The Boothbay Region Garden Club hosted a wonderful annual meeting and luncheon on Wednesday, June 12 at the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club. Turnout was excellent as 62 members were treated to a fabulous gourmet lunch on a beautiful spring day that included chicken with wild mushrooms, sauteed lemon shrimp, fresh asparagus and several other savory and delicious dishes. Dessert was a scrumptious caramel cheesecake.  

Members got to hear more details regarding the Club’s upcoming “Boothbay In Bloom” Summer Fair which will take place on the Boothbay Common on Saturday, July 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fair will feature food, drink and sweet treats and numerous exhibits, presentations and activities including many for kids and families. The Garden Club will host several booths and will be joined by numerous local non-profit organizations including Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Barter’s Island Bees, Bigelow Laboratory, the Sea and Science Center, the Boothbay Clean Water Initiative, the Boothbay Region Land Trust, the American Legion Auxiliary, Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library and Boothbay V.E.T.S.  We all appreciate Garden Club vice president Kevin Bowler’s leadership in organizing what will be a fun event! 

Other than getting together with longtime friends and colleagues, the highlight of the meeting was an intriguing and informative talk by John Fromer, the program director at Merryspring Nature Center in Camden https://merryspring.org/ titled “Blooms Through the Season.” Members enjoyed this fast-paced talk covering tips and tricks for approximately 90 perennials that can thrive on the Midcoast.  

Local residents who are interested in joining the Boothbay Region Garden Club are encouraged to attend one of the member meetings that are open to the public. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, July 10 at 12:30 p.m. at St. Columba’s Church, 32 Emery Lane in Boothbay Harbor. The mission of the club is to promote interest in the art and practice of gardening, education, and beautification of the Boothbay region. We provide public buildings with window boxes, wreaths and plants and maintain many public gardens in the area. Scholarships are provided for YMCA camperships and to college students who want to further their education in environmental studies. For more information, visit https://www.boothbayregiongardenclub.org/