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On May 14, 2025, new officers were installed for the 2025-2026 year during FGC’s annual meeting. Past presidents Andi Saari, Minal Akkaad, Mary Hanley, Ruth Evans and Marie Giorgetti presented a yellow rose and recited the duty of each officer as the new officers took their place.

Member Pat Towle also wrote an engaging game testing our knowledge about departing president, Marie Giorgetti

Many thanks go to Pam Keeney and Marilyn Hanley for planning the big event, and to Marilyn Hanley and Suzanne Fioretti for co-hosting on the day.

New officers are as follows:

President, Shannon Fitzpatrick

1st Vice President Lianne Manzella

2nd Vice President Kathy Hoogeboom

Recording Secretary Pam Keeney

Recording Secretary Eileen Fialkow

Treasurer Cathy DeNorscia

Communications Secretary Maria Chaput

…

How to Store Peony Buds in the Refrigerator to Enjoy Later in the Summer

Peonies are one of the most beloved flowers, known for their lush, fragrant blooms. But their season is fleeting, leaving many gardeners wishing they could extend their beauty beyond spring. The good news? You can store peony buds in the refrigerator and enjoy their blooms weeks—even months—later!

Choosing the Right Peony Buds

Not all peony buds are ideal for storage. The key is to cut them at the right stage:

• Look for buds that are showing color but haven’t fully opened.
• The bud should feel soft like a marshmallow when gently squeezed.

Why get ph soil testing? PH levels are important because they determine how a plant uptakes nutrients. Without a good pH level, it doesn’t matter how much nitrogen you add to your soil—your plants can’t use it. 

A soil pH test is a quick way to determine the acidity of a soil sample. It’s an invaluable tool for ensuring that soil conditions are ideal for plants. 

Massachusetts Master Gardeners offers free soil testing. Samples should be prepared 3-4 days ahead of time. Here are their instructions for preparing your samples. 

(1) Identify the area(s) of your property you want to have tested.…

Framingham Garden Club designers and growers scored well at the “Date Night” themed 2024 Marshfield Flower Show. Ruth Evans and Betsy Szymczak won their respective classes, “Movie Night” and “Game Night.” Shannon Fitzpatrick and Nancy Martin placed well in the class “Casino Night.”

In horticulture, Awards of Merit (for highest scoring horticulture specimen in each of the 4 classes), were awarded to Shannon Fitzpatrick for her Rudbeckia hirta, and to Betsy Szymczak for her Coleus. Betsy also receive the Award of Horticulture Excellence which is the top award for the entire Horticultural Division. Ruth Evans received a blue for her Millennium Allium and Shannon Fitzpatrick won a 90+ red for her Rudbeckia fulgida. …

Framingham Garden Club’s Senior Classes award-winning model has been adopted by the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts as a “garden therapy” prototype for the entire state. The “Design in a Box” concept was created by Senior Class Chairs Marilyn Hanley and Pat Towle during the Covid pandemic. It has been refined as a guide for in-person classes that are led by FGC members and teams of assistants. 

The FGC Senior Classes program received two high awards in 2023. The first was from the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts (GCFM), which awarded our program “The Ralph H. David Silver Bowl” in June 2023.…