By RACHEL WACHMAN
For the Insider
A garden club recently bloomed in Chichester. With the warmer weather, gardeners are taking advantage of the sunshine and getting outside to interact with plants.
The club, which began in February, meets at the Chichester Town Library on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.
“There used to be a garden club years ago, but it fizzled out around COVID,” said Garden Club founder Erin Chase. “I moved to town last June and had inquired about any garden groups and heard that there wasn’t a current club. I got such a huge response from the town that I decided to reach out to see the interest in hopes that a town group might be revived.”
She described the club meetings as “informative, friendly and inviting.” People looking to attend don’t need to bring a live plant with them.
At this month’s meeting, club members will join in a class taught by Chichester resident author and herbalist Maria Noël Groves. The class, titled “Backyard Medicine Garden: Herbs & Helpful Weeds for Sleep,” will be held Wednesday, May 21, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Grange Hall.
“Learn about the medicinal benefits of the garden plants and weeds right in your backyard,” Groves wrote on her website. “We’ll explore remedies and herbs that are safe and effective, including common support herbs from the bedtime tea aisle to your lawn, woods, and nearby fields near you.”
Chase said she is excited to see the turnout and the connections that bloom from the event.
“We are thrilled to be co-hosting Maria’s herb class in the Grange, and we can’t wait to meet more people in our community,” she said. “When our communities strengthen, we grow together.”
Groves’s class is free and open to the public. Registration is needed. After the class, Groves will sign all her copies of her three books, “Body into Balance,” “Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies,” and “Herbal Remedies for Sleep.”
Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com