Pollinators play a critical role in natural and agricultural ecosystems, both for
the reproduction of native plants and for crop production.

A Honeybee on an allium in our Shelton History Center Herb Garden

Many kinds of animals are pollinators, including hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies and wasps as well as bees. Bees are the most important pollinators of many crops and a broad range of other flowering plants.

Almost 80% of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products require pollination by animals.

In return for a delicious meal, these animals help the plants reproduce by moving pollen between the male (anther) and female (stigma) parts of a flower. This act of pollination is the first step in generating seeds, which create new plants.

Check the “Gallery” tab to see our Summer Civic Gardens.

The Olde Ripton Garden Club Civic Gardens Committee Co-Chairs are Lisa DiNardo and Pat Robik.

Huntington Center Green

To see more of the gardens that the Olde Ripton Garden Club members maintain check out the “Gallery” tab.

The gardens designed and maintained by Olde Ripton Garden Club are the Huntington Green, the Shelton Community Center, the Huntington branch of the Shelton Post Office, the Shelton Historical Society’s herb garden, the Shelton High School’s sign, the Plumb Memorial Library and new this year are the Shelton City Hall, the Shelton Police Department and the Huntington Fire Department.

Founded in 1976, the Olde Ripton Garden Club (ORGC) of Shelton, Connecticut is a community of garden enthusiasts committed to sharing the love of gardening and conservation.  We provide education in horticulture and assist in beautifying the grounds around public buildings.

Meetings are held March through December (no meetings in January and February.)  They are on the first Monday of the month (except for holidays) and generally start at 10 a.m.

Dues are $35 per year, guests are welcome to attend, there is a $5 Visitor Fee for non-members.

For Horticulture this month, Linda Hooper introduced the 2023 Perennial of the Year – the American Goldrush Blackeyed Susan – Rudbeckia.

In 2016 The Orange Coneflower – Rudbeckia Fulgida was named the City Flower of Shelton.

The American Goldrush is a hybrid between several species of Rudbeckia, it is an easy grower, has a compact habit, healthy foliage, and a long late summer bloom.

American Goldrush Blackeyed Susan prefers full sun to partial shade and average soil, it tolerates dry periods and can grow to two feet tall.

Leave the seed heads in the fall as food for birds, cutting back in late winter.

For our August meeting we welcomed Peggy Townsend who introduced us to “Underwater Floral Design.”

Peggy is an NGC Accredited Flower Show Judge, a member of the FGCCT Board of Directors, and Chairman of the CT Flower Show School.  She demonstrates flower arranging techniques and conducts workshops and programs for garden clubs in Connecticut.  She judges flower shows throughout Connecticut and New York State.  She is an active member of the Town & Country Garden Club, The Garden Club of Newtown and Creative Arrangers of Connecticut.

Peggy guided us through all the steps for creating simple, quick and easy designs to the larger more dramatic award-winning designs seen in flower shows.

Underwater floral designs are dramatic because the containers and water magnify the design and deepen the colors of the plants and flowers. Continue reading →

Join us for our August meeting on Monday, August 7th at 10:00 at the Shelton Community Center located at 41 Church Street, Suite 2 (lower level.)  Our guest speaker will be Peggy Townsend who will demonstrate “Underwater Floral Design.”

Peggy Townsend

Peggy is an NGC Accredited Flower Show Judge, a member of the FGCCT Board of Directors, and Chairman of the CT Flower Show School. She demonstrates flower arranging techniques and conducts workshops and programs for garden clubs in CT. She judges flower shows throughout Connecticut and NY State. She is an active member of the Town & Country Garden Club, The Garden Club of Newtown, and Creative Arrangers of Connecticut.

Founded in 1976, the Olde Ripton Garden Club (ORGC) of Shelton, Connecticut is a community of garden enthusiasts committed to sharing the love of gardening and conservation.  We provide education in horticulture and assist in beautifying the grounds around public buildings.

Meetings are held March through December (no meetings in January and February.)  They are on the first Monday of the month (except for holidays) and generally start at 10 a.m.

Dues are $35 per year, guests are welcome to attend, there is a $5 Visitor Fee for non-members.

Photo courtesy of Freepik.com

For our July Horticulture presentation Linda Hooper introduced us to Gomphrena.  Gomphrena is also known as Globe Amaranth, Globe flower and Bachelor’s Button.

Photo courtesy of Gardenia.com

This old-fashioned annual produces a plethora of pompom-like blooms all summer long and works equally well in container arrangements, garden beds, and borders to provide long-lasting color.  It is a sun lover, is heat and drought tolerant and requires little maintenance once established.

The clover-like flowerheads are actually made up of colorful bracts in shades of purple, pink, red, orange, or white.  Its height varies by type, ranging from dwarf cultivars that grow 6 to 8 inches tall to others, such as ‘Fireworks’ that can grow as tall as 4 feet.

For our July meeting we welcomed Kevin Wasilewski who shared information about successful gardening with Dahlias.

Kevin is currently the President of The CT Dahlia Society and a certified senior judge affiliated with the American Dahlia Society.  He has grown and judged Dahlias for 25 years and is a master gardener.

We learned the correct way to divide dahlias, how to propagate dahlias for the best blooms and how to store dahlias over winter.  Also covered were the different types of dahlias.  According to the American Dahlia Society, there are about 10,000 different registered dahlia varieties (dahlia cultivars) and 42 different species.

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If you are interested in learning more about Dahlias, join us for our July meeting which will take place at 10 am, Monday, July 10, 2023 at the Shelton Community Center’s lower level, Suite 2.

Our speaker will be Kevin Wasilewski, President of the Connecticut Dahlia Society.  His presentation will be “Dahlias: Growing, Cultivating, Over Wintering and Dividing these Breathtaking Flowers.”

Founded in 1976, the Olde Ripton Garden Club (ORGC) of Shelton, Connecticut is a community of garden enthusiasts committed to sharing the love of gardening and conservation.  We provide education in horticulture and assist in beautifying the grounds around public buildings.

Meetings are held March through December (no meetings in January and February.)  They are on the first Monday of the month (except for holidays) and generally start at 10 a.m.

Dues are $35 per year, guests are welcome to attend, there is a $5 Visitor Fee for non-members.

Club President Holly Secskas, Joyce Donnelly and past Club President Renee Marsh

At our June Luncheon we honored Joyce Donnelly with a Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut Life Membership.  This award is a special way to honor a worthy club member, for all she has done for her club and community, we recognized Joyce with a letter of congratulations, a Connecticut Life Member pin and a membership card signed by the Connecticut State President.

Making the presentation are Club President Holly Secskas and past Club President Renee Marsh

Over the 20 years she has been a member of the club, Joyce has served as an officer, chaired many committees and jumped in whenever something needed to be done.

Joyce served as President for 6 years (2006-2008, 2010-2014) and as Vice President for two years (2016-2018).

Renee Marsh and Joyce Donnelly at the 2016 Olde Ripton Garden Club Garden Tour

When the Olde Ripton Garden Club celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2016, Joyce wrote “A 40 Year History – Growing Together” to chronicle the efforts of the club. (a copy of which can be seen in the “About” tab on this website.)

She also helped establish the Shelton city flower, the Orange Coneflower,  (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’) and organized an anniversary garden tour.

There have been many changes in the club since Joyce joined including adjusting to new technologies and new ideas, Joyce embraced them all with grace and a fair amount of stoicism.

Our congratulations to Joyce for all of her years of service, Joyce has shown herself to be a valuable asset to the club.

On Monday, June 5 we held our Annual Club Luncheon at ECCO Italian Tapas and Wine Bar in Trumbull.  Second Vice President Dee Blewett coordinated the luncheon.

At each table there were Golden Butterfly Daisies. At the end of the luncheon, Dee raffled off the Daisies and the lucky winners got to take one home.

Given to each attendee were Zinnias in clay pots, hand painted by Dee Blewett.

Continue reading →

Founded in 1976, the Olde Ripton Garden Club (ORGC) of Shelton, Connecticut is a community of garden enthusiasts committed to sharing the love of gardening and conservation.  We provide education in horticulture and assist in beautifying the grounds around public buildings.

Club members work hard every spring to bring beauty to public gardens around town, their hard work doesn’t stop there as members tend to the gardens all throughout the growing season.

Civic gardens include the Huntington Green, front entrance of the Shelton Community Center, Huntington Branch of the Shelton Post Office, Shelton High School, the Shelton Police Department, City Hall, Shelton Public Library and the Shelton Historical Society’s Herb Garden.

To view pictures of the gardens throughout the growing season select the above “Gallery” tab.

Meetings are held March through December (no meetings in January and February.)  They are on the first Monday of the month (except for holidays) and generally start at 10 a.m.

Dues are $35 per year, guests are welcome to attend, there is a $5 Visitor Fee for non-members.

On Saturday, May 13, 2023 Olde Ripton Garden Club held its annual Plant and Bake Sale.

Co-chairmen Lisa DiNardo and Debby Garrow

We had wonderful weather for the plant and bake sale, many thanks to Co-Chairmen Lisa DiNardo and Debby Garrow, along with the help of all the members of the garden club for making the plant sale a huge success.

Available for sale were annuals, perennials, herbs, spruce trees, baked goods and handmade crafts. Many items were raffled off and gift cards were available for sale.

Club Master Gardener Renee Marsh

Master Gardener Renee Marsh was there to answer questions regarding the care of plants.

Proceeds from the plant sale benefit community projects in Shelton.

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Join us Saturday, May 13, 2023 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, rain or shine, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church parking lot for our annual Plant Sale.  For sale will be member grown perennials, there will also be annuals, tomato plants and herbs.  In addition to our successful bake sale there will be various crafts and gift cards.

Proceeds from the plant sale benefit community projects in Shelton.  Founded in 1976, the Olde Ripton Garden Club (ORGC) of Shelton, Connecticut is a community of garden enthusiasts committed to sharing the love of gardening and conservation.  We provide education in horticulture and assist in beautifying the grounds around public buildings.

Meetings are held March through December (no meetings in January and February.)  They are on the first Monday of the month (except for holidays) and generally start at 10 a.m.