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Windham Garden Club Baker Grant

As lovely and well-kept as the Town of Windham is, the Garden Club still believes there is always room for yet another public enhancement project. In that spirit, the group is now issuing calls for applications for its 2025 Arthur Baker Community Investment Grant.

To be considered, applicants must be non-profit Windham organizations or non-commercial individuals, such as people seeking Boy Scout Eagle Award or Girl Scout Gold Award status. Proposals should relate to beautification, conservation, preservation, or education of horticulture in the town.

With an award of up to $1,000, the grant honors the late Arthur Baker, a Club founding member and alumnus of the first New Hampshire Master Gardener program.

Applications must be received by April 19, 2025.

Previous awardees include the Windham Rail Trail Alliance, Windham Historic Commission, the Co-op Kindergarten, Girl Scout Troop 1007, Eagle Scouts Ben Gallo, Justin Missert, Christopher Redard, Matthew Redard, Samuel Walden and Aidan Whitaker, Gold Award Girl Scout Maddie Riese and Sarah Zachas, Windham Endowment’s Greenhouse Project and Pollinator Garden, Searles School and Chapel, Windham Center School, Windham Academy, and town beautification planting  projects at the Town Common and Governor Dinsmore Wall.

An electronic copy of the application can be found below.

If you have any questions, please email bakergrant@windhamgardenclub.com

WGC Baker Grant Letter and Application 2025Download
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Windham Garden Club Scholarship

Application information forms have been released by the Windham Garden Club for its 2025 Nancy Surette Memorial Scholarships.  The club will award two $2,000 scholarships this year.

Applicants must be Windham, NH residents or Windham Garden Club Member’s direct family (spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild) residing in a neighboring town. The applicant must be a class of 2025 graduate or older. Already matriculated college students and second career applicants are encouraged to apply.

Competitors must be pursuing courses in the life sciences including biochemistry, biology, botany, horticulture, conservation, landscaping, environmental sciences and related areas.

Complete applications must be sent by U.S. mail and postmarked no later than April 19, 2025 to be considered.

This scholarship honors Nancy Surette who left a successful career at Digital Equipment and, in pursuit of her dreams, earned an honors degree in horticulture technology at UNH. She was a founding member and second president of the Club, and Town Conservation Chair, who succumbed to cancer in 2000.

An electronic copy of the scholarship can be downloaded below.

If you have any questions, please email scholarship@windhamgardenclub.com

WGC Nancy Surette scholarship letter and application 2025Download

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Windham Garden Club Seeks Baker Grant Applications

As lovely and well-kept as the Town of Windham is, the Garden Club still believes there is always room for yet another public enhancement project. In that spirit, the group is now issuing calls for applications for its 2025 Arthur Baker Community Investment Grant.

To be considered, applicants must be non-profit Windham organizations or non-commercial individuals, such as people seeking Boy Scout Eagle Award or Girl Scout Gold Award status. Proposals should relate to beautification, conservation, preservation, or education of horticulture in the town.

With an award of up to $1,000, the grant honors the late Arthur Baker, a Club founding member and alumnus of the first New Hampshire Master Gardener program.

Applications must be received by April 19, 2025.

Previous awardees include the Windham Rail Trail Alliance, Windham Historic Commission, the Co-op Kindergarten, Girl Scout Troop 1007, Eagle Scouts Ben Gallo, Justin Missert, Christopher Redard, Matthew Redard, Samuel Walden and Aidan Whitaker, Gold Award Girl Scout Maddie Riese and Sarah Zachas, Windham Endowment’s Greenhouse Project and Pollinator Garden, Searles School and Chapel, Windham Center School, Windham Academy, and town beautification planting  projects at the Town Common and Governor Dinsmore Wall.

WGC Baker Grant Letter and Application 2025Download
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Windham Garden Club January Meeting – “Black Bear Happenings in New Hampshire”

Windham Garden Club (WGC) will be conducting their January meeting on Thursday, January 16 at 7:00pm via Zoom. There will be a very short business meeting followed by featured speaker Donald Allen presenting “Black Bear Happenings in New Hampshire”

The Black Bear is one of New Hampshire’s largest and most majestic mammals. The sight of the state’s only bear species in the wild often remains a treasured memory. We know there have been many bear sightings here in Windham. Donald Allen, a New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Steward will share information about black bears in the state. You will learn about the natural history of this intriguing mammal, its habitat needs, and ways to avoid potentially costly conflicts. In this one hour presentation, you will also hear about the amazing federal funding mechanism that supports long-term research and is largely responsible for our country’s abundant fish and wildlife.

We hope you can join us for this informative presentation! Visit the WGC webpage, windhamgardenclub.org, on Thursday January 16 for the Zoom link. For more information or questions contact info@windhamgardenclub.com.

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“Herb Gardening Year Round” by Nichole Keyes

Nichole Keyes, Greenhouse Manager at Lake Street Garden Center, is returning to the Windham Garden once again to share her vast expertise with club members and guests. This year she will speak on one of her favorite subjects, “Herb Gardening Year Round”. We need our fresh herbs for every season, but their needs change. Nichole will let us know what special care our herbs need all year.

Nichole has worked at Lake Street Garden Center for the past two decades working her way from the cash register up to managing the entire retail greenhouse department, discovering her passion for plants in the process. She is certified in ornamental landscape through UMass Extensions Green School program, has attended multiple classes offered by UNH cooperative extension on integrated pest management and insect identification, has been featured in New Hampshire Home Magazine teaching the how to’s of terrarium building, and has over 10 years of hands-on experience selecting and caring for hundreds of species of indoor foliage, tropical shrubs, orchids, flowering annuals, and vegetables. As well as caring for her prized collection of 80+ houseplants as home. She works one on one, every day, with the public to teach the best practices for growing healthy and happy plants. Nichole is a local plant expert, with accessible knowledge to help you grow that green thumb!

The Windham Garden Club’s meeting and presentation will be Thursday, October 17th, 7:00pm at the Windham Senior Center. This is an open meeting and all are invited to attend. Come and join us! There will be refreshments, a short business meeting, followed by Nichole’s presentation. For more information or questions contact info@windhamgardenclub.org. Hope to see you there!

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“Soil Testing” presented by Windham Garden Club

The Windham Garden Club’s first meeting of the 2024 – 2025 membership year will be Thursday, September 19, 7:00pm at the Windham Senior Center. This is an open meeting and all are invited to attend. Following a short business meeting the featured speaker will be Ron Trexler, Advanced Master Gardener, who will present “Soil Testing”.

Wondering how to improve your home grounds and garden? Rarely discussed by gardeners, soil is, nonetheless, the foundation of a garden. Developing and maintaining productive soil begins with soil testing. Soil testing and understanding the results is critically important to growing healthy plants. Fall is the best time to do soil testing because this allows time to address any recommendations to prepare for spring plantings. Test results are used to determine the amount and kind of nutrients that should be added for the best growth of lawn, garden, and other types of plants.

Ron Trexler has been a UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardener since 2016 and has achieved the level of Advanced Master Gardener. He is extensively involved in the training and mentoring of new Master Gardeners, trains Master Gardeners who wish to participate in the Master Gardeners Speakers Bureau, and regularly presents to libraries, garden clubs and community organizations. In addition, Ron serves in a leadership role with the Hooksett Garden Club and serves on the Executive Board of the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs. He especially enjoys growing vegetables in raised beds that benefit from his home composting system.

The UNH Cooperative Extension provides soil analysis and fertilizer recommendations to farmers, homeowners and researchers. Recommendations are based on the latest research and are specific to the crop being grown. You can  download the form at https://extension.unh.edu/agriculture-gardens/pest-disease-growing-tools/soil-testing-services.  The cost is about $20 with a turnaround time of about 3 weeks. 

Come and join us! Bring a spouse, family, or friends. For more information or questions contact info@windhamgardenclub.com. Hope to see you there!

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2024 Raffle Winners

Victorian Style Birdcage Planter

Cheri M.		Whimsical Vintage Garden Gnome

Joanne D.
Whimsical Vintage Garden Gnome

Michelle S.		Hen and Chicks Bowl Planter

Terri F.
Kids Gardening and Birding Basket

Irene M.		Pretty Pansy Spring Wreath

Joan K.
Home Tweet Home!

Janet S.		For the Birds!

Amanda H.
Relax and UnWine’d!

Cheryl H.		Hanging Basket Coleus/Petunia

Dorothy R.
Vertical Gardening Stackable Planter

Tracy P.		I Dig Gardening Gift Basket

Lisa S.
Botanical Soap and Washcloth Collection

Robin H.		Beautiful Hand Knit Shawl

Cheryl W.
Garden Basket

Maren N.		Hanging Flower Basket – Geranium

Paula J.
Itoh Bartzella Peony

Jen W.		Woodland Beauty ‘Blood Root’

Sara H.
Daylily “Spider Girl”

Diane C.		Heliopsis “Bleeding Hearts”

Cassandra M.
Herbalicious – Four Tier Herb Tower

Erin B.		A Chef’s Favorite Herbs Pot

Joanne F.
Herb Window Box

Jill W.		Strawberry Pot Herb Garden

Kyra R.
Wine Gift Basket

Katie S.
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Windham Garden Club Plant Sale, Raffle, and Garden Treasures

Windham Garden Club will be holding its ever popular plant sale on Saturday May 18 from 9:30am – 1:00pm at 61 Kendall Pond RD. We will have a wide variety of perennials, annuals, herbs, and vegetables along with our Garden Treasures (gently used gardening items) table. In addition, our Master Gardener’s will be available to answer your gardening questions. Note that parking will be available inside the property (follow the signs and the parking attendants), please no curb/street parking.

We have wonderful raffle prizes including a beautiful herb planter, flowering hanging baskets, garden themed baskets, fairy wands, beautiful hand-crafted garden themed items, and more! Take a chance on these beautiful items! Raffle Tickets are $2 each and are on sale at www.windhamgardenclubplantsale.org starting Saturday May 11. The raffle tickets sale will end at noon on Sunday, May 19 (raffle prizes will be drawn Sunday afternoon and winners will be notified).

Proceeds from our plant sale go back to the Windham community. The money we raise benefits our Nancy Surette Memorial Scholarships (2 – $2000 awards) and the Arthur Baker Community Investment Grants. Visit our plant sale website at www.windhamgardenclubplantsale.org for the latest information on the sale.

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Windham Garden Club April Meeting – “Backyard Bird Identification”

The Windham Garden Club’s April meeting will be Thursday, April 18th, 7:00pm at the Windham Town Hall. This is an open meeting and all are invited to attend. Join us as our speaker Slater Roosa of NH Audubon presents the informative program “Backyard Bird Identification.”

Enjoying the sights and sounds of birds returning to our backyard is one of the many joys of spring. It’s also a great way to connect with nature and feel inspired by the beauty of our planet. Slater Roosa Education Coordinator for of NH Audubon will go over some bird identification basics, binocular use, some online tools, and some tips on how to encourage more birds to visit your yard/garden. One of the most important birding items is a pair of binoculars to help you see the birds. Binoculars (“bins” for short) are a basic piece of birding equipment. There are hundreds of choices from many manufacturers and there is a wide range in price. Before purchasing a pair of bins, you should check out various models. We will have an opportunity to try out and learn how to use binoculars!

Our meeting format will be a bit different for this meeting, we will meet outside at 7:00pm to try out and learn how to use binoculars. We will the transition inside for refreshments with our short business meeting to start at 7:30pm followed by Slater’s presentation.

For more information or questions contact info@windhamgardenclub.com. We hope you can join us for this wonderful presentation!