President’s Message:We New England gardeners are waiting patiently.  The days are providing us with more daylight and we are no longer greeted with darkness at 4:15 in the afternoon.  February gives us more time to browse the seed and plant catalogs. We might also choose to make ready the pots and flats for starting our seeds indoors. Or like me,

you might find some time for a good book in front of a warm fire. Last fall I came across a wonderful perennial nursery that I thought you might like

to take a look at online www.perennialpleasures.net.  They specialize in old-fashioned flowers, herbs and what they believe is the largest phlox collection in the U.S.

In cold and snowy February, bringing forsythia branches indoors can give us a taste of spring.  I wondered about the origin of forsythia and was delighted to discover the answer in a Christmas present I received.  The book is "A Miscellany for Garden Lovers" by Davis Squire.   It turns out forsythia comes from China.  A British gentleman named Robert Fortune made several trips to China for the Royal Horticultural Society.  He managed to accumulate 190 different plants and species.  Among them were Japanese anemone, bleeding heart, azaleas, viburnums, camellias and forsythia. "But, commercially, his fame is for introducing the tea plant to India, so breaking the Chinese monopoly."

Enjoy your down time and be sure to join us at the February General Meeting for a backstage look at the Boston Flower Show. Maureen Adams

TheCommunityGardenClubofCohasset February 2017 Edition

CGCC February Calendar: 7 Executive Board Meeting: Lightkeeper’s Cottage, 9:30 a.m.8 Garden Therapy: Harborview Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation, 2:00-3:00 p.m.”Be my

Valentine” 13 Junior Gardeners: Deer Hill School Cafeteria, 2:40-3:40. “Herb Gardens” by Carol Graham &

Martha Gjesteby14 Craft Workshop: Lightkeeper’s Cottage, 9:30 a.m. “Shell Crafts”21 Horticulture Workshop: Lightkeeper’s Cottage, 9:30 a.m. “Think Spring: Flowering Branches & Hyacinth Bulbs” Bring your branches (dogwood, cherry, azalea, pear etc. ) Learn how to force them! Also, find out how to make a Hyacinth Bomb!23 Senior Center: Willcutt Common, 91 Sohier St., 1:30-2:30 p.m. “Presidential Flowers”28 Monthly Meeting: Lightkeeper’s Cottage, Coffee: 900 a.m: Meeting 9:30 a.m. Hostesses:

Carlo, Carroll, Chamberlain, Chamillard, Chapin, Chapman, Clark, Corriveau, Consentino, Cowan, Crowley Program:”Backstage at the Boston Flower Show”

www.CommunityGardenClubofCohasset.org

FYI CGCC Treasurer’s figures as of Dec. 2016Income                                      $402.00 Expenses                                     $373.82 Checking Balance                  15,748.80 Money Market                      15,440.27 Balance                                  $ 31,189.07

Boston Flower Show March 22-26Want to get involved? Assist panel of judges while they choose winners of the various entrees to the show. Tuesday, March 21 or Friday, March 24. Arrive at Flower Show before 9 a.m. Work 2-3 hours. Then, see the

show for free without the crowds. Lots of fun! Contact Cynthia Chace for more information: 617-967-0340

Garden Therapy at Harborview Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation

We had another full house at Harborview Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation for January's Garden Therapy.  Residents enjoyed putting together charming "Winter Berries" arrangements.  Special thanks to Sheila Toomey’s niece, Catherine Toomey, for preparing the cheerful red containers for this fun afternoon event.Ann Helbock

Team members pictured:Maureen Adams, Diane Herth, Jeanne Boutross, Susan Reagan, Sheila Toomey and Ann Helbock

Conservation

Field Trips

Just to put a bug in your ear, Chairperson, Kelly Conetta, is researching a trip to The New York Botanical Gardens. She has a tentative date of Thursday, June 15th. We would take a bus from Cohasset to New York City, leaving early morning and returning that evening.

Kelly is working on the numbers and will update us at the next General Meeting. This would be a great trip to make, after all our hard work on the Plant Sale and throughout the year.

Birds are necessary for creating a heathy balanced garden! We can help the birds, by leaving the leaf litter, dried seeds and grasses in our gardens throughout the winter months.Why might you want to do this? Because dried seed heads and grasses will provide seeds for birds and winter interest for you.  The leaf litter will also harbor insects that the birds can forage on.  This dried material will be a magnet for the birds that you can enjoy watching.by Laura Horky

February Events in and around the South Shore:

NSRWA at the South Shore Science Center Norwell, MA (www. nsrwa.org)1 Wednesday, Swimming with Sharks and Sea Turtles 7:00 pm–8:30 pm8 Wednesday, Local Shipwrecks and Underwater Artifacts, 7:00 pm–8:30 pm15 Wednesday, A Year Hiking the Bay Circuit Trail, 7:00 pm–8:30 pm18 Saturday, Surviving the Winter walk at Willow Brook Farm Preserve, 1:00–3:00 p.m.

Mass Audubon North River Wildlife Sanctuary (www.massaudubon.org)18 Saturday, Birding With Your Own Tutor: Coastal Birds by Van 1:00pm - 3:30pm22 Wednesday, South Shore Sea and Sand From the Sky 7:00 pm–8:30 pm25 Saturday, South Shore Explorations: Duxbury's Hidden Gems 9:00am - 1:00pm

Junior Gardeners from Deer Hill School

The Junior Gardeners learned about wheatgrass.  The students were shown how to make a smoothie with wheatgrass by adding fruit ingredients. Everyone had a sample of the delicious and nutritious drink.  The students decorated glass containers in which to plant their wheatgrass seeds.

Sandi

Member, Ann Pompeo, is delighted with all the wildlife that enjoy her yard throughout the year. This red tail fox is certainly not shy. Various woodpeckers and birds, find shelter and food in the woods nearby. Keep your eye out for these beauties in your yard too!

Please submit pictures, updates, articles etc. to Barbara Canney, Newsletter Editor. barbaracan@me.com

CGCC353 South Main StreetCohasset, Ma 02025