Valuing Your Treasures

Although any gardener would be proud to call the collection of plants above her (or his) treasure, there are other treasures - art or antiques - that have sometimes been preserved by families over many many years.

In a bid to engage members' attention and have a little fun while raising funds, the Chester Garden Club exec has invited Wayne Cameron, a specialist in antiques, to preside at an event during which members can bring their cherished pieces of art or antiques for a professional evaluation. Wayne is the well-known owner of "Cameron's Fine Art & Antiques," in Chester. The fun includes a cash bar and the opportunity to observe the variety of treasures brought in by fellow members.

The evaluation process is open to members of both the Chester Garden Club and the Basin Gardeners. The entry fee of $15 ($12 for early birds) entitles the ticket-holder to bring a maximum of two items for evaluation.

This special occasion is bound to be both informative and entertaining. It will take place on October 5th, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, at the St Stephen's Parish Community Centre. For tickets or further information, call 273-2193 or 275-5019.

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South Shore District Meeting

Four members of the Chester Garden Club (three of whom are shown above) attended the recent annual meeting of the South Shore District of the Nova Scotia Association of Garden Clubs (NSAGC). The event, hosted by the Mahone Bay Garden Club, was held on September 19th and drew 30 delegates from among the eight clubs that make up the district.


The first part of the morning session was devoted to reports from each of the clubs and included a brief message from Brenda Hiltz, the NSAGC's District representative. The reports were followed by an illustrated talk by Jill Covill of Bunchberry Nurseries, Upper Clements, who spoke about fall colour in gardens. After a tasty lunch provided by the host club, the delegates enjoyed a tour of selected local gardens.

Charles Berry, on behalf of the NSAGC, presented Brenda Garland, president of the Chester club, with a card of congratulations in honour of the 70th anniversary of the founding of Chester Garden Club. Brenda's report highlighted a variety of activities undertaken by the club during the past year, and she stressed that, in addition to attaining the aims of increasing the number of members and contributing to the community, members "found time to enjoy our own gardens and very often that of our friends and neighbours."

Two days later, Brenda was back in Chester chairing the monthly meeting of the Chester Club and welcoming Niki Jabbour as our guest speaker. Niki's informative talk, about plants that add colour and interest to an autumn garden, gave members of the Chester club who had missed the District meeting a chance to learn about new varieties of old favourites.

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Late Summer Blooms

As the good weather extends into September, and the calendar indicates that fall is still a week or so away, many Chester gardens continue to provide good colour. Ornamental grasses are also at their best.

Although it is the yellows and oranges that predominate, with rudbeckia and ligularia showing their autumn hues, the occasional splash of red can be seen. The white blooms on a buddleia add a striking accent to the overall palette.

Adhering to this autumn mindset, Chester Garden Club's September
meeting will feature well-known
horticulturist Niki Jabbour who will speak on ensuring that your garden has its share of autumn colour and interest. The meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, September 21st, at 7:00 pm. Location - the same as usual - in St. Stephen's Parish Community Centre, corner of Queen and Regent streets.


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More sails

After the most recent post on the blog, in which we included a couple of photos taken at "ringside" during the Garden Club's summer social, several other photos were received by your blogger. From the vantage point shown above, Chester's front harbour is visible in the distance, beyond the sails.

The lively chaos involved as boats of different classes mill about while waiting for the starting gun creates a fresh canvas for every photographer. Now that some club members have discovered how easy it is to submit photos for posting on the blog, we hope to hear from more of you with photos from your gardens!

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Race Week Luncheon

Members of Chester Garden Club had a grandstand seat for the start of Chester Race Week in August. On a beautiful day, under clear blue skies, members and guests gathered at the home of one our members, on the peninsula, overlooking the first leg of the races. This being Chester's 250th anniversary, a large number of boats were enrolled in the event and the weather cooperated to make the occasion a perfect summer social treat.

Forgetting for a moment all the chores awaiting them in their own gardens, members kept their eyes riveted on the passing sails while enjoying food and refreshments served on the deck that provided an excellent view of the bay.

The Club will get back to regular programming with its first fall meeting, scheduled for September 21st, when Nicki Jabbour will present an illustrated talk on plants that add colour to a fall garden. The meeting will take place at 7:00 pm, in the St. Stephen Parish Community Centre, corner of King and Regent. New members are always welcome.
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