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.
We have so much gratitude for our customers—friends, family, neighbors—who supported the 2026 Driftwood Garden Club annual plant sale. Our sale was a resounding success! So many plants will have new homes in your gardens!
It takes a village to pull off an event of this magnitude. Hats off to the Plant Sale Committee for coordinating a successful event. And many thanks to Louise Moore of Every Little Breeze Catering for the fabulous post-sale buffet luncheon. And we thank Marblehead Gardens for supplying the beautiful annuals that are so popular every year.
This is our one and only fundraiser, so we appreciate the support of our gardening community. Proceeds fund the care and maintenance of the gardens at Abbot Public Library and the grounds at Marblehead Housing Old Farrell Court.
Many hands make light work…and we have fun doing it! Thanks to everyone who helped make Driftwood Garden Club’s 2026 plant sale a success!
Ever wonder how the Driftwood Garden Club gets over 1,000 healthy plants for our annual plant sale? Starting in mid-April, we send our Dig & Divide teams out into multiple Marblehead locations to carefully divide emerging plants from our hosts’ gardens. Driftwood members also divide prize plants from their own gardens.
Each member of the D&D team takes plants home to’ baby-sit’, water, and nurture so they grow into the healthy plants offered for sale. By the time our plant sale arrives, the plants have grown into hardy specimens ready for a new home in your garden.
Thinking of becoming a host garden for Driftwood Garden Club’s annual fundraiser? Dividing perennials offers several benefits to your garden, including:
Improved Growth and Flowering: Regular division can rejuvenate plants, preventing them from developing bald centers and floppy stems, which can reduce flowering.
Reduced Disease: Division improves airflow in garden beds and can limit the spread of diseases like powdery mildew.
Propagation: Dividing perennials allows for the propagation of new plants, which can be a cost-effective way to multiply your garden.
Dividing plants reduces overcrowding and leads to healthier plants and more radiant blooms so the perennials remain strong and vibrant throughout the growing season.
Harvesting locally-grown perennials is a ‘Win – Win’ for the host gardens, for the plants, and for our plant sale! We hope you can join us at Driftwood Garden Club’s Annual Plant sale at the Masonic Hall, 62 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA on Saturday, May 9th from 8:30-11:30 AM.
On an icy winter night, members of the Driftwood Garden Club were treated to an information-filled presentation by Kathy Bradford, principal of Bradford Design Associates. Kathy, also a past-president and long-time member of Driftwood Garden Club, follows an ecologic and science-based approach in her landscape designs. She strives for natural landscapes that provide habitat for wildlife, insect pollinators, and other beneficial creatures.
Benefits of Ecological Design:
Resilient plantings thrive with minimum care.
Provide environment for animals, birds, and insects.
Relates and compliments the environment around location.
Complex system modeled after nature, not a duplicate of wild nature.
We learned that Ecological Design is a holistic approach that minimizes negative impacts by optimizing long-term environmental health.
Ms. Bradford is a proponent of plant diversity for stability and resilience. She encourages minimizing lawn areas which require water, chemicals, and weekly mowing to keep them green and healthy.
Driftwood Garden Club members plant in Ecoregion 59, known as the Northeastern Coastal Zone, which spans parts of Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and southern Maine and New Hampshire. This region is characterized by nutrient-poor soils, oak-pine forests, and continental glacial lakes. The terrain consists of irregular plains and high hills, with a humid continental climate that features warm summers and severe winters.
Companion plants in our Northeastern Coastal Zone 59 Ecoregion
Bee Balm: highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Yarrow: a ‘bee magnet’ that attracts predatory wasps.
Purple Coneflower: excellent for attracting butterflies and bees.
Salvia: a strong pollinator attractant that deters deer and rabbits.
Hyssop: lures beneficial insects and pollinators, particularly hummingbirds.
Upright Little Bluestem: provides food for birds in the fall and winter.
Ecological Approach: **Right Plant, Right Place**
Select plants according to USDA Ecoregion maps to ensure plants will thrive in chosen location.
Select plants based on their mature size and proposed location to reduce pruning and maintenance.
Consider the microclimate – amount of sun/shade, salt air, groundwater.
Consider deer and rabbit resistance.
Thanks to our speaker Kathy Bradford and all members who attended. This meeting was inspirational as well as informative as we look forward to planning our spring gardening projects.
The Driftwood Garden Club is pleased to join other local garden clubs decorating the King Hooper Mansion, built in 1728 at 8 Hooper Street in Marblehead, as part of the 2025 Marblehead Christmas Walk.
This year the DGC was assigned to decorate the Beth Hendricks Room at the rear of the building in the overall theme of “Holiday Sparkle.” The Hendricks Gallery, with wood paneling and a deep brick fireplace, was warmed with natural greenery, pinecones, and touches of warm copper to complement the brick-red wall color. All greens, rosehips, and pinecones were sourced from local trees and shrubs in members’ gardens.
The design process starts back in November when our fabulous team of Laurie Boggis and Ginny von Rueden travel to Jacobson Floral Supply in Boston. The designers then complete a lot of prep-work in advance…the cleaning, drying, and spraying of material. This is followed with a hands-on workshop to assemble tussie-mussie segments for the fireplace mantel, hang gold and copper-colored ornaments from the windows, and tie bows.
Please join us at the Holiday Open House at the King Hooper Mansion on Thursday evening, December 4th from 5-8 PM. The Winter Artisan & Craft Fair is Saturday, December 6th from 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday, December 7th from 11 AM till 4 PM. Tea and sweets are served downstairs in the Tavern on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1 to 4 PM.
Members of the Driftwood Garden Club recently attended an interesting and educational presentation on the Goldthwait Reservation in Marblehead. DGC member & Goldthwait Board of Director member Brigitte Fortin, along with Geoffrey Lubbock, Trustee & Director Fiona Lubbock, and Vice President Tim Geraghty presented a fascinating overview on the history, present challenges, and future direction of the private, non-profit land trust.
The Goldthwait Reservation was established in 1947 when Dr. Joel Goldthwait, a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon, took action to preserve the 12-acre land and salt marsh rather than develop the property. As a registered 501(c)3 organization, the reservation is not subsidized or maintained by the Town of Marblehead and relies on dedicated local volunteers, fundraising events, and donors to support the property. Today the property is maintained by these hard-working volunteer teams and supplemented by environmental professionals as needed.
A perpetual problem is dealing with the invasive growth of Japanese knotweed and phragmite reeds which choke out the canal system necessary for proper salt-water flow and block sunlight from beneficial native plants. The invasive plants spread quickly by underground rhizomes and are painstakingly removed by hand. This annual maintenance encourages the health of the salt marsh and reduces the fire hazard to nearby residences.
Flood tides from storms and the fresh water introduced from storm drains disrupt the delicate ecology of the wetland. Infiltration of fresh water dilutes the saline conditions of the marsh and allows non-native invasives plant species to spread.
Goldthwait Reservation Trustees have intentionally and carefully introduced native shrubs, grasses and perennials to protect the resources of the salt marsh. They have created some buffer meadows to protect the marsh from storms and provide habitat and food resources for wildlife. Blueberry bushes, serviceberries, rosa rugosa, and native beach plums are planted along the fire-pit gathering area for members to enjoy.
Goldthwait Reservation has a beautiful beach which has sandy tidal flats at low tide. The cobble dune acts as a barrier and protects the salt marsh from storm surges. A well-constructed boardwalk provides access over the rocks to the beach below.
Many thanks to the presenters from the Goldthwait Reservation. We are grateful for their dedication and ongoing support of this gem of coastal property in Marblehead!
Driftwood Garden Club members were up to their elbows in sand and cement while attending a cement birdbath workshop at The Trustees of Reservation Long Hill in Beverly, MA. Long Hill, the 114-acre estate built in 1916 as a summer home of Ellery Sedgwick, was a perfect setting for this event.
Our birdbath guru, horticulturalist Dan Bouchard, led us on a short walk in the woods to find perfect leaves for our creations. He stressed the importance of using a leaf with the right shape and curve, and with prominent veins on the underside.
We observed Dan mound his sand on a board, carefully position the leaf, then mix the cement into a perfect consistency. Not too wet, not too dry! After his demo, we were on our own shoveling sand from the pile, mixing water into the cement powder, and carefully covering the leaf with wet cement. Each participant carved her initials on the underside of the birdbath.
Our birdbaths, covered in plastic, took about a week to dry in this summer humidity. We know local birds and butterflies will be thrilled with these stunning new birdbaths!
On an overcast afternoon in June, members of Driftwood Garden Club enjoyed their Annual Luncheon to celebrate the successful 2025 plant sale and all the wonderful educational programs held over the past year. Drizzle may have restricted the lovely views, but wet weather couldn’t dampen the smiles of all who attended.
Many thanks to our host Loretta Connolly for sharing her beautiful home and gardens for our annual meeting. DGC hostesses provided a delicious variety of fresh salads, fruit, and side dishes for all to enjoy.
We especially thank Louise Moore of ‘Every Little Breeze Catering’ for the amazing lobster rolls and lobster salads, as well as Lilly at ‘Three Hundred Fifty Bakery’ for the yummy cupcakes.
After DGC President Joyce Raymond reviewed the past year’s activities, we voted on by-law changes, welcomed new members, and approved the upcoming roster of officers and committee members. Each committee chairperson gave a brief overview of their team’s accomplishments and goals.
We truly have an exceptional slate of officers and committee members, and we look forward to many Driftwood Garden Club events and programs next year!
Congratulations to Driftwood Garden Club members Pinar Gokce and Susan McMullen for their stunning floral interpretation of Winslow Homer’s ‘The Fog Warning’.
Painted in Maine in 1885, this iconic oil painting depicts a local fisherman battling the elements in the hopes of returning to the safety of the ship far on the horizon. Susan and Pinar were struck by the intense drama and conflict in the painting, as well as the strong diagonals created by the dory and the impending fog.
This is the first time the duo collaborated to design for Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts annual Art in Bloom event. They chose their container because of the shape, composition, and color. The shape suggests a boat, the material is rough and elemental, and the color mimics cold ocean water. Then they scoured the New England Flower Exchange to find plant materials that best represented the painting. According to the designers, their creation is meant to express the contrast between the menacing fog bank, the solitude of the fisherman and the glimmer of hope in the pink sky reflected on the fish skin. In the arrangement, the diagonals of the fog and dory are represented by Ti leaves and Fantail Pussy Willows, and Quince branches and Rice Flowers provide a delicate pink shade. Other flowers used were Bush Ivy, Dusty Miller, and Sea Holly.
Art in Bloom, now in its 49th year, is a beloved event at the Museum of Fine Arts. The popular event showcases the expertise of New England garden clubs, professional designers, and MFA floral volunteers. Driftwood members were guided on a private tour by an MFA Tour Docent who described the art piece along with an MFA Floral Design Volunteer who commented on the accompanying floral design. Everyone agreed that Susan McMullen and Pinar Gokce’s beautiful floral design depicting ‘The Fog Warning’ was professionally executed in every way.
Enjoy these pictures of DGC members enjoying several other works of art with the corresponding Art in Bloom floral designs!
We hope to see you at Art in Bloom again next year!
Ever wonder how Driftwood Garden Club gets over 1,000 plants to sell at our annual plant sale?
Starting in early April, members don their waterproof boots, warm jackets and work gloves, and trek into 50 local gardens. We dig perennial plants from our own yards and many donor gardens in Marblehead.
Dividing hardy perennials is a ‘Win-Win’ for us and also for the plant. Dividing plants in early spring encourages vigorous growth, stimulates new growth, and reduces crowding in the garden bed. And we get to sell healthy new plants!
Driftwood members transplant the plants into half-gallon pots, add fresh potting soil, water well, then bring the plants home to care for them. By the time the plant sale arrives on May 10th, these plants have been in their pots for many weeks and have developed new roots. The plants we sell at the plant sale are happy, healthy, and ready to transplant into your garden!
We hope to see you at Driftwood Garden Club’s annual plant sale on Saturday, May 10th from 8:30-11:30 AM at the Masonic Hall, 62 Pleasant Street, Marblehead, MA. Come join us!
On a cold January night, members of the Driftwood Garden Club of Marblehead were treated to a “Winter Sowing in Coastal New England” presentation by DGC member Dawn LiVigne.
Dawn, an avid winter sower, said her inspiration for winter sowing was the desire to have fresh food all year long. She says there is a wealth of information online and hundreds of instructional videos on YouTube highlighting many techniques of seed sowing. Plants she has the most success with are hardy perennials, annuals, and herbs.
Proper jug preparation is important. Our instructions included drilling holes in the plastic jug containers, filling them with moist potting soil, spreading seeds, and dusting with more soil. Depending on the winter conditions, plant containers are ready to go outside in mid-to-late February. Just set them on the ground in a protected spot and forget them!
We ended our evening with a seed swap. Dawn and many members shared seeds harvested from their own gardens. We hope to enjoy a plentiful harvest of winter-sown vegetables and flowers over the coming spring and summer…with more seeds to share next year!
Driftwood Garden Club 