2026 PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES
Links to flyers & event summaries that have taken place throughout the year
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02/13 Program Flyer - NH Winter Birds
03/13 Field Trip Flyer - Maple Sugar Farm
04/10 Program Flyer - TBD
05/01 Field Trip Flyer - Art in Bloom
05/09 Community Activity Flyer - Town Wide Cleanup Day
06/12 Program Flyer - TBD
06/00 Field Trip Flyer - National Park Home & Garden Tour
06/00 Community Activity Flyer - Grantham Old Home Day
07/10 Field Trip Flyer - Distant Hill Gardens & Nature Trail
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07/10 Program Flyer - Member Garden
07/00 Community Activity Flyer - Music in the Meadows
08/14 Field Trip Flyer - Phlox Fest
09/11 Program Flyer - TBD
10/09 Program Flyer - TBD
10/16 Celebration Flyer - Member Appreciation Party
11/00 Field Trip Flyer - Christmas at the Fells
11/13 Program Flyer - TBD
12/00 Community Activity Flyer - Breakfast with Santa
12/09 Program Flyer - Evening Holiday Workshop
12/10 Program Flyer - Morning Holiday Workshop
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JANUARY PROGRAM
THE BOUNTIFUL AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Chelsea & Emma
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At our Annual Potluck Brunch, on a surprisingly mild January morning, we were treated to an array of home-baked dishes, savories, and sweets served up by our club members.
If this wasn’t enough to satiate the soul, we then watched in awe and delight as our guest speaker, Chelsea Brown, of Brown’s Petal Co., transformed seemingly random stems, leaves, and blooms into two artful and beautiful bouquets! We were amazed and inspired by Chelsea’s knowledge of floral design and creativity in arrangement. Among other things, we learned to rotate the container as flowers and greenery are successively placed in them. For smaller flat containers or baskets, Chelsea recommends selecting fluffy flowers like hydrangea, stock, phlox, football mums, and wax flower, with ruscus or other leathery or textured leaves as a base.
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Strikingly colorful and tall flowers, such as lilies, delphiniums, peonies, Gerber daisies, and roses are excellent eye-catching focal flowers for taller vases. Chelsea demonstrated using secondary flowers to fill in the gaps for dimension, texture, and color. Secondary flowers might include yarrow, astilbe, phlox, lavender, butterfly bush, and bee balm. Chelsea told us that additions such as seed heads, ornamental grasses, cattails, winterberry, or other berry branches, can add some whimsy.
While odd numbers such as 3/5/7 of the same flower can provide structure and create visual appeal, Chelsea doesn't feel constrained by this and will add an extra flower if she spots a gap that needs to be filled.
You likely already know that the long stems in a vase should be removed, re-trimmed on an angle, and placed back into fresh water every 2–3 days, but do you know the right technique to use so your bouquet won’t fall apart in the process? Chelsea demonstrated how to grab the bouquet near the top of the stems just below the flowers so you’re pulling out the entire bouquet when you need to trim. Her tip is to have a second vase handy to temporarily hold the bouquet while you change the water in the first vase.
You likely already know that the long stems in a vase should be removed, re-trimmed on an angle, and placed back into fresh water every 2–3 days, but do you know the right technique to use so your bouquet won’t fall apart in the process? Chelsea demonstrated how to grab the bouquet near the top of the stems just below the flowers so you’re pulling out the entire bouquet when you need to trim. Her tip is to have a second vase handy to temporarily hold the bouquet while you change the water in the first vase.
Mike Simmons and Rebecca Rogers were the two very fortunate members who won the drawings for Chelsea's basket and vase arrangements. Note her lovely floral choices and the creative ways she arranged the flowers!
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Our thanks to Mary Jane Acito-Crenson, Hospitality Team Leader, for organizing our scrumptious potluck brunch & Emma Kalaidjian, Program Team Leader, for making the arrangements for Chelsea's floral presentation & preparing this program summary. Our photos were taken by Terri Munson, Membership Team Leader.
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ARRANGING YOUR SUMMER BLOOMS
Step 1: Creating your base
Step 2: Secondary flowers for color & texture
Step 3: Focal flowers
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