Activities: Civic Beautification

Spring 2022

Clean up church garden 

Fall 2019
Clean up and planting Church Street Memorial Garden

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June 2019 Water Line arrives at Legion Park through efforts of the Garden Club June 14, 15

Digging the line. June 14.

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Memorial Day and Flag Day 2019

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November 2018

 

    The Portsmouth Garden Club has completed a refurbish and replanting of Legion Park begun two year ago. The Portsmouth Town Hall overlooks a triangular park of land which was set aside after World War II, as a memorial to our fallen soldiers. Originally laid out by the American Legion  Post with an anchor from an old British frigate and cedar trees, in June 1948  the Portsmouth Garden Club obtained permission from the town council to develop that garden plot more fully. Since that time the club has added and expanded flower beds, added a Liberty tree, helped  the historical society place a cannon at the front, decorated for Christmas and placed flags on appropriate Veteran’s days.

 

                Shade, overhanging branches, a decaying  cannon carrier, tired looking plants  and poor soil  created recent issues beyond merely planting and watering the flowers.
            With grants over the two years from the  Aquidneck Land Trust, a legislative grant via Senator James Seveney, funds from the R.I. Federation of Garden clubs and our local Portsmouth club’s civic beautifications funds the work was done to beautify and identify the park.

 

           First the cannon was repainted and the carrier rebuilt by volunteer, Manuel Sousa , the Liberty tree was trimmed and reshaped to allowed better sight of town hall and the road, the soil under the tree was amended, some beds closed and a very large round bed planted with blue flowers and ferns. Then the beds around the obelisk were expanded and red roses and daylilies planted, augmented with colorful annual flowers. The bed around the cannon was refurbished with more cedar plans than had be planted to celebrate the club’s 75the anniversary nearly 15 years ago. Red impatients were also added there.

 

             This fall nearly over 50 donated and purchased hostas were planted  framing the circle under the tree and numbers ground cover plants were planted closer to the trunk. The hope is that in the spring a the display will be attractive.
             Lastly  the club requested permission of the council to place a club conceived, designed  and fully paid for sign naming the triangle LEGION PARK.  That was placed last week in time this Veterans Day, the 100th anniversary of the armistice of WWI.

 

             Roberta Stevens, present President and Marilyn Brockway past President would like to thank  the town administrator and town council for their encouragement, Brian Woodhead of the Public Works Department, all  the financial sponsors, Island Garden Shop and Liptak Design on behalf of the club members for their contributions. Instrumental in volunteering with the hard work of planting are the current term  civic beautification chair people Carrol Goetzinger, Mary Di Bara and Brenda Sisson.

 

             The club  will celebrate it’s 85 anniversary year next year and continues to work on civic beautification and other community goals. New members wishing to join are encouraged to send a note to view or website, https://www.portsmouthgardenclub.com/, mail to  P.O. Box 826 or call our membership chairperson, Eileen.

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July 2018

Planting hostas under the tree at Legion Park. We receive a donation of a variety of 18 hostas from Brenda's garden and 4 from Bobbie's garden. They were planted on July 3 by Brenda, Rich, Bobbie and Shane. The complimented the flags for the fourth and the annuals and perennials the other club members had planted and watered earlier in the week.   

                                                  Photos by Bobbie

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April 30, 2018

What do 1,500 bulbs look like? A sea of blue.

 

 

The Portsmouth Garden Club planted 1, 500 Scilla Siberica" Spring Beauty" bulbs last spring and they are blooming at Legion Park in a sea of blue. The area needed a new plan so the circle was enlarged; some beds that were too shady were closed.  Hostas, ferns and other deep shade loving leafy plants were additionally planted. The re-design is not completed yet but the club would like to thank- Senator James Seveney for a Legislative grant, Aquidneck Land Trust and our own club’s Civic beautification fundraising efforts at the Island Garden Shop plant sales.

 

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Work last summer, June 2017

                                                       photos by Sue and Bobbie

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Annual

 

 

January :                              Remove Town Christmas Decorations

 

January :                              Place Ribbons (Project Purple at Legion Park)

 

May:                                     Planting Legion Park and the Portsmouth
                                             Free Public Library

 

May-September:                    Plantings at Legion Park, Public Library

                                            Water/Deadhead Town plantings

 

December                             Create wreaths for town buildings for

                                            Christmas season          

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PORTSMOUTH FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY Town Garden Work Summer 2017

2017 Planted Moonflower vine at Public Library

The Moon flower is related to morning glory but is white and blooms at night or depending on darkness -early evening or late AM.  It then droops and will fall off.  It booms every nite.  They are about 5 inches in diameter and can grow to 20 plus feet with propping.  Originally the flower grew in sub-tropical environments and can grow in Florida as a perennial.  In colder climes they are annuals.. They adapted to color white as they attract a certain kind of moth.   They do not need much care.  Very suitable for a white garden and in the south people propagate them next to  front door for interest and later in the season when blooming have a wonderful scent when a person walks thru the door. The plant or seeds can be bought and  grown locally.  - Provided by Jan Gump

2017-2018 Major Re-landscape of Legion Park

As of Sept 13, 2017

As of Sept 9, 2017

ON May 27. 2017

 

Meetings are held monthly at the Library for club members and guests. _________________

September 14, 2022

WELCOME BACK MEMBERS

12:30 Portsmouth Free Public Library

Bring a "Veggie" recipe and

Celebarting the club winning the  Newport Flower Show Horticulture Award

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October 12, 2022

12:30 at the  Portsmouth Friends Meeting House

Topic The Quakers in Portsmouth by Pastor Rick Lauder

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November 9,2022

12:30 Portsmouth Free Public Library

URI Master Gardener

Nancy Crawford

Herbs

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November 18, 2022

Portsmouth Free Public Library

Arrangement making for Taste of Portsmouth

9-12

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November 18, 2022

Portsmouth Free Public Library 125th Anniversary Fundraiser with Garden Club seasonal decorations

5-7 p.m.

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November 29, 2022

Town Wreaths Workshop

PortsmouthFre Public Library 11-1

Sign up

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December 1,2022

RIFGC

Christmas Luncheon

Grist Mill Tavern

Seekonk, Ma

10:00 Bus. Mtg.

Designs by Judy Gray

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December 13, 2020

Christmas Luncheon

16 Point Road

12;30

$40 to Treasurer

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January 11, 2023

Portmouth Free Library

12:30

Llnda Kirkparick

Floral Design Demonstration

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February 8, 2023

Portsmouth Free Public Library

12:30 Susan Besse, URI Mastergardener

on Composting

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March 1, 2023

RIFGC Education Day at Roger Williams Park Casino

schedule on-line

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March 4-12, 2023

Philadelphia Flower Show

Tcikets on-line

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March 8, 2023

Portsmouth Free Public Library

12:30  Bill  Baddeley URI Master Gardnerer

TOPIC: Seed starting

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March 31-April 2, 2023

RIFGC Flower Show

Galleria- Living Artfully

Providence

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April 1-21, 2023 Newport Daffodil Days -Check on line for info.

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April 2023

Portsmouth Free Public Library

12:30 Cindy Perry

 

 

Topic  “ New England gardens and their transformation from the 17th century”

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April 16 - 22, 2023

Earth Week, Earth Day April 21. Check Aquidneck Island  events on line

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May, 2023 TBD

“Art Blooming at Linden Place" weekend

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June 23-25, 2-2023

Newport Flower Show

"The Grand Tour"

at Marble House

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Juky 7-9, 2023

Secret Garden Tour
The Point, Newport, R.I.   $25 advanced dicounted price on-line, only 450 tickets per day to be sold

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