94th Annual GCFM Convention
2026-06-17 - 2026-06-18 | Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center, 119 Eden St., Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, United States
PLEASE NOTE: REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

The St. Croix District
Invites you to
The 94th Annual GCFM Convention
“Gardens at First Light”
June 17th & 18th
Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center
Bar Harbor, Maine

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Tuesday, June 16th

5 – 6:30 p.m.
GCFM LIFE MEMBER RECOGNITION RECEPTION
Hosted by the St. Croix District at the Garland Farm, 475 Bay View Drive, Bar Harbor
Garland Farm is located on Rt. 3, 2.8 miles from the Trenton Bridge on Mount Desert Island.
Please note: No applications for Life Memberships will be accepted at the door.
DEADLINE FOR REGISTERING FOR THIS EVENT IS JUNE 3RD.
For info on becoming a State or National Life Member CLICK HERE

Wednesday, June 17th

8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
REGISTRATION – Atlantic Oceanside Event Center 2nd Level

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
RAFFLE, SILENT AUCTION, & VENDORS – Event Center 1st Level & Lawn
GCFM EXHIBITS – Event Center Lobby 2nd Level

9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
GARDEN TOURS (Included with registration fee – see info in booklet) Take a tour of six diverse gardens!
ALTERNATE OPTIONS for those not interested in touring gardens (all included with registration fee except boat tour): 1) Omar’s Beekeeping Program at Terramor Resort, 1453 ME Rt-102 2) Film at Garland Farm about the Dutch garden designer and winner of the Beatrix Farrand Award, Piet Oudolf, and his garden designs 3) Acadian Boat Tours – An onsite business, is offering a preferred rate to all convention registrants. See brochure at registration.
LUNCH – On your own. Hotel check-in starts at 3 p.m.

4 – 5 p.m.
BUTERA THE FLORIST DEMONSTRATION – On the Piazza

Vince Butera, an award-winning wedding florist from Sedgwick, will present a floral demonstration. He has expertise in artistic floral design, destination weddings, and working with clients to fulfill their vision through individualized botanical artistry. He is certified by the American Academy of Floriculture, American Institute of Floral Designers, and Professional Floral Communicators International.

5 – 6 p.m.
PRESIDENTS’ COCKTAIL RECEPTION – At the Willows Mansion at Atlantic Oceanside

6:15 – 7:30 p.m.
DINNER – Event Center 2nd Level

7:30 – 9 p.m.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER – Bill Cullina, “What Do You Mean I’m Not a Perennial?”, a talk on replacing invasive plants with native woody plants. A New England native, Bill is the Director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum & Gardens, author of several gardening books, and former Director of CMBG, where he continues as a plant curator.

Thursday, June 18th

7 – 8 a.m.
BREAKFAST – Main Building Level 1 (For Registered Hotel Guests – included with your room fee)

7 – 9 a.m.
REGISTRATION – Event Center 2nd Level

8 – 11 a.m.
GCFM EXHIBITS – Event Center Lobby 2nd Level

9 – 10 a.m.
BUSINESS MEETING – Event Center 2nd Level

10 – 10:25 a.m.
BREAK – Hotel check-out & final visit for raffles & silent auction

10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
BUSINESS MEETING RESUMES – Event Center 2nd Level

12 – 1 p.m.
LUNCHEON BUFFET – Event Center 2nd Level

1 – 2 p.m.
PROGRAM – Valencia Libby, an accredited author and former Associate Professor of landscape architecture and horticulture, will speak on “The Roots of the Native Plant Movement”.

2 – 3 p.m.
BUSINESS MEETING RESUMES

3 p.m.
ADJOURN
Raffle & Silent Auction Winners will be posted at the back of the meeting room

Online Registration
Sorry. This form is no longer available.
TO REGISTER BY MAIL, please click on the link below, fill out the form, then print and mail with a check as noted on the form.
2026 GCFM Convention – CLICK HERE FOR MAIL-IN REGISTRATION FORM

To Reserve Rooms Now…
Call Atlantic Oceanside Directly: 207-288-5801
Please mention GCFM to receive the group discount rate.
Rooms will be held at the special rate through April 17th.

Tea by the Sea ~ Summer Home & Garden Market
2026-06-19 10:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, 156 Western Ave., Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04575, United States
The Boothbay Region Garden Club invites you to the inaugural “Tea by the Sea” and Summer Home and Garden Market! Join us and enjoy beautiful harbor views at the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club while being served a variety of teas and an assortment of savory and sweet treats to include finger sandwiches/small bites and a variety of tea cakes, scones, and other delicate confections!

Browse our Summer Home and Garden shops at the event where you’ll discover plants and garden treasures, botanical and nautical art, jewelry and accessories, home décor, and tableware, as well as gourmet and confectionery treats.
There will be seatings at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Each event will last two hours. Tickets are $55 each and are available now online at Tea by the Sea TICKETS
Please make sure you purchase tickets for the seating you would like to attend. When you check out, a gluten free option will be offered to attendees for those who prefer that. NOTE THAT ALL TICKET SALES ARE FINAL AND THAT THERE ARE NO REFUNDS.
Valet assistance to/from the main parking lot will be available for the event and we ask attendees to arrive 15 minutes prior to your ticket time for parking and exploring the Market. Please note that CASH OR CHECK ONLY will be accepted for purchases at the Summer Home and Garden Market.

Camden Garden Club's 77th Garden Tour
2026-07-16 09:00 - 16:00 | Camden American Legion, 91 Pearl St., Camden, ME, 04843, United States
Join the 77th Garden Tour showcasing six distinctive gardens designed and maintained by their owners.
Your Tour ticket is your all-access pass to gardens and activities across the day.
The day is self-guided at your own pace.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their website: Website

GCFM Board Meeting via ZOOM
2026-08-14 16:00 - 17:30
The GCFM Board will meet via Zoom for the August board meeting. Members will receive the agenda and other information via email, along with the Zoom link.

Mt. Blue Area Garden Club Public Garden Tour ~ A New Palette for Creativity
2026-08-18 17:30 - 20:30 | Laura Bogardus & Thomas Sorenson Gardens, 132 Morrison Hill Road, Farmington, ME, 04938, United States
The Mt. Blue Area Garden Club invites the public to tour the gardens of Laura Bogardus and Thomas Sorensen on Tuesday, August 18, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at 132 Morrison Hill Road, Farmington. This is the final stop in the club’s summer garden tour series and, like all the tours, is free and open to the public.
Members and guests are invited to spend a summer evening exploring a remarkable landscape that has evolved over the past five years into an ambitious blend of ornamental gardens, productive vegetable beds, meadows, and woodland paths.
Both Laura and Tom bring extensive horticultural experience to their property. Laura is a certified landscape designer, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Plant and Soil Science and Sustainable Agriculture, and has worked in both fine gardening and commercial vegetable production. Tom has designed landscapes for numerous new homes and, as an artist, has embraced gardening as “a new palette” for creative expression. Together, they serve as Natural Resource Stewards through the University of New Hampshire Extension and share a deep appreciation for the natural world.
Their Maine journey began in 2022 when they purchased Laura’s childhood home from her mother’s estate. The property already featured an established vegetable garden and scattered flower beds, but the couple quickly recognized its extraordinary potential.
“We knew right away we had a property where we could have multiple gardens,” Laura recalls.
They began by transplanting countless divisions of favorite plants from their previous home in New Hampshire, discovering that Maine’s fertile soil rewarded them almost immediately. “Within the first year, our plants doubled in size due to the fertility of the land,” Tom says.
Each season has brought new additions. A shade garden and flowering hedges were followed by winding paths through open fields, expanded ornamental borders, additional garden rooms, and a larger vegetable garden in one of the property’s sunniest locations.
Today, visitors will find gardens designed to encourage exploration, with each path inviting them to pause, enjoy a view, or discover what lies around the next bend.
“Our aspiration is to create European Renaissance-inspired gardens that make use of the property’s generous open spaces while blending native plants with ornamental and hybridized varieties,” Tom says.
Tom designs and builds the pathways, maintains the meadows, lawns, and trees, and thoughtfully frames vistas that invite visitors to pause and take in the scenery. Laura oversees the flowers and vegetable gardens while managing the planning and record-keeping that supports the property’s continued evolution.
For Laura and Tom, the gardens are less a finished masterpiece than an ever-evolving canvas. Their vision includes expanding the woodland trails and, someday, creating an off-grid retreat where others can enjoy the landscape they continue to shape.
Plan to arrive at 5:30 p.m. to mingle with fellow gardening enthusiasts and enjoy complimentary refreshments before the guided tour begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes as the tour includes exploring outdoor gardens and pathways. Attendees may wish to bring a folding chair for the introductory portion of the program. Note also that parking is limited in the shared driveway, so carpooling is encouraged.
Guests and members are also invited to participate in MBAGC’s optional summer plant swap tradition. Those wishing to participate are encouraged to bring a responsibly propagated plant, rooted division, or seedling from their own garden to exchange with fellow attendees. Plants should be healthy, free of invasive species, and never collected from wild native plant populations or sensitive habitats. The swap is entirely optional, and everyone is welcome to browse, ask questions, and enjoy sharing gardening knowledge.
All community members interested in gardening, sustainability, and beautiful landscapes are encouraged to attend. For more information about this and other events, visit www.mtbluegardenclub.org or email mtbluegardenclub@gmail.com.

GCFM Fall Conference
2026-10-27 08:30 - 15:00 | Snow Pond Center for the Arts, 8 Goldenrod, Sidney, ME, 04330, United States
FALL CONFERENCE 2026
You are cordially invited to
The Garden Club Federation of Maine 95th Fall Conference
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Snow Pond Center for the Arts, 8 Goldenrod Lane, Sidney, ME

MORE INFO COMING SOON!
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED IN ADVANCE
