Southbridge
Garden Club
Welcome Message:
Since 1953 the Southbridge Garden Club has served area towns,
evolving into a non-profit 501c(3) organization
when it became a member of
the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts in 2003.
The Garden Club is a regional club.
Members come from many local towns to participate.
We are an active club meeting monthly for gardening-related programs, visiting gardens of interest in our area and enjoying an annual luncheon.
May is our club Plant Sale.
November and December are reserved for planning
and creating items for our annual Greens Sale.
All members are asked to participate in both
the Plant Sale and Greens Sale.
Both are fun, educational, and community-based events.
The Garden Club generally meets the third Tuesday
of each month, March through October.
Program times and location vary depending on the activity offered.
Mission Statement:
To share an interest in horticulture and to expand our knowledge of gardening for our mutual benefit and that of our local communities.
Membership Benefits
Monthly meetings March-October featuring noted speakers, interactive workshops and tours.
Visit area gardens, parks and nurseries
Membership in Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts that includes educational opportunities and invitations to meetings
Access to passes to Tower Hill Botanic Garden
Engage in community outreach projects
Participate in the Plant Sale and Greens Sale
Learn from others who share gardening interests
Photos
Get In Touch!
We're happy to answer your questions.
Interested in Membership or attending an open event:
Nancy Dapkiewicz, Membership Chair,
Mailing Address:
PO Box 912
Southbridge MA 01550
Schedule
UPCOMING EVENTS for 2026 - Save the dates!
JULY
Tuesday, July 21 Field Trip: Bridge of Flowers; Shelburne Falls, MA; 10:30 AM
Thursday, July 23 Book Discussion Group; member’s home; 2:00 PM
Tuesday, July 28 Board Meeting; Sturbridge Senior Center; 3PM
AUGUST
Tuesday, 8/18 Presentation: Pruning/Landscape Design; Kyle McDonald
Ruth Wells Center for the Arts; 6:30 PM
TBD Book Discussion Group
SEPTEMBER
Tuesday, 9/15 Presentation: Rewild Your World: Restoring Nature One Native Plant at a Time; Nicole Howard, Lady Fern Farm; Jacob Edwards Library; 1:30 PM
Open to the public
Tuesday, 9/22 Board Meeting; Sturbridge Senior Center; 3 PM
OCTOBER
Tuesday, 10/20 Biannual Meeting/Luncheon; Time and Place TBD
NOVEMBER
Tuesday, 11/10 Workshop: Holiday Greens Sale (HGS) prep
Ruth Wells Center for the Arts
NOV/DEC
11/29 - 12/3 HGS Production Week
Ruth Wells Center for the Arts, Southbridge
DECEMBER
Friday, 12/4 Holiday Greens Sale; Noon to 4:30
Saturday, 12/5 Holiday Greens Sale; 10 AM to 2 PM
Ruth Wells Center for the Arts, Southbridge
Tuesday, 12/8 HGS Wrap-up and Club Business Meeting
TBD
Announcements & News
*********
PRESENTATION: “PLANT WITH PURPOSE, DESIGN WITH NATURE”-
NATIVE PLANT GARDEN DESIGN
Nicole Howell of Lady Fern Farm
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 1:30 pm;
Jacob Edwards Library, 236 Main St., Southbridge
Registration required, https://jacobedwardslibrary.org
Learn how to create beautiful resilient gardens and understand their vital role in supporting pollinators and wildlife while restoring local ecosystems. This presentation introduces the principles of ecological garden design, including plant selection, layering, and site-specific planning with native species.
Nikki Howell, owner of Lady Fern Farm, earned a degree in Sustainable Agriculture and spent several years afterwards farming in the idyllic landscape of Tuscany and the fields of Long Island. When she became a mom and returned to Worcester, she began helping people create their own organic gardens. As Nikki delved deeper into the intricacies of sustainable living, she couldn't ignore the critical role of native plants in our ecosystem. That realization helped spark the birth of Lady Fern Farm,a woman-owned native plant nursery cultivating a commitment to Northeast native plants and providing enriching educational workshops. https://ladyfernfarm.com/
This program is free and open to the public. Registration is required: jacobedwardslibrary.org; events.
Club Officers
Officers
(2-year term)
President -- Sandy Gibson-Quigley
Vice President – Anne Hrobsky
Treasurer – Charlene Laporte
Secretary – Judi Newlands
Committee Chairs
(1-year term)
Community Outreach – Suzanne Werner
Corresponding Secretary - Anne Hrobsky
Garden Assist Outreach - Susan Arnold
Holiday Greens Sale - Sandy Gibson-Quigley
Hospitality – Sandy Acly & Margueritte Battersby
Membership – Nancy Dapkiewicz
Programs – Christine Lafleche
Plant Sale – Sally Anderson & Suzanne Werner
Publicity – Linda Kaplan
Scholarship – Terri Colognesi
Senior Outreach – Leslie Wong