2025 - 2026 Calendar

UPCOMING MEETINGS: 

Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to the public and held at 7 p.m. Our meetings will take place at Marlborough Public Library, Grice Community Room, 35 W. Main Street, Marlborough, MA. Full descriptions and speaker bios will be available later this summer.

📅 September 10, 2025 – Gardening Is Painless... and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

Why should you never give a gardener a flower show ticket?  Why is your perfect squirrel deterrent an animal’s dream-come-true amusement park ride?  Why do rock walls keep growing long after they’re supposedly finished?  As the spouse of an avid gardener with no ‘real’ responsibilities other than to dig holes and move rocks, Neal Sanders has lots of time to observe gardeners and their foibles. 

Presenter: Neal Sanders is an author, humorist and self-described “non-gardener who loves gardens.”  

📅 October 8, 2025 – Hands-on Pruning Demonstration

Pruning is more than trying to follow a few diagrams in a book.  In this presentation you’ll learn how Master Pruner Christie Dustman thinks about her pruning work so that you can start to think first and cut later. After discussing the proper tools for the job, Christie will demonstrate her techniques by pruning branches of different plants that members bring in for that night. She will share her thought process aloud and generalize these thoughts and techniques to similar type of plants.

Presenter: Christie Dustman is a landscape designer, educator, and owner of Christie Dustman & Company, a landscape design, build, and maintenance firm based in the Boston area. 

📅 February 11, 2026 – Companion Gardening

Companion planting can be the secret to a garden filled with thriving plants and pleasing combinations. The technique of growing different plants close together promises gardeners a variety of benefits, including improved pest control, enhanced pollination, and better space utilization. But how do you know which plants to pair for the best results? Join us this month to gain valuable insights just in time for your 2026 garden plans! 

Presenter: Gretel Anspach is a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, and a retired systems engineer from Raytheon. 

📅 March 11, 2026 – Rise and Shine: Waking Up Your Garden in the Spring

Learn how to get your garden off to a great start with tasks that can be done from late Winter through early Spring. This informative session will include tips on pruning, propagation, winter sowing and current best practices in gardening.

Presenter: Jana Milbocker is a garden designer, speaker, author, and owner of Enchanted Gardens, a landscape design firm.

📅 April 8, 2026 – Weed ID: What Are Your Weeds Telling You?

If weeds are growing in our gardens and lawns, there is a reason. Rather than continually weeding, treating with herbicides, and laying mulch we can decode the messages. In this session you’ll learn how to change the way you think about weeds! ​

Presenter: Michele Fronk Schuckel is a Master Gardener, home compost instructor, and educator focused on sharing healthy living practices in and out of the garden.

📅 May 13, 2026 – Herb Gardening

Learn about the common uses and life cycles of our most common herbs. Kate Donovan will offer insights into growing herbs from seeds and how to propagate from cutting. She will also explore a variety of herb gardens so you can choose the design that is right for you.

Presenter Kate Donovan of Blackstone Valley Veggie Gardeners helps clients grow food sustainably and organically. 

Stay tuned for more details!