At garden club party, it was hats off to best chapeaus

Southern Maine Garden Club's Annual Garden Party Hat winners, from left, Carol Moylan, Prettiest Hat; Carol Eddy, Most Creative; and Barbara Abbot, Funniest Hat. (Courtesy photo)

ALFRED, Maine - Southern Maine Garden Club held its recent annual Garden Party and Membership Drive as well as the hotly contended garden hat contest at the Shaker Museum located at 118 Shaker Hill Road, Alfred, ME (www.alfredshakermuseum.com).

Before the festivities began, a number of club members toured the gardens in the front of the museum where a few of the members had helped to enhance earlier in the week. After the garden stroll, a delicious catered supper was served and then the club members voted for the Funniest, Prettiest, and Most Creative garden hats. Prizes were awarded to Barbara Abbot, for Funniest Hat, whose hat was decorated with a hen and her chicks; Prettiest went to Carol Moylan with her hat decorated with lovely flowers and Carol Eddy was voted Most Creative with a patriotic-themed hat.

Linda Aaskov, the curator at the Shaker Museum, took the members on a tour of the museum and spoke devotedly about all the antiques and artifacts the museum has collected over the years. The former Shaker Carriage House is a museum and educational center offering workshops in the arts and crafts as well as events such as the annual music festival. They participate in Alfred Days in July, the September Apple Fest and Maine Maple Sunday in March as well as other events and it is opened for visits May through November on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1-4. (consult the website).

SMGC meets throughout the year at the Springvale Library on the third Wednesday of every month beginning at 6:30 PM (unless otherwise noted). The public is invited to attend to sample our meetings to see if you would like to join us. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 16^th at the Library and it will be a discussion and decision-making forum plus plant exchange. FMI please contact in ME - Paula Frodyma at 207-475-8142or in NH - Donna Claveau at 603-332-4860.