Franklin Garden Club Offers Program on Mushrooms

“Identifying and Growing Your Own Mushrooms” will be the featured program at the November meeting of the Franklin Garden Club.   The meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street, from 6:00– 8:30 PM.   

Franklin Garden Club Offers Program on Mushrooms

An informal social get-together will take place from 6:00 – 6:30 PM followed by a business meeting and the program. Lauren Schmitt, a horticulturist at Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton, will present the program. The meeting is open to the public at no charge, including those interested in becoming a member. 

Schmitt graduated in 2010 from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Plant and Soil Science.  Her career began in environmental chemistry, before transitioning to indoor farming and hydroponics.  She now works as a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist at Weston Nurseries, and an Orchard Consultant for Peas, Love and Parsley.  

Schmitt has always had a personal passion for growing her own food, whether it’s vegetables outside in the summer, or mushrooms, herbs and microgreens indoors year-round.  She started a small culinary mushroom farm prior to moving back to Massachusetts, and now enjoys teaching classes to people who want to grow more of their own food.

The Franklin Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts. 

Franklin Garden Club to explore “Bringing Books to Life” as a floral craft - Oct 7

Franklin Garden Club to explore
“Bringing Books to Life” as a floral craft - Oct 7

A “Bringing Books to Life” floral craft night will highlight the October meeting of the Franklin Garden Club. 

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street, from 6:00– 8:30 PM   An informal social get-together will take place from 6:00 – 6:30 PM followed by a business meeting and craft activity, which will be conducted by Deb DeGrazia, club secretary and expert crafter.  

The meeting is open to the public, including those interested in becoming a member.  All attendees are asked to bring a book that can be cut out for the decorative arrangement that will be created.  

  

The Franklin Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts.  

Franklin Garden Club September Program Open to New Members

The Franklin Garden Club will begin its 2025-2026 season on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, with a meeting at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street, from 6:00– 8:30 p.m.   An informal social get-together will take place from 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. followed by a presentation on the coming year’s programs and activities.   The meeting is open to the public, including those interested in becoming a member.  

Club Co-Presidents Eileen Smith and Janice Cederquist stated, “The Garden Club, founded in 1987, offers many educational programs, and one does not have to be a Master Gardener to join. Meetings provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about various aspects of gardening from experts and to exchange information with fellow members. We welcome anyone who is interested to attend the first meeting to learn more about the Club and planned activities.” 

Franklin Garden Club

In addition to the September  meeting, this year’s programming schedule includes: October 7 – Craft Night – Bringing Books to Life;  November 4- All About Mushrooms; December 2 – Holiday Greens Workshop to prepare for annual wreath and arrangement sale;  February 3 – Deep in the Heart of Winter – New Age Floral Designs;  March 3 – Flowers, Health and Healing; April 7 – Craft Project; May 5 – Orchid 101; June 2 - Year-End Social.

Club community service activities include planting and maintenance of the Franklin Town Common Garden and the planters at the Franklin Library and Franklin Food Pantry; sponsorship of an annual scholarship awarded to a high school graduate; distribution of pine tree seedlings in the elementary schools; and special projects with other community organizations. The Franklin Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts.  

Franklin Garden Club features "H is for Daylilies" - May 6

The Franklin Garden Club will offer a program on “H is for Daylilies” on Tuesday, May 6, at 7:00 PM at the Franklin Senior Center located at 10 Daniel McCahill Street. The program is open to the public at no charge.

"H is for Daylilies" - May 6

The program will be presented by Lifetime Master Gardener and Franklin Garden Club member Adele Turent. “H is for Daylilies” focuses on the origins of the modern daylily, the different bloom forms, its care, cultivation and breeding. Turent is a member of both the New England Daylily Society and the American Daylily Society (ADS). She is an ADS Garden Judge instructor. Garden judges are trained to evaluate daylilies in the garden, and their votes determine the daylilies that win national awards. Adele has taught Garden Judge Workshops at National and Regional ADS conventions in the U.S. as well as in Québec. 

 

From 2013 to 2018, Turent was the award-winning editor of Daylilies in the Great Northeast, an ADS regional publication. In 2019, she became the Executive Editor and Ad Sales Manager of The Daylily Journal, the American Daylily Society’s national, full color, quarterly magazine.

Garden Club prepared 500 seedlings for 1st Graders to plant

Garden Club prepared 500 seedlings for 1st Graders to plant

"Members of the Franklin Garden Club prepared nearly 500 bags of pine tree seedlings which were given out to first graders in the Franklin schools and Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School to plant as a celebration of Arbor Day."

Shared from ->   https://www.instagram.com/p/DI-D2d5O30t/

Franklin TV: A Look Back

Ten Years Ago

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 04/06/2025

When we were building our studio (2013-2014) I documented every phase of construction. Lotsa Pix-n-Vidz in our photo archives. This past week I spent a few evenings compiling many of them into 3D stereograms – the old school origins of today’s hot digital/visual experience – VR, virtual reality. A stereogram is simply two photographs – one positioned for each eye, Left-Right. Think those Viewmaster disks many of us grew up with.

In the midst of my digital rummaging I wondered what we were up to ten years ago.

This is the Franklin Garden Club in 2015. They held a meeting in our Community Room and then recorded a cooking program in our kitchen. The first of many.

We officially moved out of our trailer and into the studio building in Mid-November. Here we are; four months later – partying and producing programs.

We still are. Do you have a program you would like to do? Call us. 508-541-4118.

And – as always –

Thank you for watching. 

Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm.

And staying informed at Franklin●news.

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

Watch Listen Read all things that matter in Franklin MA

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 ???

Tuesday, April 1

** Franklin Art Association Art Show and Sale Exhibit (Norfolk Public Library)

6:00pm Table Top (Franklin Public Library)

6:30pm Franklin Garden Club - monthly meeting (Franklin Senior Center)

7:00pm Musical Bingo (Raillery Public House)

For additional details on Library & Senior Center events ->       

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

** Town Meetings today   **

Franklin School Committee = Contractual Negotiations - Executive Session

Tuesday, April 1st Time: 4:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04012025-1586

-------------

Why are there multiple calendars?

What's happening today in Franklin? 

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

Franklin Garden Club Presents Program on House Plants - April 1

The Franklin Garden Club will present a program on “What’s Wrong with My Houseplant” on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street, from 6:30– 8:30 PM.    An informal social get-together will take place from 6:30– 7:00 PM followed by the program, which is open to the public at no charge.The speaker will be Massachusetts Master Gardener Bonnie Power.

Franklin Garden Club

As with our outdoor gardens, many things can go wrong when you grow plants indoors. Learn the factors that make for happy houseplants, including light, water, and soil and how to provide them. Common houseplant pests and diseases, as well as how to treat them, will also be discussed.

Power, a serious outdoor/indoor gardener, has many horticultural interests and areas of expertise. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in zoology, which informs her perspective on the management of garden and plant insects and pests. She is a member of the MGA Soil pH Testing team and also volunteer guide at Garden in the Woods, a Native Plant Trust botanical garden in Framingham. 

The Garden Club presents "Hydrangea Ps and Qs" at Library on Tuesday, March 4

The Franklin Garden Club, in partnership with the Franklin Public Library, will offer a talk on Hydrangea Ps and Qs on Tuesday, March 4, at 7:00 PM at the Franklin Library located at 118 Main Street, Franklin, MA. 

The Garden Club presents "Hydrangea Ps and Qs"

The program is open to the public at no charge.

Hydrangea Ps and Qs Covers Planting, pH, Pruning, Problems and audience questions. The program will be presented by Lifetime Master Gardener Kathie Skinner and will address common issues related to growing beautiful hydrangeas, including when and how to plant; how to raise or lower the soil PH to control bloom color; when and how to prune hydrangea that bloom on old wood and new wood; and common fungal problems and pests. 

There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/DGhHrkHo5UX/

Garden Club still has some centerpieces/floral arrangements 4 sale

Garden Club still has some centerpieces 4 sale

The Franklin Garden Club still has 4 centerpieces for sale (as this goes to post)

You can check them out on the Garden Club Instagram page -> 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DD4qq8xxijt/

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 ???

Tuesday, December 17

• Fiber Art Installation (Franklin Public Library)
• Fresh Floral Holiday Arrangements 4 Sale (via Instagram) 
• Franklin Art Association, Art Show & Sale (Norfolk Public Library)

6:00pm Table Top (Franklin Public Library)

7:30pm Voice of Franklin, part of Toastmasters International (Franklin TV Studio)

**  Town Meetings today   **

Franklin Public Schools Community Relations Sub Committee Meeting (virtual only)

Event Date:  Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - 5:30pm

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/events/franklin_public_schools_community_relations_sub_committee_meeting_2.pdf

Friends of Franklin Library Meeting

Event Date:  Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - 7:00pm

No agenda posted

Joint Budget Subcommittee Meeting (Council Chambers & broadcast)

Event Date:  Tuesday, December 17, 2024 - 7:00pm

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/2024-12-17_joint_budget_subcommittee_meeting_agenda.pdf

What's happening today in Franklin? 

---------------

Why are there multiple calendars?

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/upcoming

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

Franklin Garden Club to Sell Holiday Arrangements beginning Dec 17

Garden Club to Sell Holiday Arrangements

The Franklin Garden Club will sell holiday fresh floral arrangements on Instagram and Facebook beginning December 17. The Franklin Garden Club Instagram handle is @franklingardenclubma. The sales will benefit several different club activities.  Payment for all purchases can be made with cash, check, or credit card. Pricing for all items will range from $25 - $40.

Club Co-Presidents Pat Donnelly and Mary Anne Dean stated, “We are very excited to offer area residents the opportunity to purchase beautiful arrangements created by members of the Franklin Garden Club.  This will help those who may not have the time to make arrangements or need a festive gift for someone else, while also assisting the Club. 

All proceeds will benefit Garden Club activities, including the Club scholarship, pine tree seedling program for elementary school students, some of the Franklin Common and library plantings, and education programs open to the public. 

The Franklin Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts.

Reminder: Franklin Garden Club to Sell Decorated Holiday Wreaths and Arrangements - Sat, Dec 7

The Franklin Garden Club will sell decorated holiday wreaths, swags, patio and cemetery boxes, and sleds and skates on Saturday, December 7, from 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM at Daddario’s Hardware Store, 528 West Central Street, Franklin, MA.  

In addition, holiday fresh floral arrangements will be sold on Instagram and Facebook beginning December 17. The Franklin Garden Club Instagram handle is @franklingardenclubma. The sales will benefit several different club activities.  Payment for all purchases can be made with cash, check, or credit card. 

Decorated Holiday Wreaths and Arrangements

The fresh wreaths and swags will be decorated in a variety of colors and styles and will include eye-catching bows and other ornamentation. Many will include a variety of greens, as will the patio and cemetery boxes.  Pricing for all items will range from $25 - $40.

Club Co-Presidents Pat Donnelly and Mary Anne Dean stated, “We are very excited to offer area residents the opportunity to purchase beautiful holiday wreaths and arrangements created by members of the Franklin Garden Club. This will help those who may not have the time to decorate their own wreaths or make arrangements, while also assisting the Club." 

All proceeds will benefit Garden Club activities, including the Club scholarship, pine tree seedling program for elementary school students, some of the Franklin Common and library plantings, and education programs open to the public. 

The Franklin Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts. 

Franklin Garden Club to Sell Decorated Holiday Wreaths and Arrangements

The Franklin Garden Club will sell decorated holiday wreaths, swags, patio and cemetery boxes, and sleds and skates on Saturday, December 7, from 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM at Daddario’s Hardware Store, 528 West Central Street, Franklin, MA.  

In addition, holiday fresh floral arrangements will be sold on Instagram and Facebook beginning December 17. The Franklin Garden Club Instagram handle is @franklingardenclubma. The sales will benefit several different club activities.  Payment for all purchases can be made with cash, check, or credit card. 

The fresh wreaths and swags will be decorated in a variety of colors and styles and will include eye-catching bows and other ornamentation. Many will include a variety of greens, as will the patio and cemetery boxes.  Pricing for all items will range from $25 - $40.

Decorated Holiday Wreaths and Arrangements

Club Co-Presidents Pat Donnelly and Mary Anne Dean stated, “We are very excited to offer area residents the opportunity to purchase beautiful holiday wreaths and arrangements created by members of the Franklin Garden Club. This will help those who may not have the time to decorate their own wreaths or make arrangements, while also assisting the Club." 

All proceeds will benefit Garden Club activities, including the Club scholarship, pine tree seedling program for elementary school students, some of the Franklin Common and library plantings, and education programs open to the public. The Franklin Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts.  

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 ???

Tuesday, November 5

6am – 8pm Election day (Franklin High School)

7am Fiber Art Installation (Franklin Public Library)

1pm Eyes on Owls (Franklin Public Library)

6pm Table Top (Franklin Public Library)

6:30pm Franklin Garden Club - monthly meeting (Franklin Senior Center)

7pm Musical Bingo CANCELED THIS WEEK (Raillery Public House)

7:30pm Voice of Franklin, part of Toastmasters (Franklin TV Studio)

**  NO Town Meetings today   **

What's happening today in Franklin? 

---------------

Why are there multiple calendars?

Respectfully, the Library and Senior Center calendars are too full of events to include all their events so we tend to focus on the major events. Town and School meetings are also kept separate. Links for all the calendars are shared here:

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Library calendar of events ->    calendar link

The Senior Center calendar of events ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/node/39/events/upcoming

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendars

Franklin Garden Club hosts “Fantastical Folktales of Flowers” - Oct 1 at Franklin Public Library

The Franklin Garden Club, in partnership with the Franklin Public Library, invites community residents to a unique, free program, “Fantastical Folktales of Flowers,” a delightful weave of storytelling, music and song.  The program, created for an adult audience, will take place on Tuesday October 1, at 7:00pm at the Franklin Library located at 118 Main Street, Franklin, MA.  

(L-R) Diane Edgecomb, Margot Chamberlain

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Franklin Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.  

The program is open to the public at no charge.

Retold by award-winning storyteller and theatre artist, Diane Edgecomb, along with long-time collaborator and Celtic harper, Margot Chamberlain, these stories conjure a magical world bringing new meaning to favorite garden flowers. The centerpiece of the performance is the Persian legend of Nightingale and Rose. 

Diane’s original adaptation weaves together myths from many lands that tell how the rose got its special powers of beauty and scent. The program captures the hearts and minds of the audience.  

As an attendee at another performance stated, “You brought my garden alive to me in the most unusual and delightful way. I will never see a rose in the same way again!” 

Franklin Garden Club: September 3 Program Open to New Members

The Franklin Garden Club will begin its 2024-2025 season on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, with a meeting at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM.   An informal social get-together will take place from 6:30 – 7:00 PM followed by a presentation on the coming year’s programs and preparation of items to be sold at the Franklin Harvest Festival. 

The meeting is open to the public, including those interested in becoming a member.  All items that are made will be retained by the Garden Club for sale at the festival.

Franklin Garden Club

Club Co-Presidents Patricia Donnelly and Mary Anne Dean stated, “The Garden Club, founded in 1987, offers many educational programs, and one does not have to be a Master Gardener to join. Meetings provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about various aspects of gardening from experts and to exchange information with fellow members. We welcome anyone who is interested to attend the first meeting to learn more about the Club and planned activities.” 

In addition to the September 3 meeting, this year’s programming schedule includes: 

• October 1 – Fantastical Folktales of Flowers at the Franklin Library (This program is supported in part by a grant from the Franklin Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency)
• November 5 - Foliage Manipulation Demonstration
• December 3 - Workshop With Sam’s Stems Dried Flower Art
• February 4 - Ikebana Presentation
• March 4 – Hydrangea Presentation at the Franklin Library
• April 1 - What’s Wrong with My Houseplant?
• May 6 - Day Lilies
• June 3 - Year-End Social

Franklin Garden Club community service activities include planting and maintenance of the Franklin Town Common Garden and the planters at the Franklin Library; sponsorship of an annual scholarship awarded to a high school graduate; distribution of pine tree seedlings in the elementary schools; and special projects with other community organizations. The Franklin Garden Club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts.

Register now for the free craft workshop at Franklin Senior Center - May 10

The Franklin Garden Club will offer a free craft workshop for senior citizens on Friday, May 10 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM at the Franklin Senior Center.  

Participants will decorate flower pots and fill with either a real plant or flowers.  All materials will be supplied.  The “fun” pots can be decorated with either a male of female theme.  

Registration can be done at the Franklin Senior Center or by calling the Senior Center at 508-520-4945.

Register now for the free craft workshop at Franklin Senior Center - May 10

Franklin Garden Club Features Program on Ergonomic Gardening

The Franklin Garden Club will sponsor a program on “Ergonomic Gardening” on Tuesday, April 2, at 7:00 PM at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street, Franklin, MA.  The program will be presented by Mary Panda, an experienced physical therapist. The program is open to the public at no charge. 

 

Panda has been a practicing physical therapist for 45 years and a certified hand therapist for 32 years. She is an an avid gardener and belongs to the Ashland Community Garden and Mass Horticulture Society. Her talk will provide tips on taking care of your body and preventing injuries while enjoying all the benefits of gardening. 

The Franklin Garden Club, founded in 1987, became a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts in 2015. 

Franklin Garden Club Features Program on Ergonomic Gardening

“Creating Environmentally-Friendly Soil Health” at the Franklin Library - March 5 at 7 PM

The Franklin Garden Club, in conjunction with the Franklin Public Library, will co-sponsor a program on the “Creating Environmentally-Friendly Soil Health” on Tuesday, March 5, at 7:00 PM at the Franklin Library, 118 Main Street, Franklin, MA.  The program, open to the public free of charge, will be presented by Donald Demers of Buxton Hollow Farm.  The company continues an 18th century sustainable farming tradition, providing natural farm products to the health conscious and environment-friendly grower. 

Demers’ presentation will include discussing the role of the soil biome, how to read a soil lab report, and the part that various minerals and amendments play in the regeneration of the garden soil, including soil for container and raised bed gardens. He will focus on how gardens can be productive without the use of chemical fertilizers.  Demers will also answer specific soil questions from attendees.  

Buxton Hollow Farm, located in Woonsocket, RI, offers many natural soil amendment products, as well as soil testing.

“Creating Environmentally-Friendly Soil Health” at the Franklin Library - March 5 at 7 PM