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AMHERST – Lorraine Alice Hamilton of Amherst, New Hampshire, Beach Haven, New Jersey and Rancho Mirage, California died June 14, 2020 from pancreatic cancer at her home in California. She was 73 years old and a participant in the trial of a new cancer drug at NYU Langone in New York City since April 2019. She hoped that results from the trial would improve care for other patients who develop this cancer. She was with her family when she died and was
Civic Groups
Amherst Garden Club Welcomes Betsy Szymczak
Someone once said that peonies are the “Show Girls” of the spring garden; with dahlias, it’s all about late summer-early fall “Royalty”!
On Thursday, April 7, 2022, the Amherst Garden Club will welcome American Dahlia Society Judge Betsy Szymczak.
The time for planting dahlias is after the last frost, estimated for early May, so if you want to entertain “The Royals” in your late-summer garden, April is a good month to start planning.
​ Following a brief history of the discovery of dahlias and their introduction into the American garden, Betsy will explain how to select dahlia tubers, where to plant, how to water and fertilize.
To stake or not to stake, to dig or not to dig — these are the questions! If you dig tubers, how to store, overwinter, and then how to wake them up and perhaps make cuttings. This will be followed by a brief discussion of American Dahlia Society Classification and how to enter a dahlia show.
Betsy has been growing dahlias for more than a decade. She is a member of the American Dahlia Society (ADS), Rhode Island, Connecticut and New England Dahlia Societies, and also an ADS candidate judge.
Before retiring, she spent more than 35 years teaching clinical microbiology at several Boston area colleges and universities.
In addition to her passion for dahlias, Betsy is an avid vegetable gardener and a member and judge of the American Begonia Society.
The garden club meets at the Messiah Lutheran Church, 303 Route 101, Amherst. The business meeting will start at 9:15 am, and the presentation begins at 10:30. The public is welcome to attend.
Betsy Szymczak
The Amherst Garden Club
Preparing for 2022 Plant Sale
The Annual Amherst Plant Sale is back this year, held on Saturday, May 7, 2022, from 8:30 am- 1:00 pm on the field in front of Wilkins Elementary School. A popular event in town for the Mother’s Day weekend, this year it will be back to in-person with a wonderful garden festival environment, offering something for everyone, and knowledgeable gardeners to answer questions.
The month of April is spent digging in local gardens by club members. This year we will be focusing on the many New Hampshire native plants. Our Information Tent will
AGC member, Joanne Jacobs preparing a pot
have lots of information on these plants and why they are important in our landscapes. Dividing plants is healthy for them and the club members are good at knowing how to do it. If you have an overgrown garden or are looking to down size the gardens in your landscape, please contact martiwarren@comcast.net. We dig mornings, returning the plants to Plant Central where they are potted up and made ready for the sale.
Amherst Garden Club Scholarships
Since 1994, the Amherst Garden Club has been awarding one or more scholarships to deserving students from Amherst or Mont Vernon who will be attending an institution of higher learning to pursue studies related to horticulture. Past winners have followed a variety of career paths including landscaping, environmental science, golf course management, viticulture, agriculture magazine writing, and organic farming.
Application information can be found on the Amherst Garden Club’s website, www.amherstgardenclub.org, under “Giving.”
Amherst Garden Club’s Garden Tips for April
To celebrate the Amherst Garden’s Club’s 51st year and to support the club’s mission to provide education, a few gardening tips are shared each month from the “Amherst Garden Club’s Regional Gardening Throughout the Year Calendar.” Copies are available at Amherst Garden Center, 305 Route 101, Amherst.
It’s April! Now is the time…
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to transplant and divide summer- and fall-blooming perennials and ornamental grasses. Divide overcrowded plants to give them room and share the extras with your local garden club plant sale.
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to sow seeds of hardy annuals and perennials outdoors.
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to prune overgrown azaleas, laurels, or rhododendrons. Cut up to 1/3 of the older elongated stems before the new growth starts. Cut back the remainder of the older stems over the next two years.
