Meetings
One of the great benefits of the Bedford Garden Club is our presentations. We hold monthly meetings with a great variety of guest speakers who speak on a plethora of topics related to perennial, annual and vegetable gardening; trees; fruits and berries; flower arranging and wreath creation; cooking and more. In addition, we conduct special workshops, many of them hands-on, and also hold field trips to visit wonderful gardens, public and private.
Program Schedule – 2026/2027
ALL programs are open to the public, unless otherwise stated as “Members Only“.
Giancarla Kalpas
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, First Church of Christ, Congregational, 25 The Great Rd. 6:00 pm: Social period. 6:30 pm: Meeting and guest speaker Giancarla Kalpas on Winter Seed Starting.
Bakers: Bridget Clayton, Ruth Beauchesne, Claire Higson, Tracy MacMillan
Giancarla Kalpas will lead us through a process to start some plants over the winter. Because some New England natives have evolved with the climate, they often require a period of cold, moist stratification to induce germination.
Participants will learn how to make miniature greenhouses using translucent gallon jugs, and when to use this planting method.
A Chelmsford resident, Ms. Kalpas is a retired math and science teacher who is self-taught about native plants. She is affectionately called the “Bluebird Lady” in her home town because of her efforts over 30 years to bring back the Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis).
She is a member of the Steering Committee and an enthusiastic promoter of the Bumblebee Project mission launched by the MetroWest Conservation Alliance’s Native Pollinator Task Force.
Executive Board
Monday, October 26, 2026, 1 Notre Dame Rd. 9:30 am: Social period. 10:00 am: Executive Board Meeting.
Bakers: Susan Wingfield, Ruth Beauchesne
Cheryl Turgeon
Tuesday, November 10, 2026, First Church of Christ, Congregational, 25 The Great Rd. 9:30 am: Social period. 10:00 am: Meeting and guest speaker Cheryl Turgeon on Native Plants, their Importance and Benefits.
Bakers: Jeannette Pothier, Chris Lipson, Judy Watkins, Sandy Alexander
Cheryl Turgeon, owner of Mystic Meadows Gardens in Pepperell, will describe growing native plants from seed, growing them organically, seed harvesting, and fall/winter sowing for next season’s growth.
She has been using ecological gardening methods – a combination of science and innovation with respect for nature and biodiversity — on her farm for many years. She is an Accredited Organic Land Care Professional through the Northeast Organic Farmers’ Association.
She believes the goal is to work with nature, not against it, to protect soil, water, humans and all wildlife that uses the land and plants.
Ms. Turgeon is also certified in Native Gardening Principles by the MA Horticultural Society and has designed meadows and natural landscapes around Middlesex County.
Tuesday, December 8, 2026, at Noon: Bedford Garden Club Holiday Party, Stelios Restaurant, 293 Boston Rd., North Billerica. Details about price and lunch choices will be available closer to the date of the event.