The Garden Club of Buzzards Bay will host a Trunk Show on August 23 and 24from 10 am to 4 pm with more than 20 vendors at the Wamsutta Club, New Bedford. The show will generate funds for the club’s plan to renovate the greenhouse at the Rotch Jones Duff House and Garden Museum.
Vendors will have jewelry, handbags, linens, sleepwear, shoes, hair accessories, needlepoint, clothing for everyone – children, men and women, beachwear, and scarfs. There will be things for the gardener and an array of succulents, stationery, and original art.
“We have a good blend of vendors, some new and other repeats from our last show two years ago. We think the Wamsutta location at 427County St, New Bedford, is perfect, with lots of room for vendors and plenty of parking for shoppers,” said Ellen Christie, chairman of the event. The Wamsutta Club will sell box lunches or lunch is available at nearby restaurants.
The GCBB has many civic projects and a yearly grant program and has maintained three gardens and the greenhouse at the Rotch Jones Duff House and Garden Museum. Club members donated funds in 1982 to rebuild the abandoned greenhouse, but despite good maintenance over the years, it is showing wear and tear and is not energy efficient. Club members are working with RJD staff to develop a plan to bring the greenhouse up to date.
The center of club activities, the greenhouse is where members propagate plants for its May plant sale. Every Tuesday from October to May, approximately 15 members gather to transplant seedlings, groom, and water plants. Members come daily to water and check the greenhouse – even during snowstorms.
“There is a camaraderie around the greenhouse which makes it a very special place for our members and we know it needs to be more energy efficient, while keeping its historic flavor,” said Club President Ruth Jolliffe. “The Trunk Show should put us on track to accomplish its renovation.”
Admission to the show is free.