Established in 1952 as a volunteer, non-profit organization, the DGC maintains the Abbot Public Library gardens and provides educational opportunities in gardening and support of our environment.
Thank You to all our gardening friends and the north shore gardening community for supporting the 2023 Driftwood Garden Club plant sale, making it our most successful sale ever!
It takes a village to orchestrate this event. We are grateful for the plant contributions dug from our host gardens, and appreciate all the ‘man hours’ of our fabulous DGC members! A shout-out to Louise Moore at Every Little Breeze catering for keeping us caffeinated, to Discover Marblehead’s Spring Celebration, and to Marblehead Gardens for the luscious annuals.
We had over 1,300 plants representing 100 varieties. May all your new plants bloom and thrive in their new homes.
See you next year! And yes, ‘You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Garden!’
The Driftwood Garden Club’s annual plant sale will be held Saturday, May 13th at the Masonic Hall, Marblehead, from 8:30-11:30 AM. The sale features perennials, annuals, ground covers, and herbs, many from local gardens. Garden Club members will be on hand to answer questions and help select plants for your garden. The Driftwood Garden Club is an all-volunteer organization. Proceeds from the sale are used to maintain and improve several gardens and other civic projects in the town of Marblehead, MA.
Art in Bloom is the Museum of Fine Art’s signature spring event highlighting the interpretive floral arrangements of 45 different art works.
Driftwood Garden Club members Ginny von Rueden and Laurie Boggis were assigned to interpret the large marble sculpture ‘Orpheus and Cerberus’ by American artist Thomas Crawford. Crafted in 1843, this statue reflects the 19th century fascination with the classical mythology of ancient Greece and Rome. According to the legend, Orpheus rushes to the Underworld to rescue his wife Eurydice, and lulls the three-headed dog Cerberus to sleep.
Like the sculpture, the floral arrangement displays movement from every viewpoint. The arrangement tells the story of love, loss, and mourning, using plant material representing different parts of the statue.
Ginny and Laurie chose plant material according to the language of flowers:
White roses symbolize love and loyalty.
Carnations signify purity and also Orpheus’ head of hair.
Ruscus mimics the laurel wreath on his head.
Orchids denote eternal love and also the curving shape of his arms.
Dusty Miller mimics the dog’s fur and gray tones in the marble.
Fantail Willow branches indicate the shape of the lyre and the importance of music in the story.
Sago Palm branches represent the classical theme of the tale.
Members of the Driftwood Garden Club enjoyed a guided tour of floral arrangements created by many other garden clubs. We were fortunate to have two knowledgeable guides: one was an expert in the chosen piece of art, and the other was an expert in floral design.
Some other favorite pieces include:
Congratulations to fellow DGC members Laurie Boggis and Ginny von Rueden on their 2023 Arts in Bloom floral masterpiece. Brava!
Driftwood Garden Club 