Garden Thyme programs are held on the third Saturday of each month and are FREE for members of Old Sturbridge Village. Led by Village horticultural and agricultural staff, these programs and workshops are held at various sites and deal with a variety of plant-related themes and topics. Participants gather at the Visitor Center at 10 a.m. each month and are led to the appropriate site or setting. Upcoming programs include:

September 18:  Teaching an Old Herb New Tricks, by Rich Giordano
In the 19th century, some of the medicinal uses of plants were pretty strange. Today, however, some of those same "old" plants are finding new uses in modern medicine.

October 16: The Ins and Outs of Heirloom Bulbs and Tubers, by Christie Higginbottom
Historic gardeners wanted to preserve and propagate their beautiful, fashionable -- and costly -- spring flowering bulbs and dahlia tubers. This session will present useful techniques such as bulb planting for both outdoor and indoor displays, as well as lifting, storing and dividing dahlia tubers. These October garden tasks bring the flower garden season to a close and look forward to the coming year.

November 20: Small Fruits for the Garden, by Rich Giordano
Join us for suggestions, sources and qualities of various small fruits that can be grown in your home garden. (Some fruits that will be discussed are: currants, gooseberries, raspberries, blackberries, quince, black caps, strawberries, blueberries and various "oddball" small fruits.) Site selection and care and pruning information will be covered in this session.

December 18: Gardening by Mail or a Discussion of Garden Catalogs, by Rebecca Robinson
Explore the world of catalog gardening. Discover new gardening catalogs (and websites) and bring your favorites to share with others. Delve into the information available from these publications -- everything from planting advice to storage options to recipes. Find companies that are tailored to New England gardens and gardeners. Share your mail-order experiences with other participants.

(Interested in other Member-only programs?  See Take a Closer Look.)