Ann Marie Testarmata

Acton Garden Club Horticultural Hints, April 2026

April 18, 2026

Judy DembseyandAnn Marie Testarmata

It’s been quite a winter and quite a spring! We thought spring would never come, with snowflakes a week ago and now, a week later, 70 degrees and a taste of summer. The daffodils and forsythia have finally decided to emerge. Stop and visit the Daffodil Hill and…

February 2026 Horticulture Hints

February 14, 2026

Judy DembseyandAnn Marie Testarmata

Nature’s blanket — snow — often known as the poor man’s fertilizer, is upon us and trees are “exploding”. Here are a few hints on caring for our plants and trees in the depths of winter. The concept of “exploding” trees (actually cracking) and the benefits of snow…

“Common Sense” at 250: A timely reflection on independence

January 18, 2026

by Ann Marie Testarmata

On Jan. 10, 2026, residents from Acton and beyond gathered at the Acton Memorial Library to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Thomas Paine’s groundbreaking pamphlet, “Common Sense.” The meeting room was full, although many had sent their regrets as they set out to join protests. The timing felt…

Acton Garden Club November 2025 Horticulture Hints

November 15, 2025

Judy DembseyandAnn Marie Testarmata

We are halfway through November, which has felt like October, until it snowed and the winter winds blew through, leaving us with the feeling that December is coming soon. Don’t be fooled if it turns warm next week. Winter is coming! There are still a few things for…

Fall 2025 Horticulture Hints

November 1, 2025

Judy DembseyandAnn Marie Testarmata

With October seeming to be the new September and November the new October we have to change the way we think about fall, at least this year. Here are a few hints from the Acton Garden Club! Now that you are indoors, here are a few hints for…

Great gardens around town! Acton Garden Club presents 2025 Looking Good Awards

October 25, 2025

by Ann Marie Testarmata

With all the challenges facing the residents and businesses in Acton, from dust and drought to ongoing construction at Kelley’s Corner, to changing rains, floods, and winds, it’s a wonder there’s time or space for beauty, flowers and landscaping among our businesses. But in little corners of town,…

Acton Garden Club’s annual plant sale is beehive of activity

May 31, 2025

Greg JarboeandAnn Marie Testarmata

The Acton Garden Club’s annual plant sale transformed the grounds of the historic Red House at 468 Main Street into a beehive of activity and joy on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Garden Club members hurried to and fro, attending to last minute details and donning their Acton Garden…

2024 – 2025 Books in Bloom by the Acton Garden Club

March 29, 2025

Ann Marie TestarmataandCathy Fochtman

What do “I Claudius”, “Mary Poppins”, and “The Little Engine That Could” have in common? They were all published in 1934 and were featured in the Books in Bloom Festival at the Acton Memorial Library December 5-7, 2024. Read our story of Books in Bloom and look forward…

Two white orchids in full bloom frame a window pane.

Acton Garden Club Presents “What’s Wrong with my House Plants?”

March 8, 2025

by Ann Marie Testarmata

Bonnie Power, a Massachusetts Master Gardener and member of the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association’s Speakers Bureau, gave an entertaining presentation, “What’s Wrong with my House Plants?” at Acton Town Hall on February 4, 2025. Her expertise, photos, comics and insights on how plants are different from humans regaled…

Acton Garden Club Designers Prepare for 2025 “Art in Bloom” at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

February 15, 2025

by Ann Marie Testarmata

Acton Garden Club looks forward to participating in this year’s 2025 “Art in Bloom” at Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) Friday, May 2 to Sunday, May 4. During this annual spring event, New England garden clubs, professional designers, and MFA floral volunteers, create interpretive arrangements inspired by…

Acton Garden Club “Looking Good” awards

October 26, 2024

by Ann Marie Testarmata

The Acton Garden Club has been at it again, beautifying the town and surveying the town to recognize Acton Businesses who bring beauty and curb appeal to their doorstep. Each year a committee of Acton Garden Club members travel throughout the town, searching for gardens and landscapes deserving…

Celebrating Acton Garden Club’s 90th anniversary with high tea

October 26, 2024

by Ann Marie Testarmata

On the delightful sunny afternoon of September 17, 2024, members of the Acton Garden Club gathered to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Acton Garden Club with high tea at the historic Acton Women’s Club. The air was festive with music from the 1930’s, tables…

A green and black sign that says "It's garlic mustard pull season!"

Garlic mustard – time to pull

May 16, 2024

by Ann Marie Testarmata

Do you have this pretty plant with lovely white flowers blooming in your woods, garden, compost pile or even lawn or garden? Look for it. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. It’s garlic mustard! It is a nonnative invasive plant from Europe that takes over, disturbs…

A bald, bearded, man stands in front of a podium. He is wearing jeans and a t-shirt, as befits a gardening expert.

“Gardening for Resilience” with Trevor Smith: Shirley Towle Lecture

May 7, 2024

by Ann Marie Testarmata

Trevor Smith of Weston Nurseries wowed the one hundred-person audience at the Acton Town Hall (and on Zoom) on April 24 as he shared his wisdom in “Gardening for Resilience”. He helped audience members understand how we each can make an impact on climate change in our own…

A Victorian-era cast zinc fountain planted with colorful flowers.

The Fountain at the Oval Garden

April 27, 2024

by Ann Marie Testarmata

Acton Garden Club, in cooperation with the Town of Acton, has renovated the Oval Garden in front of Acton Town Hall to honor the Acton Garden Club’s organization in 1934 and to celebrate its 90 years of service to the community. A Civic Development grant was sought by…