Gardeners Exchange Group - Meeting Schedule

Meetings are typically scheduled for the months of April to October.

Please remember that outdoor meetings are predicated on favorable weather. They may be canceled if things get too soggy, so check your emails before striking out.

Friday, February 15, 2008
POTLUCK DINNER AND SEED EXCHANGE (Directions to the meeting.)
Carole Brooks has again graciously offered her home as a meeting place for the winter pot luck and seed exchange meeting. This year we are meeting in February as January just got filled too quickly. We will meet on Friday, February 15 at 6 P.M. The meeting will include plenty of opportunity for visiting to talk about your 2008 plans, what you're finding in this year's garden catalogs and to exchange seeds harvested last year.

Saturday, April 19, 2008
MONTHLY MEETING. Hosts: Don and Betty Nuttall, 812 Morgana Drive, Shepherdstown, WV.
Coffee and Breakfast at 9 am; meeting 9:30 am to 11ish. (Directions to the meeting.)
This will be our annual review of deer resistant plants. Don and Betty have a 'lovely' herd of 18-plus deer that use their neighborhood, a former apple orchard, as a path from the woods to the Town Run. You know how hard it is to break a habit !! These deer and their ancestors have used this path for many years, sampling plants along the way. Don and Betty are fighting a valiant battle and will share with us what has worked and what hasn't, including the deer resistant plants that haven't been resisted!! Their landscaping consists of many island beds, raised beds with built-in watering and deer protection, and the most wonderfully scented viburnums by the front door.

Saturday, May 17, 2008
MONTHLY MEETING. Hosts: Mark & Lisa Pharaoh, 15900 Kruhm Rd., Burtonsville, MD. (410 960-9254). (Directions to the meeting.)
Picnic at 11:30 am; followed by tours of Brookside Butterfly Exhibit, Brookside Gardens, and Brighton Dam Azalea Garden.
GEG will provide meat and drinks for picnic; participants should bring side dishes and desserts. Bring your children. The butterfly exhibit has a $5 charge. The azalea garden includes 22,000 azaleas as well as flowering dogwoods on 5 acres. We suggest meeting at the Shepherd parking lot across from the Blue Moon Deli between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. to arrange carpooling.

Saturday, June 21, 2008
MONTHLY MEETING. Host: Sonya Evanisko, 105 West High St., Shepherdstown, WV. (304 876-1725).
Coffee and Breakfast at 9 am; meeting 9:30 am to 11ish. (Directions to the meeting.)

All about tomatoes -- or at least as much as you want to know. Randy Sine is going to talk about his favorite plant. Bring your questions and problems with tomatoes and Randy will be able to help you. Also view Sonya's gardens of mostly flowers and herbs and the integration of indoor and outdoor spaces and gardens and hardscapes. [Mobility issues: To get to the garden you will need to go down fairly steep outdoor steps. If you cannot maneuver the steps you can try the inside steps or view the gardens from the upper level.]

Saturday, July 19, 2008
MONTHLY MEETING. Host: Mary Stanley, 5012 Kearneysville Pike, Shepherdstown, WV. (2.5 blocks south of the 4-way stop one the east side of the street. The street just before it if you are heading south from the stop signs is Washington St., which goes past the Post Office).
Coffee and Breakfast at 9 am; meeting 9:30 am to 11ish.

We will enjoy a presentation by Dawn White on making spectacular container plantings. If you have containers or pots you haven't been able to show off to your satisfaction bring it along and ask for Dawn's advice on which plants to use.

Saturday, August 16, 2008
MONTHLY MEETING. The Gardener's Exchange Group and the Garden Committee of the Friends of Peter Burr, Inc. invite you to participate in a program about tomato growing and a tasting of the tomatoes from our gardens on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008, at the Peter Burr House and Farm. The morning will begin at 9 AM with refreshments, and the program will begin about 9:30 AM with a discussion on tomato culture, followed by the tasting session and an opportunity to vote for the favorite tomatoes tasted. There will be a guided tour of the Jane Burr Kitchen Garden, a recreation of typical 18th Century herb and vegetable plantings, following the tasting. (Directions to the meeting.)

Please bring a lawn chair, if attending, and if you have any unusual or tasty tomatoes, bring 3-4 of them for the tasting. The Peter Burr House, the oldest standing wood frame house in WV, ca. 1751, is situated on the 9 acres that remain from the original 800+ acre Peter Burr family farm. It is being restored to its 18th century appearance by a group of volunteers, who are also interested in presenting to the public an idea of what early American agriculture and gardening practices were in early western Virginia.

Saturday, September 20, 2008
MONTHLY MEETING. Meet at the Belle Boyd House, 126 E Race Street, Martinsburg, WV (267-4713). Meet at the Gazebo for coffee and food at 9:00 am; meeting will begin at 9:30 am.

We will be joined by Don Wood, President of the Berkeley County Historical Society, who will give us a tour of the rose and herb gardens. A tour of the house is also on the agenda for anyone interested. We will be walking for most of this meeting so no need for a chair. Bring food and exchanges and wear comfortable shoes. Consider bug spray or net for your face as protection against gnats. (No travel directions this month.)

Saturday, October 18, 2008

ANNUAL HARVEST LUNCHEON. Meet at 10 a.m. at the Train Station, Shepherdstown, WV, have a short demonstration followed by a pot-luck luncheon.

At our first meeting, in April this year at Don and Betty Nuttal's, we were very impressed by some benches Don had made using plans from "BackYard Gardening" Several members have made these simple, comfortable benches - and some of us have been thinking about making them. For the meeting, two novice carpenters are going to attempt to demonstrate how to make the bench. This should give you a good idea of whether you should try. ;-)

Also, think about what went right or wrong in your garden this year and share with other members in hopes of helping each other for next season.