The current month’s Newsletter is first distributed only to members. It will be archived here at the end of the month.
Winter 2021: It’s almost time to curl up with a good book, and boy have we got some great suggestions for you! Our annual edition of book reviews includes some wonderful new titles that make for great reading and offer lots of wonderful ideas for your garden. CT Hort President Cheryl Marino recaps what was a really successful October program featuring Gordon Hayward and our annual bulb sale. We’ve got a wreath workshop coming up in December, held at Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden. Read all about it and register quickly because spots are limited and will fill up. Click here to register now. Our scholarship fundraising is off to a great start, especially thanks to our bulb sale. Our biennial CT Hort Symposium is a go for Saturday, February 5! It will be a virtual event for the first time.
October 2021: Gordon Hayward is our speaker, and we can’t wait to learn about garden rooms. Writer and CT Hort member Jody Morgan tells us how Romani-inspired wagons offer a number of uses in gardens. Writer Roald Dahl was a huge fan. Live hornets nests and other avenues of wonder take center stage in Cheryl’s monthly column. Read all about our very deserving service award recipient. The bulb sale is back! Put your temptation to buy them elsewhere away and join us for the sale at the speaker meeting on October 21, to benefit the CT Hort Scholarship fund. What was our library (full of rare, classic and useful books) is now accessible to you once more from their new homes. Read about how they found their homes and where you can find them now.
September 2021: The history of Ruth Bancroft’s amazing garden, and how her legacy continues today. What are your garden follies? Our President Cheryl Marino chronicles her many crazy and hilarious stories about her adventures in the thick of the blooms. We welcome David McCarthy, our new Director of Marketing & Community Relations. Read and write–a review! We still have books that need reviewing for our Winter Marketplace edition of the newsletter. Don’t forget to sign up for the Kaminski Garden Tour on September 25.
Summer 2021: Just in time for our country’s birthday celebration, read how plants were used to create dyes for our iconic flags. Author and garden preservationist Bill Noble kicks off our speaker season in September to discuss New England Gardens. We want YOU…to be a book reviewer! Find out how to volunteer to help us pull our annual book review together. Look inside for details. Peaches take center stage in our monthly listings of Hort Happenings. Get yours now! The Kaminskis are generously opening their gardens again this year.Â
June 2021: In time for the country’s birthday celebration, read how plants were used to create dyes for our iconic flags. Author and garden preservationist Bill Noble kicks off our speaker season in September to discuss New England Gardens. We want YOU…to be a book reviewer! Find out how to volunteer to help us pull our annual book review together. Look inside for details. Peaches take center stage in our monthly listings of Hort Happenings. The Kaminskis are generously opening up their gardens again this year.
May 2021: Member and writer Tom Christopher describes Abra Lee’s successful search to uncover the historical stories of African-American gardeners. Member and community volunteer Marilynn Palmer explains how the collaborative efforts of several local organizations enhance Hop Brook Landing park in Simsbury. Send in pictures of your Garden Room. Tom Christopher is this month’s speaker and he’ll discuss the gardens of Wave Hill. Nancy DuBrule Clemente will offer a virtual workshop entitled ‘The Weed Wars’ on June 24 at 7 pm. A few seats left for the Philadelphia Flower Show. Member anniversaries recognized.
April 2021: Elizabeth Park Rosarian Peter Winne suggests which roses to buy for your Connecticut garden. Guest speaker Leslie Duthie will talk about her love of ferns in her upcoming presentation – Fronds with Benefits! Gordon Hayward is seeking photos of members’ garden rooms to use in his October talk. Sign up for the trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show. Mehlquist Award nominations requested.
March 2021: 2018 Mehlquist Award recipient Robert Herman suggests perennials for your dry, shade garden. March speaker Karen Perkins will discuss Epimediums: Jewels of the Shade at the March 18 virtual Speaker Meeting. Last call for Service Award nominees. Also accepting nominations for the Mehlquist Award. Help wanted: Director of Communications.
February 2021: Writer and member Jody Morgan provides the history of Sub-Edge Farm. Farm steward Rodger Phillips will discuss working the land at Sub-Edge with his family for the past seven years at the Feb. 18 virtual Speaker Meeting. June trip planned to the Philadelphia Flower Show. Cape Cod holiday trip for 2020 rescheduled for the 2021 holidays. Meet the latest additions to two of our board members families.
January 2021: Garden Media Group’s 2021 Garden Trends Report is summarized. See what’s trending! President Cheryl Marino welcomes the new year. Joseph Tychonievich will take us through his presentation, Confessions of a Plant Nerd at our January meeting. Ballek’s Garden Center reaches out to children with an activity called Gardens of Hope and Gratitude. Philly Flower Show will be outdoors in June this year
Winter 2020: Ten of this year’s gardening books are reviewed by members. President Cheryl Marino shares her end-of-year message. Ellen Ecker Ogden returns on Nov. 12 to give a preview of her upcoming book, The New Heirloom Garden. Welcome new members. When holiday shopping remember our business supporters and nurseries that offer a 10% discount to members. Gardener’s Marketplace will open mid-November to generate funds for scholarships.
October 2020: Learn about the rise and fall in the popularity of daffodils from writer and member Jody Morgan. President Cheryl Marino encourages us to focus on the days ahead. October speaker, Karen Bussolini shows us how to Jazz Up the Garden. Congratulations to Mehlquist Award winner Sarah Bailey and Service Award winner Heidi Wheeler Isaacson. Fall Bulb Sale must go on!
September 2020: Audubon Connecticut lists the Must-Visit Birding Locations in our state. CT Hort office is closing. Joann Vieira is our September guest and will show us how to choose plants for the benefit of local birds. Communications Director Barb Skomorowski is looking for readers to review this year’s gardening books for the Winter issue of our Newsletter. The Auction Committee will try an online auction to generate dollars for college scholarships. Christmas Weekend at Cape Cod is still a go! Visit Sue and Dick Kaminski’s joyful Train Garden for a tour on September 12.