Old Bristol Garden Club

03/21/2026

Our next meeting, April 9, will feature:
Mud, Marshes, and Mitigation: Restoring Marshes for Coastal Resilience

Did you know that salt and freshwater marshes store up to 10 times more carbon per acre than northern forests? These "blue carbon" powerhouses—including mangroves, seagrass, and coastal marshes—represent one of our most effective, nature-based strategies for carbon management. Join Sarah Gladu, Director of Community Science at Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, as she dives into the science of blue carbon and discusses how local restoration projects are turning the tide for our coastal resilience.

OBGC meets on second Thursdays at 1:30, in the community room of Second Congregational Church of Newcastle. The public is welcome, and refreshments are served afterwards.

03/03/2026

Please join us Thursday, March 12, to celebrate the arrival of Spring! Our speaker will be Courtney Locke, Horticulturist at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, guiding us through selections and culture of early spring bulbs and perennials that are appropriate for Maine gardens. Courtney ran a small nursery in Woolwich and organized the Bath farmer's market before joining the staff at CMBG 16 years ago. She designs and maintains the Emory Welcome Gardens, the Visitors' Center Back Terrace, the Dahlia Garden and the Currier McEwen Siberian Iris Garden. She is also the Horticulture Volunteer Coordinator for CMBG.

Old Bristol Garden Club meets on second Thursdays (except in summer) at 1:30, in the community room of the Second Congregational Church of Newcastle. Refreshments will follow, and the public is welcome.

02/05/2026

Please join us on Thursday, February 12 at 1:30. Our friend Deb Perkins will be returning with a program she designed just for us: Nocturnal by Nature: Fireflies, Bats and Birds. Deb will be talking about how we can help wild creatures of the dark with simple habitat practices at home. For more info about Deb, check out her website: firstlighthabitats.com.

We meet in the community room of the Second Congregational Church of Newcastle. The public is welcome, and new members can join at any time. Everyone is also welcome to enjoy refreshments and fellowship after the presentation.

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01/04/2026

Please join us Thursday, January 8 at 1:30 in the community room of Second Congregational Church of Newcastle.
Our speaker will be our friend Jacinda Martinez!
Her topic is Ergonomic Tools. For those with limited mobility, arthritis, or other issues affecting one's ability to garden, proper tools can be really helpful. If you have such a tool, bring it to the meeting!
The public is welcome and new members can join at any time. Refreshments will be served after the talk.

12/09/2025

Joyous Holiday Wishes to our community! We have hung festive wreaths all over the MaineHealth Miles Campus, in gratitude.

11/06/2025

Our next meeting is November 13 when our speaker will be Dr. Hillary Peterson. She is the Integrated Pest Management Specialist in the Plant Health Programs for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. She spoke to us last year about jumping worms. She is coming back to tell us about another invasive: swallowwort. Do you recognize it from the photo?

We meet second Thursdays at 1:30 in the community room at Second Congregational Church, Newcastle. Everyone is welcome to attend and to stay for tea and conversation.

10/31/2025

Thanks to our enthusiastic gardeners who refreshed the Blue Star Memorial recently. Good work!

10/01/2025

Join us for our next meeting, Thursday October 9 at 1:30, for a talk by "The Professor" Holly Emmons on "Ferns for Maine Gardens". We meet in the community room of the Second Congregational Church of Newcastle. Everyone is welcome, and refreshments are served afterwards.

05/24/2025

A team of energetic members has renewed the Blue Star Memorial park in time for Memorial Day. Thank you, and thanks to those who have served.

05/16/2025

Mark your calendars!

04/30/2025

Join us Thursday, May 8 for a fascinating talk by Peter Avis, PhD, on Mycorrhizal Fungi. Dr. Avis is Asst. Professor of Ecosystem Genetics at University of Maine. We have a lot to learn about this secret world.

The meeting begins at 1:30, in the community room of Second Congregational Church of Newcastle. The public is welcome to attend and to enjoy refreshments afterwards.