• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
The Hawthorn 
Kitchen Tour 2009: Wednesday, August 5Save the Date!
How would you like to spend a summer’s day strolling into some of the most
beautiful kitchens in the area, where chefs from local restaurants will ply youwith delectable treats from their menus? The annual Merryspring Kitchen Touris your chance to do just that
—
and best of all, the proceeds from this major
fundraiser are a significant contribution to Merryspring’s annual budget. Spread
the word and bring your friends and visitors!
This year’s tour features an array of kitchens in eight lovely homes in Camden,Rockport, and Lincolnville. You’ll see a marvelous variety of kitchen appliances,
materials, and décor. Fifteen chefs will be on hand throughout the day, prepar-ing delicious finger food. As a bonus, homeowners have invited you to visit aglass-art studio and a woodworking shop. As you tour, you will have twochances to win a door prize, dinner at Francine Bistro!
(continued on page 7)
 
Masterson Kitchen
Art, Nature & Design: a Garden Exhibition
 
Sculpture has been integral to the experience of the garden since the dawn of western civilization. This summer
Art, Nature &Design
will bring sculpture to Merryspring. The brainchild of local sculptress Antje Roitzsch, whose muse and teacher is nature, thisexhibition will allow the public to experience several works, all inspired by stages of plant growth. The sculptures will be carefullyplaced throughout the formal garden, dynamic and ever-changing with light, bloom, and growth. Some pieces will be for sale, with20 percent of the cost going to support the park.The first piece,
Flowering
, has been installed in the Children’s Garden and planted with vines of painted
-lady scarlet runner beans
and morning glory. Ms. Roitzsch explains, “Mother nature will do the rest and collaborate with
Flowering
. It will look differentevery week and throughout the season: sprouting, unfolding, blooming, fruiting, seeding, wilting and completely dying off. I ca
n’t
wait to witness the journey this sculpture will take. And, eventually the steel itself will rust.
I didn’t apply any finish, b
ecause the
natural patina, the rust, will be a great color.”
 
In keeping with Ms. Roitzsch’s belief that sculpture should be experienced
directly, children (and adults) are encouraged to touch and interact with herwork. The German word for understanding and comprehending is
begreifen
,
to touch. In following the surface with one’s hand, a deeper understanding
and engagement unfolds.
The opening of Art, Nature & Design will take place Thursday, July 23 from4-6pm.
The community is invited for an evening stroll through the exhibitiongarden and light refreshments. Please leave your pets at home; they are notpermitted in the gardens.
Join the artist for a slide presentation documenting the sculptures’ creation
followed by a guided tour of the exhibition on Thursday, August 13 at5:30pm or Saturday, August 22 at 3:00pm.
Mark Wallack, Antje Roitzsch, and Terry Bradshawinstall 
Flowering 
 
in the Children’s Garden
 
The Hawthorn
 
Summer 2009
 
The Hawthorn Summer 2009Page 2
Kitchen Tour 1Art, Nature & Design 1Delightfully Sour Sorrel 2Call for Nominations 2Education Calendar 3-4Geocaching 5Plant Sale 5Lawn Be Gone! 6Bumble Bees 8
Inside this issue:
MerryspringNature Center
P.O. Box 893, Camden, ME 04843Tel: (207) 236-2239Fax: (207) 230-0663Email: info@merryspring.orgwww.merryspring.org
Mission Statement
Merryspring’s mission is to practice,
teach, and advocate sound principles of ecology, conservation, and horticulture inorder to protect our natural environmentand to provide natural landscapes andcultivated areas for public enjoyment.
Hours of Operation
The park is open free of charge fromdawn to dusk every day of the year. Ouroffices and library are open Tuesday-Friday from 9am to 2pm, or by appoint-ment.
Membership
Individual $35Family $50Business $50-100
Board of Trustees
Margaret E. Barclay, PresidentKathleen Kull, Vice PresidentPatricia B. Algrant, 2nd Vice PresidentFrank Callanan, SecretaryRay AndresenHildy EllisDouglas W. MillerJames SadySusan ShawCarol Woodbury -Witham
Staff 
Toni Goodridge, Administrative Mgr.Gail Sutton, Buildings & Grounds Mgr.Bill Sutton, Buildings & Grounds Assist.
AmeriCorps EnvironmentalEducator
Rachel Potter©2007
—
All Rights Reserved
Delightfully Sour Sorrel
by Meg BarclayHave you been throwing out the baby with the bath-
water? Perhaps, if you’ve been weeding clumps of 
sheep sorrel (
Rumex acetosella
) from your garden andtossing them in the compost. This delectable, grey-green member of the buckwheat family is a delicioussalad green or pot herb.The leaves of this European native, growing in a loosebasal rosette, resemble the head of a sheep with a longnose and two little ears near the stem, giving the plantits common name and most identifying feature (seephoto). Sheep sorrel has naturalized throughout NorthAmerica, flourishing in acid soils. The leaves can becollected from early spring to heavy frost, but are bestbefore the plant sends up its slender stalk pepperedwith tiny reddish flowers.Eaten raw, the tender, vitamin-C-rich greens have alovely, lemony flavor that can be complemented bytossing with olive oil and cracked pepper. Wild sorrelmay also be lightly steamed and served with butter orsubstituted for the milder, commercial species inrecipes for sorrel soup, enhancing the tartness of thedish.Sheep sorrel contains oxalic acid, which should beavoided by those with certain medical conditions,including kidney disease and rheumatoid arthritis.Remember: never eat any plant unless you are sure of its identity. Seek the advice of an experienced wildgatherer. Better yet, join us for our
Food for ThoughtSeries
programs:
Native Perennials and Edibles,
 (sponsored by Aldermere Farm),
Mushrooming, andFall Foraging
(see Education Calendar).
Sheep Sorrel 
(Rumex acetosella
 ), center, seen growing in acid soil amidst Wild Lily-of-the-Valley/Canada may- flower 
(Maianthemum canadense)
and wild low-bushblueberry
(Vaccinium angustifolium)
 
Merryspring Needs You:A call for Nominations
 The Merryspring Board is adynamic and active group with awide range of skills related to allaspects of Merryspring: garden-ing, education, writing, finance,fundraising, natural history, tech-nology, and personnel, to name afew. The board is always seekingto add voices and talents so thatMerryspring can better serve ourcommunity.Our Nominating Committee isseeking new Trustees from nowthrough September 15
th
. If youare interested in becominginvolved in the operations of Merryspring at a deeper level,please send a letter explainingyour interest and a short resumeto
Nominating Committee,Merryspring, P.O. Box 893,Camden, ME 04843.
Visit Merryspring’s Facebook
page where you can check onupcoming programs and events.Go tohttp://www.tinyurl.com/merryspring-facebook/ We hope
you’ll become a fan.
 
 
Merryspring appreciates the freeInternet service provided to it andmany other non-profit groups inMaine by Great Works Internet of Kittery, Maine. Give them a try!
Sign up for our
eUpdates
at
www.merryspring.org 
to receivethe latest news on programs andevents.
 
The Hawthorn
Summer 2009 Page 3
Late Summer-Fall 2009 Education Calendar
FOOD FOR THOUGHT SERIES
Held at Merryspring’s Ross Center. Preregistration Required.
 
Mushrooming with Greg Marley:
Sundays, 9-11:30 a.m.
—
July 19, Aug. 2 & 30, Sept. 13, and Oct. 18; $150 Members/$175 Non-members (includes a field guide).
Acquire the skills to identify and collect common mushrooms of the Maine woodswith a noted mycologist. Call 236-2239 to register.
Native Perennials and Edibles with Rebecca Jacobs:
Sunday, July 19, 2pm; FREE
 –
Sponsored by Aldermere Farm
 
Learn about hardy native perennials and edibles in this lecture. Contact Aldermere Farm at 236-2730 or jjardine@mcht.orgtoregister.
 
Erickson Fields Community Garden Presentation
:
Saturday, September 12, 9am; FREE
 –
Sponsored by Aldermere Farm
 
A collaborative presentation by a number of groups who have had gardening projects at Erickson Fields Preserve CommunityGardens. Contact Aldermere Farm at 236-2739 or jjardine@mcht.orgto register.
Fall Foraging with Arthur Haines:
Talk
—
Saturday, September 19, 7-8pm; $5 Members/$7 Non-members; Workshop
—
Sunday, Sept. 20, 10am-3pm; $45 Members/$65 Non-members. L
earn about the edible, medicinal, and useful wild plants of Maine from this research botanist. Call 236-2239 to register.
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Space is limited. Call 236-2239 for more information or to pre-register.
 
A Children’s Exploration of Nature through Drawing with Kathie Gass:
10:30-11:45am - Tues., June 23; Thurs., July23 & Thurs., Aug. 20; $5 Member family/$8 Non-member family per class. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Explorethe blooms and beasts of the Merryspring gardens with Kathie Gass, artist and teacher.
Designing Continuously Blooming Gardens with Lee Schneller Sligh:
Friday, July 31, 10am-2pm; $30 Members/$40 Non-members. Participants may purchase the required text,
The Ever Blooming Flower Garden
by Lee Schneller Sligh, for$20 (a $5 discount) if they pre-order with registration (10% member discount does not apply).
Join a popular author and gardenexpert for a workshop on garden design. The workshop begins in the classroom and moves out into the garden after lunch.
Turkey Vultures with Barbara Tomlinson of Wild Haven:
 
Friday, August 14, 10-11am; $5 Members/$10 Non-members. Children attend free, but must be accompanied by an adult.
Children of all ages will enjoy bad jokes and fun factswhile seeing this superb glider up close.
FREE PUBLIC EVENTS
 
Bringing Back the American Chestnut with Eric Evans:
Thursday, July 9, 6:30-8:30pm.
The Breeding Coordinator andVice President of the Maine Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation will describe the progress in developing a blight-resistant American chestnut and lead a tour of the breeding orchard at Merryspring.
 
Notes on a Lost Flute: a Field Guide to the Wabanaki
—
Book Signing & Lecture by author Kerry Hardy
Thursday, July 16, 7:00pm.
Join naturalist and author Kerry Hardy for an in-depth look at the traditional food year of theWabanaki people, including an exploration of the plants and animals that sustained them throughout the cycle of seasons. Copies
of Hardy’s new book,
Notes on a Lost Flute: A Field Guide to the Wabanaki 
, will be available for purchase.
Art, Nature & Design:
Exhibition - July 23 to September 30; Opening - Thursday, July 23, 4-6pm; Slide show and GuidedWalk
—
Thursday, August 13, 5:30pm and Saturday, August 22, 3:00pm.
This summer the work of sculptress Antje Roitzsch will beexhibited in the gardens. Take a stroll and enjoy how her abstract, organic pieces interact with the forms of nature.
Energy Auditing with Eric Evans:
Saturday, October 3, 9-11:30am.
Get an in-depth understanding of residential energyaudits. Building Performance Analyst Evans will give a brief introduction followed by a complete demonstration energy audit of 
Merryspring’s Ross Center
 
All-Hallows Eve Enchanted Forest, co-sponsor Ashwood Waldorf School:
Saturday, October 31, Sunset.
A chancefor wee sprites and goblins to be guided through a jack-o-lantern lit wood filled with fairytale vignettes and to enjoy twilightrefreshments in the garden
.
( 
continued on page 4)
 
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...