Archives for "The Local Scoop"

Orchard Valley Garden Club Teaches YMCA Youths About Native Plants, Shrubs, and Wildflowers

On July 9th, 2009, members of the Orchard Valley Garden Club of Southington helped the Earth Day YMCA Camp Sloper students learn about native plants, shrubs, and wildflowers. The event was coordinated by club member and youth project coordinator Carol Dragon. Students made flower bombs, which consisted of soil and seeds wrapped up in a coffee filter, then soaked in water. The students tossed them over to a waste piece of land at a large flower target. The bombs burst on impact spreading out the seeds.

"Be Green with Milford Garden Club"

The Milford Garden Club participated in a “Greening of the Green“ at the Meet the Artists and Artisans Fair on the Milford Green in May. Thousands of people were there at the festival , and many people dropped by our booth, which adjoined the master Gardeners, Milford Trees, and the Milford Environmental Coalition.

Marilyn Wardell, former President of the MGC (who also created the fabulous banner behind the trio), Bunny Elmore, incoming President for the MGC
And Barbara O’Connor, outgoing President for the MGC.

Connie Wood, Marianna Greenlee, and Kathrine Neville ( Horticulture Chair) at the Annuals Table.

Our canopy with all the trimmings. The husbands of two members created the tuteurs for a raffle , which was a big hit at the May Market the next weekend. We had brochures at the booth about invasives, pest alerts, and a brochure explaining what the Milford Garden Club is all about. We had a great response from the public.

Mayor Jim Richitelli is presented with a proclamation declaring him the Greenest Mayor in Connecticut. Left to right: Donna Cotter, Bunny Elmore, Barbara O’Connor (front) , Letty Malone, Mayor Jim Richetelli, Terry Pitt, Marilyn Wardell, and Gayanne Bristol.

Orchard Valley Garden Club Goes Green!

Members of The Orchard Valley Garden Club of Southington, wearing their "GO GREEN" Tees, celebrated Earth Day 2009 by planting at the Calendar House Senior Center.

Colchester Garden Club Members Place at Flower Show

“Roadside Dining - It’s for the Birds” award-winning craft mailbox by Katherine Kosiba, Colchester Garden Club president. (Photo: Marie Kuchy)

Several members of the Colchester Garden Club were first time entrants into the Connecticut Flower Show, an Advanced Standard Flower Show sponsored by the state organization, the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.  Each member’s entry received an award in their chosen division-class.

Horticulture Division – Section H Branches of Trees and Shrubs

Class 38 Needled Evergreens

• Picea pungens “Fat Albert” Blue Spruce, Fran Brouillet, 3rd Place
• Chamaecyparis pisifera filifera “Aurea” Gold Threadleaf Cypress, Katherine Kosiba, 2nd Place

Class 39 - Broadleaf Evergreens

• Pieris japonica “Dorothy Wycoff” Andromeda, Linda Blakita, Honorable Mention
• Ilex x meservea “Blue Princess” Holly, Katherine Kosiba, 3rd Place
• Leucothoe fontanesiana,“Coastal Leocothoe”, Katherine Kosiba, 2nd Place
  

Design Division – Section F

Class 18 “A Garden All in Bloom, “Functional semi-formal table setting for 6 with floral centerpiece,  Katherine Kosiba, 3rd Place

Special Exhibits Division – Section D Artistic Crafts  “Home Sweet Home”

Class 11 Rural Free Delivery – Standard mailbox decorated in live or dried plant material, Katherine Kosiba, 1st place.  This craft, a mailbox, depicting a garden made entirely of various types of bird seed, also won the show’s Artistic Craft Award, a Rosette of Navy Ribbons with Gold Lettering as the highest scoring craft in the entire Artistic Crafts section.

The Colchester Garden Club appreciates the contribution made by members who participated and volunteered at the flower show this year: Linda Blakita, Fran Brouillet, Maria Gaal, Joyce Geiger, Linda Grandy, Katherine Kosiba, Sharon Rusbarsky, Arleen Smith, and Bonnie Trecarten.  The Colchester Garden Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Cragin Memorial Library.  People interested in learning more about the club or becoming members may contact Cathy at 267-8705.

Garden Therapy Projects Done With the Help of the Club

(from the October 22, 2008 FGCCT Awards Luncheon)

"Bloomers," a photography show by members of The Orchard Valley Garden Club of Southington was on display during October in the gallery of The Southington Public Library. Judy Speckmann received "Above All Whimiscal" award for her entry titled "Driftwood Fish."

Marjorie Fuhrman, member of The Orchard Valley Garden Club of Southington, received a Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut Lifetime Membership Award, and was pinned by past recipient Rose Marie Coscia at the club's meeting in October. Marjorie has participated in numerous club projects, chaired many committees, and served as vice president and president. She joined the club approximately eleven years ago when she retired from her job as a registered nurse. Marjorie commented that, "I am proud to receive the award. I enjoy the club and feel that garden club people are just wonderful to be around." Her input on club events and policies will forever be appreciated.

Celebrating Arbor Day each Spring has become a regular event for the Orchard Valley Garden Club of Southington. Club member and certified master gardener, Uta Zickfeld, chaired this years project for replacing trees removed during parking lot construction at the Calendar House in Southington in April. Four trees were donated by the garden club.

Below, the Southington YMCA Earth Campers were treated to a presentation on “The Benefits of Composting” by Orchard Valley Garden Club member Carol Dragon, assisted by club members Yvonne Burgar and Irene Langlais on July 8th. The demonstration included preparing a compost pile using kitchen scraps and green and brown plant materials. The campers collected twigs, leaves and fresh grass clippings, then learned how to layer the materials in a compost bin. Each attendee received a guide book and flowers in cow pots to take home.

The Colchester Garden Club hosted a Floral Design workshop as an introduction to flower show competition. The speaker, Alice Luster, is a Flower Show Judge and member of the Country Gardeners of Glastonbury that recently celebrated their club's 50th anniversary. Alice explained the principles and elements of floral design, demonstrated a line design and a line-mass design before the club members proceeded to make their own designs with autumn flowers and materials. This presentation may spark the creative interest of CGC members to enter the 2009 Connecticut Flower Show!

New Officers and Committee Chairs of the Enfield Garden Club pose for their official picture, below, before digging into some homemade sundaes at their spring installation and social.

The club has been busy this summer working on Phase I of their multi-year project to restore the Barnes Boat Launch on the Connecticut River. Below, members April Sinnock, Linda Connolly, Nancy Wyzga and Team Leader Joanne Kneiss plant one of the four parking islands as part of the project.

Robin DuBois was awarded the Catherine B Pitney Award in Horticulture by the Garden Club of New Haven for maintaining a very special Maidenhair fern for forty years!

The Colchester Garden Club butterfly garden at Harrington Court, which was part of the Garden Therapy along with garden activities/crafts with residents.
We did monthly maintenance at the courtyard today, so the garden looks that much better.

The Essex Garden Club Receives Award for Community Service

The Essex Garden Club has received the Selected Organization Award from the Connecticut Recreation and Parks Association for many past and present accomplishments including being both the original and continuing caretakers of Main Street Park - beautifying the grounds with added plantings, installing picnic tables and benches and cleaning up the debris and trash. They have raised monies and continue to supervise other community groups in their efforts to maintain the park. The club has adopted other parks in Essex as well and use their skills to maintain flower boxes in the center and promote festive doorways during the holidays. Presently they are working with Essex Park and Recreation to involve children in projects such as a garden of native plants and possible a bird feeder and education study project.

From left to right: Judy Winkler, Nancy Hudson, club president Debra Barnes (holding award), Maria Warnagris, George Ann Bardenheier, Renate Houchin

The Arbor Garden Club of Clinton's Heirloom Vegetable "Victory Garden" at the historic Adam Stanton House.

The Arbor Garden Club of Clinton proudly displays this sign at their gardens behind the historic Adam Stanton House. These have been funded in part by grants from National Garden Clubs, Inc., and The Principal Financial Group.