The Changing Connecticut Forests With Elizabeth Ward, PhD
Dr. Ward is a Forest Ecosystem Ecologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and leads a research program focused on forest ecosystem health and resiliency. She received her BS in Biology from Brown University and MS and PhD from the Forestry School at the Yale School of the Environment. Her current research examines how changing conditions in Connecticut, such as tree mortality from invasive pests and pathogens are shifting the structure and composition of forests and ecosystem services they provide.
“Improving Soil in Home Gardens” With Gregory Bugbee
Gregory Bugbee is an expert in soil fertility, potting media, composting, and the utilization of composted biosolids in horticulture. He is in charge of soil testing in New Haven and holds state supervisory licenses in tree care, turf and ornamentals, and aquatic weed control. He works with the public to solve soil & water-related problems. He is employed by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
“Hands on – A Kokedama Workshop” With Mary Ann Tyma
Kokedama originated with the Nearai bonsai method, an art form centuries old. It refers to plants grown so compact and tightly that, when removed from a container, they hold well-grown roots and soil, forming a compact ball. In this workshop, you will create your own kokedama.
“Revamp & Renew: A Planning Strategy for the Already Established Garden” With Marsha Ackerman
Landscape Designer Marsha Ackerman will discuss planning techniques for the existing garden. She will discuss how to reexamine what you have in your garden for better balance, year-round interest, health, ecological benefit, and general success.
Marsha is the owner of Second Bloom Design, LLC, located in Woodbridge, CT. She assists homeowners in creating an artistic vision for their landscaping, developing a plan to execute that vision in an ecologically sustainable way, and providing the education to care for their investment.
“Meadow Gardens” With Kelsey Fisher, PhD
Kelsey Fisher is a PhD scientist with an interest in meadow gardens. She researches insect movement and dispersal ecology, behavior, pollinator conservation, agriculture pest management, and spatial modeling and analyses. She augments her research with knowledge of insect-plant interactions, chemical ecology, and insect behavior.
"Darling Kitchen Garden" with Leslie Martino
At this, our Annual Meeting, we will host a luncheon with Silent Auction as our designated annual fundraiser. Reminder: according to our club bylaws, participation in the annual fundraiser is a requirement of membership.
Additionally, Leslie Martino, who is a member of our Club, will speak on her design for the Darling House kitchen garden, property formerly owned by Abigail and Thomas Darling. The Darling House is owned by the Town of Woodbridge and its preservation as a museum is overseen by the Amity & Woodbridge Historical Society.
Leslie received her training at Harvard University’s Landscape Institute in both Landscape Design and Landscape History. She has been actively involved in the management of our local land trust, as well as chaired the National Garden Club’s CT Chapter of Landscape Design School. She lectures on a variety of gardening topics throughout the state. She also enjoys creating and teaching floral design and her role as a National Garden Club Life Flower Show Judge. Leslie is a Certified Accredited Nursery Professional. Leslie’s work has included designs for parkland, gardens with historic influences, and municipal memorial gardens.
“Holiday Decorations from Nature’s Bounty” With Carol King Platt
Carol King Platt is a former Contributing Editor at House & Garden Magazine and for 23 years wrote a weekly garden Column for the New London Day. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Traditional Home Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens.
She takes as her topics the classic themes of great literature, that is to say, Life, Death, Sex and Rhododendrons. Carol lectures regularly about flower arranging. In the past, she designed gardens throughout CT, RI, MA & NY.
Carol is the past chair of the Landscape Design Council of Connecticut and is a member of the Connecticut Unit of the Herb Society of America and the Wallingford Garden Club.
Carol lives and gardens with her husband, Rose and Rhododendron guy, Ted Platt, at Rose Cottage in Wallingford, CT.
A Gathering and Plant Swap
This is a private event. Please check directory for details.
Annual Meeting Luncheon Fundraiser
After many years, we will host a luncheon with Silent Auction as our annual fundraiser. Reminder: according to our club bylaws, participation in the annual fundraiser is a requirement of membership.
Historic House & Garden Tour with Eva Chiamulera
Field Trip to ColorBlends House & Spring Garden
Eva is a landscape architect from Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC. She specializes in horticulture, garden design & historic preservation.
https://www.austinganimlandscapedesign.com
“Great Trees and Shrubs for Sustainable Landscapes” with Karen Bussolini
Karen Bussolini (https://www.karenbussolini.com/) is a widely-published garden photographer, speaker, writer, NOFA-Accredited Organic Land Care Professional and eco-friendly garden coach.
She is now the Senior Horticultural Advisor at White Flower Farm.
Karen has been a gardener as long as she can remember. She trained as a painter and had a career as an architectural photographer before turning her attention entirely to gardens.
Her work explores the many ways gardening connects us to our place on earth and to each other.
Time: 6:30 p.m. – Refreshments; 7:00 – Program. If you want, wear a hat to celebrate spring!
Place: Bethany Town Hall, 40 Peck Road, Bethany
Exciting New Plants for 2024 with Kevin Wasilewski
Kevin is Head of the Plant Department at Van Wilgen’s Garden Center in Guilford and current President of the Connecticut Dahlia Society. In addition to discussing new plants for the upcoming season, Kevin will talk about unusual color additions to the garden.
https://www.vanwilgens.com
He will bring plants for sale!
Growing Microgreens with Stephanie Berluti
Stephanie is the owner of South Haven Farm, 858 Oakwood Road, Orange, CT, a diverse vegetable farm specializing in salad green, roots & seasonal favorites. Her mission is to provide quality organic produce to the local community while maintaining a minimum impact on the land which provides for us.
Connecticut Gardens: A Celebration of the State's Historic, Public and Private Gardens with Caryn B. Davis
An award-winning photographer, journalist and best-selling author specializing in architectural, garden and travel photography, Caryn’s career has spanned the globe taking her to more than 50 countries. Her images and articles have appeared in over 60 publications worldwide including The New York Times, Town & Country, The Wall Street Journal, Fine Art Connoisseur, New Zealand Geographic and others. Caryn’s talk, based on her new book, will take us on a visual tour of some of Connecticut’s most breathtaking historic, public and private gardens.
Holiday Time
This is a private event for Club members only. Please check your directory!
The Magic of Foraged Materials
Members will be given the opportunity to create charming arrangements with materials foraged from their backyard or roadside. Please bring a container, clippers and interesting plant material (branches, greens, berries, seed pods etc.).
Alternatives to oasis will be demonstrated.
Additional flowers will be available to enhance the naturalistic designs.
Please note: Because the Club needs to purchase materials for this workshop, members wanting to attend must RSVP to reserve a spot by Wednesday, November 1. Please check your email for reply email address.
Terrariums & You
We host the Garden Club of Orange for this program with prolific author and gardening expert Tovah Martin. When you need nature close by, houseplants are the answer. And if you’ve always yearned to host houseplants, but failed – this lecture will come to the rescue. The answer is crystal clear: Glass can serve as a solution to bond botany and you. With the aid of a terrarium, you can host nature almost anywhere – in your parched apartment or your dim office cubicle. In addition, terrariums can be the ideal venue to bring nature into children’s lives. These “small worlds” introduce beauty, botany, whimsy, sophistication, and sparkle into any decor, but these projects are also surprisingly inexpensive. Not only will we share all sorts of recycling ideas for enlisting everything from vases to cake stands, fishbowls, lemonade pitchers, cookie jars, etc for growing plants & showcasing nature. Recommendations for plant selection, care, and maintenance will be shared. This lecture demonstrates precisely how to work with glass enclosures of all types to incorporate green into your life, no matter how busy your schedule might be. In her constant, undying pursuit of all things garden-related, Tovah Martin gets her hands dirty both outside and indoors. She is a perennial heirloom, vegetable & cottage gardener of fanatical proportion & accredited with NOFA as an Organic Land Care Professional. She is the author of more than a dozen books & countless articles in regional and national publications. She also appears regularly on tv & radio. www.tovahmartin.com
