LEOMINSTER — The Laurelwood Garden Club will open its 2025–2026 season at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at the Leominster Public Library, 30 West St.
Following the business meeting, the program “Fantastical Folktales of Flowers” will begin at 10:30 a.m. Doors open at 10 a.m. and the event is free and open to the public.
“In this enchanting live theatrical performance, Oracle Award–winning storyteller Diane Edgecomb will delight the audience with dramatic and charming stories that conjure a magical world, bringing new meaning to favorite garden flowers,” said Julie Palioca, public relations chair, program committee member, and beautification chair for the Laurelwood Garden Club.
The centerpiece of the performance is Edgecomb’s original adaptation of the Persian legend “Nightingale and Rose”, weaving together evocative tales of how its beauty came to be.
Also featured are a humorous Native American story about the maiden “Dandelion”, the dramatic tale of the indulgent “Narcissus”, and a beautiful duet about the Victorian-era “Language of Flowers.”
A theatre artist as well as a master storyteller, Edgecomb is known for embodying each character and scene, bringing her tales vividly to life.
She will be joined by long-time collaborator Margot Chamberlain, whose Celtic harp and song provide a poetic backdrop to each story.
Together, the duo has been featured on NPR, at national storytelling festivals, and at venues across the country. Edgecomb has received the National Oracle Award for Storytelling Excellence in the Northeast and five Storytelling World Awards.
“This program is a delightful weave of storytelling, music, and song for adults,” said Palioca. “Expect to laugh, to be moved, and to leave your cares behind.”
This event is supported in full by a grant from the Fitchburg Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Upcoming Laurelwood Garden Club programs
The program, “Who’s Protecting Our Wetlands”, will be presented at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at the Fitchburg Historical Society, 781 Main St.
On Friday, Nov. 14, at 9 a.m., the program “Adventures in Propagation” will be held at the Fitchburg Historical Society.
The Laurelwood Garden Club will host its Annual Holiday Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at Slattery’s Restaurant, 106 Lunenburg St. Members will also enjoy a tree ornament exchange.
The club’s Annual Scholarship Tea is planned for Saturday, Jan. 31, from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the Fitchburg Art Museum, 185 Elm St. Themed tablescapes, savories, sweets, and English-Irish tea will be enjoyed by all.
The ever-so-popular Annual Art in Bloom, held in partnership with the Fitchburg Art Museum, will be held from Thursday, April 23, 2026 through Sunday, April 26, 2026.
During the summer, the club continued its civic beautification project by designing and maintaining the floral garden in the historic cast-iron horse trough at Renaissance Park, located on Main Street in Fitchburg – a project supported by a Fitchburg Cultural Council grant.
“This lush colorful floral display is currently in full bloom for the public to continue to enjoy before the season ends,” said Palioca
Members also enjoyed their fifth annual Picnic in the Park in July, with an ‘un-birthday’ party theme, trivia, and games.”
The Laurelwood Garden Club meets on the second Friday of each month, September through June, at various local venues.
The club is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts, Inc. and is affiliated with the National Garden Clubs, Inc., New England Region.
Membership and meetings are open to guests and those interested in gardening, floral design, and the club’s programs. For more information, please contact Julie Palioca at 978-537-7630.
The Laurelwood Garden Club continued its civic beautification project by designing and maintaining the floral garden in the historic cast-iron horse trough at Renaissance Park, Main Street. Fitchburg – a project supported by a Fitchburg Cultural Council grant. The flowers are still in full bloom. (COURTESY OF LAURELWOOD GARDEN CLUB)
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