Hello Gardeners,

The last of the snow has melted, at least for now, and I am amazed at how tall my bulbs are. They have been blanketed by snow over the past month yet are doing surprisingly well. I did apply bulb fertilizer over the sprouts in between snow showers.  However, I did not fertilize any new bulbs (planted last fall) as they have enough in their bulbs to do well the first year.   

Spring brings many garden chores.  I have started my early spring list which will morph into larger to do’s in May. Top of my list for early spring is pruning hydrangeas. There are two types of hydrangeas that should be pruned in the spring, as they bloom on new wood.  According to Deborah Silver landscape designer, Hydrangea Paniculata and Hydrangea Aborescens “can be pruned in the spring as soon as the leaf buds have broken dormancy and are swollen all along the stems of the shrubs, and when those swelling buds are greening up”.  While mine have not broken dormancy yet, I am already examining them and thinking about the shape and how to prune. 

Our Club is waking up also. April 24th is our first club meeting of the season. We have some new members and others that are interested in joining. We will have a new members’ table set up for anyone new to the Club or visiting. Please be sure to stop at the table during coffee time and introduce yourself. Everyone is welcome regardless of your gardening knowledge.  Many new gardeners have joined us and hopefully have found the Club helpful on their gardening journey.  We all learn from each other.

I hope to see many of you at our April meeting. In the meantime, see you in the garden. Happy Spring!

Vicki

Thursday, April 24, 2025: 9:00 am coffee, 9:30 am Speaker followed by Business Meeting at 10:30 am Meeting is at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, 33 Chestnut Street, Camden

Topic: Jaw-Dropping, Traffic-Stopping, “Get-the-neighbors-talking” Containers Have you always wanted to create lush container gardens that would be the envy of the neighborhood but didn’t know where to start?

Join Deborah Trickett, owner of The Captured Garden, as she shows you how to take your container gardens from “blah” to “aaah”. She’ll start with the basics, including appropriate containers, soil mixes, and plant choices for different site conditions, then proceed to new and unusual plant material and uncommon, even “green”, container choices.

Birding with Gail Presley at Merry Spring Gardens        Thursday May 8, 2025  (Rain Date -  Friday, May 9, 8 AM)

Gail is the on the Board of Mid-Coast Audubon, a chapter of Maine Audubon serving Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo Counties https://midcoast.maineaudubon.org  MCA offers birding field trips through the year, and monthly programs in collaboration with the Camden Public Library. Gail is a wildlife biologist and worked in wildlife and land conservation in both California and Maine. She became a bird watcher in college and now enjoys birding wherever she wanders. Contact: Karen Cease kbcease@aol.com

SAVE THE DATE: Camden Garden Club's inaugural Garden Expo will be held on Thursday, July 17, 2025. This exciting new event will feature talks by renowned gardeners Barbara Damrasch and Nancy Harmon Jenkins. The day's activities will also include a Pecha Kucha-style presentation, hands-on workshops, and a visit to David Kibbe's micro-farm. Make sure you come to the Club's first general meeting of the year on April 24, 2025, to get all the details!

Reimagining Camden Lamppost Flower Baskets

This year the lamppost baskets will be filled with Petunias, not Geraniums. Traditionalists might ask WHY? I am here to explain.  When the first baskets were planted 100 years ago, gardeners had VERY few options. In the early 1900’s, Ivy  Geraniums were the best choice because they were the most rugged of the few plants available and their cascading quality looked good in a hanging basket.

Since then, Ivy Geraniums have become very scarce. Most wholesale distributors no longer carry them. They have been very hard to come by, especially in the quantities we need.  A few years ago, the club switched to the upright variety because that was all that was available in red Geraniums.

As the Public Spaces co-chair in charge of these plants, I felt it was better to use a different plant that mounds and hangs from a height. Most communities use the new and improved hybrid petunias called “Supertunias” or “Wave Petunias” that are vigorous, showy flowering plants. We will use these this year.

These new varieties are bred for exceptional vigor and are known for their ability to produce an abundance of flowers throughout the growing season, often blooming continuously until the first frost.  Unlike regular Petunias, they are sterile and don't produce viable seeds, meaning they don't need to be deadheaded. They put all their energy into new flower production. The newer flowers grow along the stem, just beyond the bloom behind it and cover the older bloom for a colorful display.

Additionally we noticed that about one third of the lamppost baskets are being shaded out by mature trees and existing buildings. These baskets were not getting any blooms at all. Last year we planted the shadiest baskets with begonias and other shade-loving plants and they did well. We will do that again this year in the shady baskets. It is our best option compared to having baskets with no flowers.

I have done extensive research that includes growing these plants in my own garden, consulting with other Master Gardeners on their experience with these plants, and observing public plantings in my cross-country travels. I am confident that with proper watering and care, the lamppost baskets this year will provide a colorful display that will make Camden proud.

If you have any questions or comments on this new direction, feel free to text me at 207-975-6515) or email me at barbohland@gmail.com

Barb Ohland Board Member and Co-chair Public Spaces Committee Master Gardener       

With your help the 2025 Lamppost Sponsorship campaign continues the Club’s lamppost legacy. Join us by reserving a lamppost sponsorship for $250. All sponsors have the option to be recognized with a lamppost tag with their personal or business name.

Become a Lamppost Sponsor

Garden Volunteering Opportunities – We Can’t Do It Without Your Help!

We have been waiting all winter for the change in the seasons and gardening season is almost here. With members help, the Camden Garden Club’s Public Spaces committee oversees 9 public garden spaces from the Village Green to the Public Landing and the Mechanic Street Mural Garden to the Postage Stamp Native Garden and more. Just as in your home garden, first chores are spring cleanup.

On Thursday, April 24 after our first member’s meeting, we will perform a spring cleanup of St. Thomas’ courtyard. Please bring your gardening gloves and hand tools to pitch in and show our appreciation to the parish for our use of their meeting spaces.

On Monday, April 28 we will gather at the Mechanic Street Mural Garden for a spring cleanup at 8:30 am.

One big change in 2025 is the Village Green team will now meet on the first Monday of the month from May through October. This change is an attempt to spread the many activities of the Club throughout the month. Our first gathering will be Monday, May 5 at 9:00 am. Join us as we gather with gardening friends and share the latest gardening news, as we beautify the historic Village Green.

In addition, the CGC Public Spaces Committee is pleased to announce a new volunteer program - Garden Gnomes. This new volunteer program will allow members more flexibility in scheduling and choice of gardens to maintain. CGC members can sign up to nurture a specific public spaces garden for a two-week period over the growing season. You can sign up individually or team up with a member or two, to perform routine maintenance. Routine maintenance includes weeding, trimming, watering, and other light labor tasks. You can choose the area garden you prefer and the schedule that meets your needs.

We need your help in maintaining the public garden spaces which make living in the Camden area so enjoyable. Looking forward to seeing you in the garden!

Additional information and sign-up sheets will be available at the April 24 CGC member meeting. Please reach out to Laura Anthony lmtanthony505@gmail.com  or Barb Ohland barbohland@gmail.com

Favorite Garden Quote: "Right Plant, Right Place"

Favorite Garden Book: "The Layered Garden" by David Culp

Favorite plants:  "Hakonechloa Aureola"  (Japanese Forest Grass); Crocosmia and "Red Abyssinian Banana".... it's impossible to choose only one.

Gardening challenge... I wish I had known: Too many things to count!

Favorite public historic garden: United States Botanical Garden in D.C.  ( It was so inspirational!)

Your first memory of a garden: My mother had some red geraniums that she  planted in pots by the front door and overwintered them in the basement for many, many years.

A gardener who inspires you:  Laura Trowbridge a landscape designer from Peterborough NH ( and my college roommate)

Contribute to “Ask a Member”….

Share your personal insights, gardening preferences, and experiences. We would love to feature a photo of your garden or you in your garden. Send your personal take to info@camdengardenclub.org

Membership Renewal for 2025 begins now!

Just as our bulbs are welcoming another growing season, it is time to renew our Club memberships.   There are two categories, Active and Sustaining.  Active membership dues are the same as last year at $50. 

If you are interested in becoming a sustaining member, the dues are $100.  This  membership category is for individuals who have been members for three years and are not required to serve on a committee or project and are not eligible to vote.  Please note that sustaining members must pay by check.

Should you have a change of address, phone or email, please send the information to  membership@camdengardenclub.org .  This will allow our online directory to be updated on a quarterly basis. 

May all your gardening dreams be fulfilled in 2025. Thanks

so much!

Lucy Ebbert

Membership Chair

How to renew your Membership:

Renew your $50 annual membership for the fiscal year April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026

1. Starting April 1, renew online through April 15 using the link below

2. Pay by check now. Checks must be received by April 15th. Mail a check for the amount of $50 to:
   Camden Garden Club, P.O. Box 952, Camden, ME 04843.

Conveniently pay dues with a credit card

Our mission is to develop and preserve our environment by beautifying the community, enhancing public spaces, offering educational programs, and practicing resource conservation.