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Gardening in Windham

Meet Margaret Crisler

Margaret Crisler

by R. Rodgers

Iris – Dream On

“I am most passionate about iris – both German and Siberians, and I have a Lot of them!”, remarks Margaret Crisler one of Windham Garden Club’s Master Gardeners.  Margaret, I found is passionate about many things, gardening being very high on the list, along with her constant companion Max, her 13-year-old golden retriever.  To become a Master Gardener, it takes hours of volunteer time and continued commitment to the community.  As a Master Gardener she shares her knowledge freely.  Margaret’s initial Master Gardener project was the beautiful stone wall and garden in front of Nesmith Library, she organized volunteers, acquired plants and made it happen.  Making things happen is one of Margaret’s super powers.  Currently, she is working with the Windham Endowment on the Wildflower Garden at the new Moeckel dam site. 

Margaret has been a garden club member since 1995, she has worked consistently on many projects over the years, but her most demanding – and enjoyable has been the plant sale.  For more than 25 years, she has donated hundreds of plants from her garden, all except the blood root.  Her blood root is very special and she keeps it close.  “Planting blood root is easy but you need to know how. First you dig a big hole, place a piece of firewood, like oak or maple in the bottom, backfill with good soil and plant your start on top,” Margaret explained.  Blood Root (sanguinaria canadensis) bloom white daisy like flowers in the early spring and is a native of North America. It’s a good idea to overplant with ginger to fill in after the foliage dies back.  Also, when planting lilies, you should include some fritillaria, to deter voles.

Bobo hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculate ‘Ilvobo’)

Bobo hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculate ‘Ilvobo’) is another of her most treasured, the one she likes to gift.  “They are small and so free blooming.  Actually, all hydrangeas are beautiful and work well in the perennial garden,” said Margaret.  “The soil here is acidic so they like a little lime,” she said.  Margaret learned her love of the garden from her great-grandmother in the south where she grew up.  “She would use me as ‘free labor’ pulling weeds, she would point and say pull, or she would say dig here, no deeper!”  Now I hire teenagers and I do the pointing,” laughs Margaret. 

She has three children. Only one of which is a passionate gardener.  Her grandmother was a real gardener, “she grew vegetables so her family eat during the depression.”  Margaret’s mother was not a gardener she was a golfer. 

Max is moving a little slow but was still ready to make friends and “hang out” throughout my visit. He is a beautiful, loving dog.

Of all the secrets she shared her most important advice was to dig big holes, test your soil, add lime and nutrients as needed, and read the tags carefully.  One of the hardest tasks to do here in Windham is keep everything watered!  If Margaret had a magic wand her wish would be that she was younger so she could garden more, “getting old is no fun.”  “The Garden Club is doing so well, we have great leadership and we are doing all the right stuff, my favorite part is we don’t have to dress up to go to meetings!”  “Hang in there and keep digging!” was Margaret’s closing wish. 

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Windham Garden Club Learns about Heirloom Gardening

“When the world wearies and ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden.” – Francis Bacon. 

Humans have been gardening for thousands of years – for culinary, medicinal, and aesthetic purposes.  Although society has developed significantly, we can learn much from the past as we work toward a sustainable future. 

On Thursday, January 20th, garden historian and ethnobotanist John Forti spoke with the Windham Garden Club (the “WGC”) about how we can further cultivate our connection with the land.  Ethnobotany explores how people have used plants for food, textiles, medicine, and other purposes through the ages in different cultures. 

Mr. Forti’s presentation included a discussion of:

  • Plants you can grow in your garden for culinary purposes;
  • Native plants, such as Joe Pye-weed and ostrich ferns;
  • Traditional methods of growing certain vegetables;
  • The importance of growing food that is native to the region;
  • Preservation of heirloom seeds – with a note that over the last 100 years humans have narrowed the genetic diversity of plants that feed us by over 90%;
  • The importance of farmers’ markets (with the location of particularly good farmers’ markets in our area!); and
  • Information on the history of certain herbs, such as sage and wasabi. For example, we learned that sage has antibacterial properties, which is why it was traditionally used to season meat.  Similarly, the wasabi plant also has antibacterial properties, which explains its historical pairing with sushi.    

Our speaker, John Forti:    

  • Authored the book The Heirloom Gardener: Traditional Plants and Skills for the Modern World;
  • Serves as the Executive Director of Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH (bedrockgardens.org);
  • Is the former Director of Horticulture for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the oldest horticultural society in the country; and
  • Has thousands of followers on his Facebook page, where he blogs as “The Heirloom Gardener – John Forti”.

  Read more about John Forti at jforti.com.

The Windham Garden Club’s mission is bringing together people who are interested in all aspects of gardening, horticulture, and conservation.  Membership meetings run September through June on the third Thursday of the month in the evening and are open to the public.

Be sure to join the WGC at one of its upcoming meetings:

  • February 17 – “State of the Loon – The Natural History, Challenges, and Successes of Loons in New Hampshire” by biologist Harry Vogel. Windham Town Hall
  • March 17 – “Exploring Nature’s Ability to Teach and Heal!” by Lisa Burris, Executive Director of Turn Back Time, a nature education program.
  • April 21 – “Attracting Birds, Bees and Butterflies to Your Yard” by Betty Sanders, a lifetime Master Gardener.

Membership in the Windham Garden Club is open to gardeners of all levels and is only $20.  If you are interested in joining, visit www.windhamgardenclub.org/membership/ or email info@windhamgardenclub.com. 

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Windham Garden Club Holds Second In-Person Meeting – “Gardening is Murder”

On Thursday, October 21st, the Windham Garden Club (the “WGC”) held its second meeting of the 2021 – 2022 membership year, with a featured presentation called “Gardening is Murder”.  Nearly every seat in the Town Hall was filled with members or guests, including several spouses, members of the Manchester Garden Club and the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs President, Sue Miner of Salem, NH. 

As our presenter, Neal Sanders, delivered a humorous talk on the spouse’s point of view on gardening, attendees laughed, sympathized, and walked away with some new information.  More importantly, the gardeners in the audience gained insight into the thoughts of their helpers (in this author’s case, the mind of her husband). 

Some of Neal’s words of wisdom included:

  • The fundamental gardening principle that the size of the rock you will encounter while digging a hole is directly proportionate to the importance of the plant you intend to put in that location
  • How it is impossible to do just one thing in the garden
  • Cautions about the dangers of internet gardening advice
  • Cautions that the squirrels in your yard have never seen a Disney film and thus are likely to misbehave

Our lecturer, Neal Sanders:    

Neal Sanders

  • Serves as “The Principal Undergardener” for his wife, who is a Lifetime Master Gardener.  His title is inspired by the hierarchy of gardeners on traditional British estates.
  • Is the author of 15 mystery novels, many of which use horticulture as a plot point.  These books include The Garden Club Gang, and A Murder at the Flower Show. 
  • Writes the blog “The Principal Undergardener”, with thoughts on gardens, gardening, and gardeners – available at theprincipalundergardener.blogspot.com.
  • Delivers similar lectures to groups around the country.

The Windham Garden Club’s mission is bringing together people who are interested in all aspects of gardening, horticulture, and conservation.  Membership meetings run September through June on the third Thursday of the month in the evening and are open to the public.     

Be sure to join the WGC at one of its upcoming meetings:

  • November 18 – “Herb Gardening” by Master Gardener Sarah Marcoux, on growing and using culinary herbs.  Windham Town Hall
  • January 20 – “The Heirloom Gardener” by author and garden historian John Forti.  Zoom
  • February 17 – “State of the Loon – The Natural History, Challenges, and Successes of Loons in New Hampshire” by biologist Harry Vogel.  Windham Town Hall
  • March 17 – “Exploring Nature’s Ability to Teach and Heal!” by Lisa Burris, Executive Director of Turn Back Time, a nature education program. 
  • April 21 – “Attracting Birds, Bees and Butterflies to Your Yard” by Betty Sanders, a lifetime Master Gardener. 

Membership in the Windham Garden Club is open to gardeners of all levels and is only $20.  If you are interested in joining, visit www.windhamgardenclub.org/membership/ or email info@windhamgardenclub.com. 

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Windham Garden Club Resumes In-Person Meetings, Hears from Rose Garden Expert

On Thursday, September 16th, the Windham Garden Club (the “WGC”) held its first meeting of the 2021 – 2022 membership year.  Although members had met outside for WGC activities such as the Club’s Annual Plant Sale last May, this was the first in-person membership meeting since February 2020. 

Members and their guests gathered at the Town Hall for a presentation on “Winterizing Your Roses” by Teresa Mosher, a local rose expert, who:

  • Served as President of the New England Rose Society for 12 years.
  • A Horticulture Rose Judge
  • Is a Master Rosarian for the American Rose Society (certified by the American Rose Society as an expert who can provide free advice on roses; if you are interested in speaking with a Consulting or Master Rosarian to advise on your roses, visit the American Rose Society website at arsroses.org or New England Rose Society, rosepetals.org.
  • Is the author of “A Year In My Rose Garden”; and How Roses Touch Our Lives.
  • Has over forty years of experience with roses, and over 250 roses and thousands of perennials in her garden.   

Teresa Mosher

Attendees at the WGC September meeting learned:

  • Differences between varieties of roses;
  • How to carefully select appropriate roses for our region;
  • How to plant the rose depending on whether the plant has been grafted; and
  • How to protect the different varieties of roses from harsh winter winds. 

The Windham Garden Club’s mission is bringing together people who are interested in all aspects of gardening, horticulture, and conservation.  Membership meetings run September through June on the third Thursday of the month in the evening and are open to the public.     

Be sure to join the WGC at one of its upcoming meetings:

  • October 21 – “Gardening is Murder”.  A humorous presentation by Neal Sanders on the “spouse’s point of view” on gardening.  Windham Town Hall
  • November 18 – A hands-on workshop to create holiday decorations.
  • January 20 – “The Heirloom Gardener” by author and garden historian John Forti.  Zoom
  • February 17 – “State of the Loon – The Natural History, Challenges, and Successes of Loons in New Hampshire” by biologist Harry Vogel.  Windham Town Hall
  • March 17 – “Exploring Nature’s Ability to Teach and Heal!” by Lisa Burris, Executive Director of Turn Back Time, a nature education program. 
  • April 21 – “Attracting Birds, Bees and Butterflies to Your Yard” by Betty Sanders, a lifetime Master Gardener. 

Membership in the Windham Garden Club is open to gardeners of all levels and is only $20.  If you are interested in joining, visit www.windhamgardenclub.org/membership/ or email info@windhamgardenclub.com.

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SOIL AMENDMENT RECIPE

Soil Amendments:

Our member Margaret toured a garden in Wells Maine that was fabulous! The plants were in beautiful condition, which the owner attributed to her work with soil. As the saying goes “gardeners build soil first, then plants!”

This is her soil recipe, which she shared.

Wells Corner Garden

Spring Soil Prep


To each wheelbarrow of good quality compost, add:

• 1 ½ gallons alfalfa pellets
• 1-gallon bonemeal
• ½ gallon of commercial 19-19-19 fertilizer

Mix together and spread evenly to depth of 1- 1 1/2 inches. Fork in before planting or use as top dressing on established perennials and shrubs.

If applying to acid-loving plants, mix 50/50 with peat.

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Congratulations to our Scholarship and Grant Winners

We are proud to announce our scholarship and grant winners.

Nancy Surette Memorial Scholarship Winners are:

  • Lauren Brooks
  • Amy Martins

(Pictured above)

Each of our winners were awarded a $2,000 scholarship. Baker Grant Winners:

  • Samuel Walden / Boy Scout Troop 263 for his Eagle Scout Project – Foster Pond Trail markers.
  • Windham Endowment for their project Pollinator Garden at Moeckel Pond
  • Windham Center School for the Life Skills Garden – Learning Experience
  • Windham Academy for creation of a School Garden

The awarded grants amount vary by project and request.

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Congratulations To Our Raffle Winners!

We would like to congratulate the following winners:

Strawberry Planter : Gabor T.
Order number 1093

Bloom Where You Are Planted: Karen P.
Order Number: 868

Bush Goliath Beefsteak Tomato: Patricia D.
Order Number: 1389

Husker Red Cherry Tomato: Pauline R.
Order Number: 1084

Hanging Plant Basket:  Kathleen H.
Order Number: 1484

Garden Kneeler and Seat: Cathy J.
Order Number: 1333

Garden Smiles Basket:  Dina G.
Order Number: 1092

Gardeners Delight! Basket:  Paula J.
Order Number: 1387

Helpful Aids for the Gardener: Suzan M.
Order Number: 1486

Herb Your Enthusiasm!: Siri W.
Order Number: 1356

Herbalicious!:  Cheri M.
Order Number: 1487

Love to Garden! Basket: Pearl N.
Order Number: 1047

Painted Tile “Rebirth”: Roberta H.
Order Number: 1191

Pesto Party!:  Shirlee D.
Order Number: 1461

Window Box Planter 1: Heather A.
Order Number: 1187

Window Box Planter 2: Suzan M.
Order Number: 1486

Sedum Turtle: Cheri M.
Order Number: 1487