Connecticut Horticultural Society

Barn Talk: Signs of Spring: Connecticut’s Ephemerals and Early Risers
2026-04-18 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Hollister House Garden, 300 Nettleton Hollow Road, Washington, CT, 06759
The first signs of spring appear in forms both subtle and spectacular. While the horticultural industry highlights familiar favorites like crocuses, snowdrops, and daffodils, it is our native flora that truly reveal the start of spring in Connecticut. Join field botanist Heather Liljengren for an engaging introduction to our local early risers – the enchanting native ephemerals, graceful sedges and flowering trees that are our true harbingers of spring. Learn what signs to look for on your own walks and woodland explorations as our New England landscape begins to wake up.
Heather Liljengren is the owner of LocalLand Consulting LLC and has over 17 years of professional experience botanizing throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England. She works closely with land trusts, farmers, landscape design firms, and homeowners to support the management, conservation, and restoration of native flora and regional habitats. Her extensive knowledge of local plant communities is grounded in her experience managing native seed collection programs for government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
HHG Members $30
Non-members $40 (includes admission to the garden)

The AWE Program Budget Raised Bed Build Workshop
2026-04-18 10:00 - 12:00 | 183 Windsor Ave. Windsor, CT 06095, 183 Windsor Ave, Windsor, CT, 06095, United States
Join us for a hands-on Budget Raised Bed Build with Travis Stewart of Farm With Me LLC. This interactive workshop approaches gardening through an affordability and accessibility lens, showing participants how growing food can be practical, low-cost, and achievable for anyone.
Together, we’ll build a raised garden bed using upcycled pallets and other inexpensive, easy-to-find materials. Participants will work alongside the educator, learning DIY techniques, material sourcing tips, and creative ways to reuse what you already have. Whether you’re new to gardening or looking for budget-friendly solutions, this workshop will provide practical skills you can take home and replicate in your own space.
This is a free, hands-on workshop focused on making gardening more accessible, sustainable, and community-driven. No experience necessary — just come ready to learn and build together.

Nature’s Pharmacy: How Modern Remedies Are Derived from the Natural World by Dayne Laskey | Lecture & Lunch
2026-04-22 11:00 - 14:00 | Pond House Café, 1555 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT, 06117
Dayne’s lecture will focus on how careful observation, chemistry, and the scientific method transform plants from garden curiosities into reliable medicines.
Dayne Laskey, PharmD, DABAT is a professor, practicing pharmacist, and clinical toxicologist based in West Hartford, Connecticut. He actively cares for patients at Hartford Hospital, where he helps diagnose and treat poisonings and adverse effects from medications, plants, chemicals, and environmental exposures. Dr. Laskey is also the founder and curator of the University of Saint Joseph Medicine Garden at Elizabeth Park, which houses over 30 species of medicinal plants, many of which have contributed directly to the development of modern pharmaceuticals.
Lecture & Lunch: $50

A Plant Doctor’s Checkup on Tree Health with Dr. James Lamondia
2026-04-22 18:00 - 19:30 | CT
Join us as Plant Pathologist Dr. LaMondia from The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station discusses the diseases, pests, and stresses affecting trees in CT and how to improve the health of trees in our landscapes. Free admission.
Enfield Senior Center, 299 Elm Street, Enfield

Rhododendron Society of Connecticut Annual Banquet and Spring Plant Auction
2026-04-23 18:30 - 21:30 | Elizabeth Park, 1561 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT, 06117
The Connecticut Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society’s Annual Banquet and Spring Plant Auction to be held on Thursday, April 23th at The Pond House in West Hartford. The success of this auction funds much of the Society’s yearly expenses for speakers and community service projects. Participation, by donating plants in for the auction that might be of interest to our Members and guests (Rhododendrons are welcome, but so are any other plants that might be of interest) and to bid on those plants you would like to take home. We also continue to benefit from the continued generosity of some local nurseries and arboreta, which we truly appreciate as well.
Details below
Rhododendron Society of Connecticut
Annual Banquet and Spring Plant Auction
Please bring plants and guests to the auction
Thursday April 23, 2026
Social Hour/Cash Bar 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Tuscan Crudités and Cheese-Board
Dinner 6:30 PM
POND HOUSE CAFÉ
Elizabeth Park, 1555 Asylum Avenue
West Hartford, CT
MENU
Romaine, spinach, radicchio, with pear, cherries, almonds,
Gorgonzola and raspberry vinaigrette
Choice of One Entrée:
• Beef Tenderloin, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, hericot vert bundle, and veal demi
• Seared Salmon, cauliflower mousseline, lentils w capers, tomatoes, onions, spinach
• Chicken Forestiere, wild mushroom brandy sauce, served over wild rice pilaf
• Vegetarian Lasagna, house-made pasta incl. vegetables, ricotta, marinara and mozzarella
Dessert: Carrot cake, coffee and tea
Price is $44.00 per plate, which includes service charge.
Auction will begin after dessert
If interested or more information send email ctrody@gmail.com.

Gardening with Frog & Toad
2026-04-23 19:00 - 20:00 | 40 Dyer Ave, Canton, CT 06019, 40 Dyer Ave, Canton, CT, 06019
A garden filled with peeps, trills, quacks, or croaks from our native frogs and toads is one of the fastest ways to judge the health of your local ecosystem. Learn how to garden to help the amphibian populations in your yard and beyond.

This lecture is part of a series in memory of Marcia Reid Marsted. The lecture series has been designed by the Roaring Brook Nature Center and presented in cooperation with Canton Public Library and the Gallery on the Green.
Free Admission

Harwinton Land Trust Annual Meeting
2026-04-23 19:00 - 20:30 | Harwinton Public Library, 80 Bentley Dr., Harwinton, CT, 06791
Presentation by Bill Yule
An Introduction to Mushrooms and Amateur Mycology
Bill Yule is a retired high school Biology teacher and environmental educator, naturalist and amateur mycologist. He currently works at the Connecticut Agricultural Research Station in the Mycology Lab.

Grow with Us: Spring Open House
2026-04-24 08:00 - 14:00 | SiteOne Landscape Supply, 899 Marshall Phelps Road, Windsor, CT, 06095, United States
Spring is here and we can’t wait to see you at SiteOne! We’ve put a ton of work in this season with more Nursery Stock than ever before and we would love for you to come check it out.
Hang out with us for some Coffee & Breakfast, tour the yard and meet with our variety of Hardscape Vendors. Wondering what we’ll have in stock? This is the perfect time to find out. Have questions for an Arborist? The Ask an Arborist table is here for you. Bring photos, bring friends.
See you Friday, April 24th any time between 8 and 2. We will be open all day!

Fine Art & Flowers at the Wadsworth Atheneum
2026-04-24 10:00 - 2026-04-26 17:00 | The Wadsworth, 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT, 06103
Experience the flowers at their freshest! As a valued member, you’re invited to an exclusive first look at the stunning floral arrangements. During this special member morning, designers will be on-site at their arrangements to share insights into their floral interpretations of the artwork. Registration encouraged. Keep an eye on your inbox for the link to register.
A $5 surcharge is added to all admissions during this annual fundraiser, presented by the Friends of The Wadsworth. All proceeds support exhibitions and education programs at the museum.

Barn Talk: The Tasteful Garden: Kitchen Garden Favorites with White Flower Farm
2026-04-25 10:00 - 11:30 | Hollister House Garden, 300 Nettleton Hollow Road, Washington, CT, 06759
White Flower Farm Nursery Manager Barbara Pierson shares her favorite plant selections for today’s kitchen gardens. Drawing from the farm’s extensive trial gardens, Barb will spotlight outstanding edible varieties—including proven All-America Selections (AAS) winners—that deliver great flavor, high performance, and reliability. She’ll share practical, low-maintenance growing techniques, along with smart choices for small spaces and patio containers. Essential cultural basics will also be covered, including soil preparation, fertilizing, spacing, managing insects and disease, and knowing when and how to harvest for the best flavor. Along the way, you’ll discover creative ways to pair edibles with ornamentals to create beautiful, productive combinations that not only look great, but also attract pollinators and support a healthy garden ecosystem.
Barb Pierson is celebrating 26 years as Nursery Manager at White Flower Farm in Litchfield, CT. Her responsibilities include greenhouse production of hundreds of species of plants including vegetables. As Kitchen Garden trial manager, she grows dozens of new and heirloom vegetables assessing their performance for vigor, harvest and taste. In 2025, WFF became an All-American Selections trial garden further expanding the selection of seed varieties for both ornamentals and edibles. Barb heads up the biological control program at WFF, and all edibles are grown using natural methods. She is a graduate of Cornell University and grew up in a family greenhouse business. Her passions include the fascinating world of plants and mentoring future gardeners.
HHG Members $30
Non-members $40 (includes admission to the garden)

Earth Day Celebration
2026-04-25 10:00 - 17:00 | Grace Farms, 365 Lukes Wood Road, New Canaan, CT, 06840, United States
Grace Farms’ annual Earth Day celebration offers a family-friendly day inspired by our season’s programmatic theme, “We all build.” Explore the many ways intentional design can benefit humans and nature through hands-on activities, nature-inspired arts and learning, and endless fun for all ages.

Gardeners of Simsbury Speaker Series: Mycology featuring Bob Marra
2026-04-28 19:00 - 20:00 | Simsbury Public Library, 725 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, CT, 06070, United States
Have you ever wondered how “that” mushroom got there? What about that yellow blob that seems to appear spontaneously in your mulch? Did you know that many plants, including the trees in our forests, could not survive without the important associations their roots establish with fungi? This talk will introduce the audience to the fascinating world of the poorly understood Kingdom Fungi, and discuss the important role of fungi in our forests.

Gardens of the Gilded Age by Jana Milbocker | Lecture & Lunch
2026-04-29 11:00 - 14:00 | Pond House Café, 1555 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT, 06117
During the Gilded Age in America (1870-1920), wealthy industrialists, such as the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and Gardeners, built extravagant homes and gardens that rivaled the palaces and villas of Europe. Gardens of the Gilded Age showcases a selection of estates all down the East Coast, diving into their histories and the elements that make them striking and unique. Each garden profile includes enticing information about the estate’s owners, history, and the evolution of the garden, including significant plants and architectural features. Enjoy beautiful color photographs of the gardens and mansions, augmented by historic photos of the owners and the gardens when they were first built. Along the way, learn the Gilded Age intriguing garden history, its international movement, and the associated trends.
Jana Milbocker is an avid gardener, designer, speaker, and author. She combines horticulture, design, and travel tips to educate, inspire and delight both new and seasoned gardeners. Jana loves to visit gardens and historic sites and share her trips through her books, photos and blog. She is the author of garden travel guides to the Mid-Atlantic, New England and Florida, and has lectured at a multitude of flower shows, horticultural societies, garden clubs, and libraries. Jana also organizes tours to beautiful gardens in the U.S. and abroad. Jana is the owner of Enchanted Gardens, a landscape design firm in the Boston area.
Lecture & Lunch: $50 / Book: Gardens of the Gilded Age ($39.95) — Pre-order at: enchantedgardensdesign.com

Enfield Garden Club Annual Plant Sale
2026-05-02 08:00 - 12:00 | Enfield Senior Center, 299 Elm Street, Enfield, CT, 06082, United States
Every May the Enfield Garden Club hosts a sale of perennials, annuals, herbs, and vegetables that do well in our area. Plants from our greenhouse, members’ gardens, and area growers will be for sale at this popular spring event. Cash and credit cards accepted, rain or shine.

Our annual plant sale is the main fundraiser for the club’s activities so come and join the fun!

May Market and Plant Sale
2026-05-02 09:00 - 13:00 | Cheshire Youth Center, 559 South Main Street | Cheshire, CT, 559 South Main Street, Cheshire, CT, 06410
The market will include a variety of beautiful plants including perennials and annuals grown in sterile, soilless mixes. There will also be a selection of tomatoes, herbs, lettuce and other vegetables. The market will also feature houseplants in decorative containers, themed raffle baskets, as well as a garden-related and decorative tag sale. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions, 9-12.

Barn Talk: Skip the Mulch! Native Ground Cover Solutions
2026-05-02 10:00 - 11:30 | Hollister House Garden, 300 Nettleton Hollow Road, Washington, CT, 06759
Say goodbye to boring mulch and hello to a living carpet of flowers and foliage! Let horticulturist Dr. Duncan Himmelman introduce you to a versatile mix of resilient native plants—and a few well-behaved exotics—that act as living mulch, nourishing soil, suppressing weeds, retaining moisture, and attracting wildlife. He’ll show you how to select and combine the right plants for sun or shade, dry or damp, and care for them in ways that will boost both the beauty and long-term health of your garden. Learn how to kick the mulch habit and embrace a better alternative.
Duncan Himmelman, PhD, earned his doctorate at Cornell University and taught horticultural science at the college level for 24 years. He later directed adult education programs at the New York Botanical Garden and Mt. Cuba Center, a public garden in Delaware dedicated to native plant conservation. In retirement, he continues to share his passion for plants through teaching, landscape design, and advocating for ecologically sustainable gardening practices.
HHG Members $30
Non-members $40 (includes admission to the garden)

Gardens of the Brandywine Valley May 4-8, 2026
2026-05-04 - 2026-05-08 | CT
Enjoy a spectacular trip through the gardens of the Brandywine Valley for four nights and five days.

Stops during the trip include the Mansion at Andalusia, Winterthur, Mt. Cuba Center, Jenkins Arboretum, Chanticleer, Valley Flowers, Tyler Arboretum, Longwood Gardens, Greenwood Gardens and more! You’ll be staying at the Mendenhall Inn.
Cost: $1749 pp double / $2079pp single
Based on 30 passenger minimum
CT Hort Members will receive a $50.pp discount
FOR RESERVATIONS: www.friendshiptours.net or call Barbara at Friendship Tours: 860-243-1630
Click here for a brochure.

Gardeners of Simsbury Annual Plant Sale Fundraiser
2026-05-07 09:00 - 18:00 | 860 Litchfield Turnpike, New Hartford, CT, 860 Litchfield Turnpike, New Hartford, CT, 06057, United States
Support the Gardeners of Simsbury! Bring home something for Mother’s Day or get your flats and hanging baskets. Vegetables, herbs, perennials, natives and more!

New trip to Andalusia, Spain (May 8-19, 2026)
2026-05-08 - 2026-05-19 | CT
The tour includes transfers to and from Seville/Malaga airports for arrival and departure, transportation to all destinations, eleven nights lodging in Four Star Hotels, breakfast daily, 10 group lunches, six group dinners, host throughout tour–Cole Burrell, a local guide throughout the tour, admissions to all parks and gardens, guided tours and excursions, hotel taxes and service charges, gratuities for your tour host, gratuities to your local driver and guides.

The tour is limited to 24 passengers:$5,495.00 Land Price — Double Occupancy $1,400.00 Single Supplement PRICING FOR 15-19 TRAVELERS$5,895.00 Land Price — Double Occupancy $1,400.00 Single Supplement Fewer than 15 travelers may result in a small surcharge. Don’t purchase air flight until you have been advised that the minimum registration has been reached. FOR RESERVATIONS: www.friendshiptours.net or call Barbara at Friendship Tours at 860-243-1630.
Click here for the brochure.

Mother's Day Plant Sale from the Wilton Garden Club
2026-05-08 12:00 - 2026-05-09 14:00 | Town Green at Wilton Center, 101 Old Ridgefield Rd, Wilton, CT, 06897
Continuing its illustrious tradition, on Friday, May 8th from 12:00-6:00pm, and Saturday, May 9th from 10:00am-2:00pm, the Wilton Garden Club will hold its 87th annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale at the Wilton Town Center gazebo. This event will be held rain-or-shine, and this year will be fully tented!
Whether looking for the perfect gift for mom, or a spectacular addition to one’s own garden, visitors will find:

Locally-grown and dug perennials and shrubs
Pollinator-friendly native species
Annuals, and organic vegetable and herb plants grown from seed in the club’s own greenhouse
A specially curated selection of rare dahlias
Magnificent hanging baskets
Unique bouquets and creative floral gifts designed and crafted by club members.

New this year: WGC’s Certified Master Gardeners will be wearing special identifying badges and circulating throughout the sale to lend their expert advice to curious shoppers and garden newbies. The Annuals Committee will also be providing bespoke garden solutions with a new service to help shoppers select specialized plants for container gardening, and even pot their selections on-site in compostable paper pulp planters. And if those shopping carts start to feel heavy, the Wilton Boy Scouts will be on hand to help customers carry and load their purchases into their vehicles.
Proceeds from the plant sale are used for WGC’s many philanthropic efforts which include:

Maintaining most of the gardens in town (Post Office, Veteran’s Memorial, town sign at Rtes. 7/33, Schenck’s Island Chess Park and Horseshoe Rd. Garden)
Cultivating native plants and eradicating invasive plants throughout Wilton
Garden Therapy workshops with seniors at Comstock Community Center
Holiday decorations throughout Wilton
Holiday garden baskets to seniors through Wilton Social Services
Charitable donations to nonprofits such as Norwalk River Valley Trail, Norwalk River Watershed, Wilton Historical Society, Wilton Library, Green Teens at Trackside and Woodcock Nature Center, to name just a few.

See you on the green!

Seeing Red (Why Friends Don’t Let Friends Plant Burning Bush)
2026-05-08 19:00 - 20:00 | 70 Gracey Rd, 70 Gracey Road, Canton, CT, 06019
Nationwide, three million acres are lost each year to non-native invasive plants. Removal is expensive & time-consuming. Learn what makes these plants so damaging and how gardeners can restore ecological balance to our neighborhoods.
This lecture is part of a series in memory of Marcia Reid Marsted. The lecture series has been designed by the Roaring Brook Nature Center and presented in cooperation with Canton Public Library and the Gallery on the Green.
Free Admission. Pre-registration preferred

Essex Garden Club May Market
2026-05-09 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-09 09:00 - 13:00 | Essex Town Park, Main Street, Essex, CT, 06426
The Essex Garden Club’s May Market has been a major Springtime event in Essex for more than 70 years. This most important fundraising event for the club began as a small plant sale across from the Griswold Inn and has grown into a garden extravaganza now held in the Town Park. It features annuals, members’ perennial plants, herbs, shrubs and fresh-cut flowers, as well as garlic salt, gently-used home and garden treasures, garden gifts, and jewelry.

Quiet Corner Garden Club Plant Sale
2026-05-09 09:00 - 12:00 | Woodstock Fairgrounds, Rte 169 Woodstock CT, 281 Rte 169, Woodstock, CT, 06281
Perennials, annuals, herbs, veggies, hanging baskets, natives, fresh flower arrangements, garden-themed gifts and more! Join us for the largest plant sale in the Quiet Corner in the AG Building at the Woodstock Fairgrounds. Open til noon or sell-out. All proceeds support Scholarships and Civic projects. No pets, please.

Leete's Island Garden Club Plant Sale
2026-05-09 09:00 - 12:00 | Southwest corner of the Guilford Green, Whitfield Street, Guilford, CT, 06437, United States
The annual event features member grown annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs and hanging pots. Proceeds fund civic projects and educational events.
Event information: 203-453-0780
Rain date, May 10.

In-person presentation: The Language of Butterflies
2026-05-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Cheshire Congregational Church, 111 Church Drive, Cheshire, CT, 06410, United States
Butterflies are one of the world’s most beloved insects. Find out more about them and what draws us to these creatures.
Journalist Wendy Williams invites you to learn “The Language of Butterflies” and reveal the critical role lepidoptera play in our world.

The World of Peonies
2026-05-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Rd., Avon, CT, 06001, United States
This talk will cover all the basics of identifying, appreciating and growing peonies. Daniel Furman of Cricket Hill Garden in Thomaston, CT will dive into the diverse world of peonies. From their roots as medicinal plants in China and Europe, to symbols of wealth and presigate in Imperial China, and finally to a perennial suitable for almost any landscape today, peonies hold a special place in the hearts of gardeners the world over. The talk will intertwine the rich history of this storied plant along with practical advice on growing great peonies in New England.
Free to attend. Register at www.avonctlibrary.info
Co-sponsored by the Garden Club of Avon & Avon Library
Program will be held at the Avon Library, 281 Country Club Rd., Avon, CT
Dan Furman is co-owner Cricket Hill Garden, a second generation specialty nursery and forest farm, in Thomaston, CT. Since joining the business in 2010, he has worked to expand the peony production program at the nursery, as well as diversify the stock grown to include unusual landscape and forest edibles.

The History of Salt Haymaking in New England Marshes
2026-05-12 12:00 - 14:00 | Nathanael Greene Community Center, 32 Church Street, Guilford, CT, 06437
Leete’s Island Garden Club hosts Shaun Roche, Visitor Services Manager of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Center, who will present a talk which will include salt marsh ecology and historical photos of haymaking in our local marshes.
For more information about this free event and to register, please call 203-453-0780

Board Meetings
2026-05-12 19:00 - 20:00 | CT

May In Bloom Flower Show presented by the Garden Club of Newtown
2026-05-13 - 2026-05-15 | Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street, Newtown, CT, 06470
An NGC standard flower show open and free to the public on the following dates in May:
Wed, 5/13: 1:00 pm–8:00 pm, Thurs, 5/14: 9:00 am–8:00 pm, Friday, 5/15: 9:00 am –8:00 pm
To access more information about this show and to register to enter please see the website as indicated.
