September 23, 2026

Celia Thaxter’s Garden - 1976 to 2026,  Terry Cook

Master Gardener Terry Cook will discuss his role as the steward for the Celia Thaxter’s  garden on Appledore Island. Over the past seven years, he has worked diligently to recreate and tend the garden that Celia created over 175 years ago. 

October 21, 2026

Bedrock Gardens, from Private Sanctuary to Public Garden, Jill Nooney

Jill Nooney, along with her husband Bob Munger, spent 40 years designing and building the 30-acre gardens that surrounded their home, all while working and raising a family. Jill began making her own art for the garden and Bedrock Gardens is full of pieces of her art and is an expression of her experimental and irreverent nature. The garden has been referred to as one large integrated piece of art. In 2023 Bob and Jill gifted 25 acres to the Friends of Bedrock Gardens to continue to be run as a public garden.

Jill attended Bennington College and obtained a degree in Clinical Social Work from Smith. She worked professionally as a Clinical Social Worker for 42 years, first at the Phillips Exeter Academy and then at the Exeter Counseling Center. In 1996, she started the business Fine Garden Art and Ornaments (along with a friend), selling her own work as well as architectural salvage. She has had a lifelong love of plants creating her first garden when she was nine, and is still an avid plant collector to this day.

November 18, 2026

Restoring NH's Rare Raptors, Chris Martin 

Chris Martin will discuss recovery efforts for several state endangered or threatened birds of prey like Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and Northern Harriers. Chris will share stories and images of these charismatic birds and talk about how our actions and choices can impact raptors. 

Chris Martin recently retired from  New Hampshire Audubon where he spent over 35 years protecting endangered birds of prey. You may have seen him on the Peregrine Falcon nest cam banding the birds that nest on the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester or heard him when he co-hosted the NHPR nature radio segment Something Wild. Before coming to NH, Chris worked for the US National Park Service in Alaska and Michigan and the US Forest Service in Minnesota.

December 9, 2026

Holiday Luncheon 

11:30

Wentworth by the Sea Country Club

(Members only)

January 20, 2027

Flowers in Paintings, Jane Oneail

Have you ever wondered about the hidden messages blooming within famous paintings? Throughout the history of art, flowers have been more than just beautiful decorations – they’ve served as powerful symbols, carrying secret meanings known to artists and their patrons. From the purity of lilies in Renaissance Madonnas to the fleeting nature of life represented by wilting bouquets in Dutch still lifes, each petal and stem tells a story. This fascinating exploration of flora in art will unveil the language of flowers, revealing how these delicate blooms have shaped our visual culture and continue to inspire artists and flower lovers to this day.

Jane Oneail curates and delivers art appreciation programs to audiences throughout New England. She holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from Harvard University. A New Hampshire native, she has worked at some of the state’s most esteemed cultural institutions, including the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served as Executive Director, and the Currier Museum of Art, where she held the role of Senior Educator. Jane has also taught at the college level for more than a decade, most recently at Southern New Hampshire University. 

February 17, 2027

Three Things to Know about Trees, Dennis Souto

We know what trees look like above ground. But what do their root systems look like? And why is that important to know? How do trees grow? If you hammer a nail into a tree 4 feet above the ground today, how high above ground will that nail be in 10 years? 50 years? How do trees heal from injuries? And why is that important to them- and people who love maple syrup?

Dennis Souto worked for the US Forest Service for 31 years. His specialty was forest insects but he always loved trees even as a little boy in Newark, New Jersey. Today, he volunteers on the tree committee in Portsmouth, and is proud of the work they do.

March 17, 2027

Combined meeting with Great Island Garden Club - 

Business Meeting 10:00, Social 10:30, Program 11:00

Three Floral Designs with one Palette, Michael Derouin             

Creating three floral arrangements, Michael will demonstrate how variation in structure, rhythm, and placement can yield entirely different outcomes from the same botanical elements. He will explain the essential mechanics and foundational design principles—discovering how restraint, clarity, and thoughtful composition can quietly transform a space. 

Michael Derouin is a floral artist and educator with a career shaped by decades in luxury floral design. His work is guided by nature—edited with purpose, composed with restraint, and shaped to preserve the quiet integrity of the botanicals. 

April 21, 2027

Clematis – Queen of the Flowering Vines, Cindy Tibbets, 

Have you struggled with Clematis in the past? Not sure which Clematis to choose? Intimidated by pruning? This presentation removes the mystique from growing clematis and we will benefit from Cindy’s years of extensive research and hands-on experience.

As the owner of Hummingbird Farm, Cindy Tibbitts began offering Clematis in 2000 and soon discovered that many of her customers were intimidated by these flowering vines. Other customers wanted hard-to-find varieties. To meet these needs, the folks at Hummingbird Farm have researched and experimented, constantly looking for rare and reliable varieties of clematis and developing the best techniques for planting and caring for them.

May 19, 2027

Literature in Bloom

Members create floral arrangements to represent pieces of art and explain their inspiration, interpretation, and methodology.Arrangements are displayed at the Portsmouth Public Library from 5/19 though 5/21.

June 16, 2027

Plant Swap and Potluck Picnic

Rain date June 17th.

(Members only)

Dan Robarts, PhD, Horticulturalist  Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens,

September 16, 2020