be a wonderful sunny summer’s day on Saturday for our Blue Star Meeting

  

I will begin at 8 AM at the Shedd Park Gateway and have the team remove the invasive multi flora rose vines that are popping up in between the hosta.  

Then we will move to the Blue Star @ 9:30 AM.  I simply cannot find my copy of the shed key so please someone (Susie, Peggy) bring your key so we can access our tools.

At the Blue Star: I’d like to start on the Bridge Street slope of the Lyon’s memorial.  Cut the grass if it need it and remove debris on the slope.  We may not  need to water it seems we will have rain before Sat.

If the fence at the blue star is now abundantly wild to the point of encroachment, I’d like the team to prune back the virginia creeper (all pruning shears will be needed ) being careful not to damage the milk weed plants.  

Also it will be a good time to review the far corner of the CAPS island to see if the vetch grown cover and milkweed is doing what we had hope to accomplish in that corner.

Speaking of pruning the golden creeping juniper at our rock needs to be radically cut back.

Hospitality has been offered by Jeanne.  

Bring any marigold or wild flower seeds collected that you have collected for our Urban Garden Project.

Our next Blue Star meeting will be August 22nd.  Hopefully we will have our 10th Anniversary commemorative Sundial installed on that date.

July Meeting Agenda:

Update on Urban Garden Slope of Thorndike Street

Update on Container Garden Transitional Living Center

Update on August:   Met at Andrea's-- Headcount. carpooling on August 8th -- Bonnie will be visiting from California!

Blue Star Hospitality Hostess for August ?

August  22nd  Installation of our Peace Sundial

Update NGC President’s Youth Project - Frightened Frog and Protect Our Pollinators (i.e., mason bees, monarchs) register for Wildlife habitat, underway for summer. Youth Exhibits for FS

Update on December Flower show

Grants and Awards being sought

The Garden Gate – insert to our club’s activities.

Latest Bird Sightings!

Hi fellow bird watchers!

Paul and I went to the Parker River wildlife refuge today.  We got to sea Great Egret like the one pictured.  We also saw a Snowy Erget, Double Crested Cormorant, 3 Mute Swans, several Spotted Sandpipers, and a Least Turn. In Newburyport we saw 5 Thicked Billed Murre standing on some rocks.  They looked like Penguins!