May Day showers and chilly late spring temps did not at all dampen the spirits of the 18 or so members of the Boothbay Region Garden Club (BRGC) who traveled to Brunswick for the annual meeting of the Medomak District of the Garden Club Federation of Maine (GCFM). Hosted this year by the Topsham Garden Club, the district also includes the garden clubs of Bath, Wiscasset and Camden. In addition to celebrating that association, the year's accomplishments of each of the five clubs were heralded and several individuals were recognized for their specific contributions, either to the district or their home organization.

BRGC's Carol Lingard was recognized for her six-year term as district treasurer and Claire Tomlin, also of Boothbay Harbor, was installed as treasurer for the 2017-2019 district term. BRGC President Mimi O'Neill awarded Certificates of Appreciation to Kathleen Marty for her masterful coordination of the 2016 Festival of Trees and to Carole Zalucky for her work as publicity chair.

In keeping with the 2016 District theme of "Sowing Seeds for Success," incoming director, Emily Adler (Wiscasset), adjourned the business part of the meeting with an enduring Indian proverb that reads, "All of the flowers of all the tomorrows are held in the seeds of today,” a maxim from which we can all take good counsel — both literally and figuratively.

Following lunch, executive director of the Wild Seed Project, Heather McCargo, presented "Going Native: Using Native Perennials, Shrubs and Trees," an informative slide show of plants and shrubs native to Maine. McCargo offered her expertise for the propagation of these plants, some of which are nearly extinct even in their native environment.

The Wild Seed Project is a non-profit organization in Maine that encourages the use of native plants to promote biodiversity, bring about plant adaptation in the face of climate change, preserve wildlife habitats, and create pollination and migration corridors for insects, birds and other wildlife. Information about the organization and how to order seeds can be found at info@wildseedproject.net.

The Boothbay Region Garden Club and the Garden Club Federation of Maine, Inc. are members of the New England Garden Clubs, Inc.(NEGC) and National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC). Watch for BRGC notices regarding the upcoming plant sale on May 20, 8 a.m. to noon on the Boothbay Common.