The Shelton City Board of Alderman designated the “Orange Coneflower” (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm”) as the City of Shelton’s Official Flower at their meeting on Thursday, Feb 11, 2016.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

The Olde Ripton Garden Club of Shelton requested the designation as it is celebrating its 40^th Anniversary of continued service to the Shelton community this year with the theme “Growing Together”, encouraging residents and businesses to grow this flower in their gardens around the City.

It is the Club’s desire that you consider planting the Rudbeckia fulgida “Goldsturm’ as well as other native species of flowers, trees and shrubs in your own gardens this coming spring.

Rudbeckia fulgida “Goldsturm’ is a large, daisy-like flower named for its orange-tinged petals in keeping with Shelton School’s colors. It is easy to grow and can be grown in containers or naturalized in meadows and planted freely around homes. The Orange Coneflower is a native plant that will grow readily in our area and it is a perennial assuring that it will return to our gardens year after year. It is attractive to birds, bees and many pollinators that are needed for our gardens to thrive; it blooms from midsummer through the fall; and provides a long season of color.

A contest will be held for those who plant the City Flower this spring and summer. Residents and Businesses are asked to take a photo of their Rudbeckia and submit it to CityFlower@OldeRiptonGardenClub.org.  Winners will be picked monthly and announced in the Shelton Herald.  A display of all the photos submitted will be displayed in the Fall (location to be announced).  Area businesses are being asked to donate prizes for the contest.

The Club will also offer the plant for sale at its May 14^th Annual Plant Sale, come rain or shine, at St. Paul’s Church parking lot across from the Huntington Green. All proceeds will go to the purchase of City Flowers that will be planted in the gardens maintained by the Club at many locations throughout Shelton including the Libraries, the Green, and the Community Center where the focus this summer will be on developing pollinator gardens in our community.

So join us and plant the City Flower in your garden and show the community you care about pollinators and support the Garden Club Anniversary by “Growing Together” with us this year.  

Every holiday season the Olde Ripton Garden Club members create wreaths and holiday decorations for 25 destinations around Shelton including City Hall, the Police Station, the Senior Center and 11 Schools.

An array of agricultural and literary achievements and manufacturing innovations is on display this holiday season at the Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby.

Nine garden clubs have decorated the former home of businesswoman and philanthropist Frances Eliza Osborne Kellogg for the holidays, as they have for more than two decades. The Olde Ripton Garden Club Decorating Committee is shown here receiving a Certificate of Appreciation for “their energy, enthusiasm, and creativity in decorating” at the museum on Wednesday, December 2nd where a special reception was held to thank volunteers.

Mayor Mark Lauretti is shown above with Club Vice President, Renee Protomastro at the Native Oak Tree Planting Site.  On Sunday, Sept. 19, 2015 the Olde Ripton Garden Club donated a tree to the Shelton Land Conservation Trust.  The Pin Oak was planted by Club Members and Conservation Commission volunteers in the southern field of the Lane Street Property.

for a link to more photos of the Oak Tree Planting in the Lane Street Meadow:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskhgN5Dh

The Olde Ripton Garden Club tested their plant skills by identifying fruits and nuts, flowers and foliage plants and ornamental plants including woody plants, vines, ground covers and ornamental grasses at their meeting with a “Fall Bounty Harvest” theme on September 14.

This fun event was very hands-on and enjoyable for gardeners one and all.  A “Plant Mystery” segment helped identify plants that even seasoned gardeners were baffled by.

Also featured at this meeting was a Plant Swap. Tired, old or unwanted plants were swapped out for something new and fresh.  Also, a great time to thin out the beds and share the bounty of your perennials and plants with other gardeners.

On July 6th the Club hosted speaker Karla A. Dalley, who presented a program on Native Pollinators that included samples of plants at their peak – natives, perennials, even tropical plants that could be over-wintered. Her lecture provided information about bees, birds, butterflies and insects and a presentation on native pollinators and spring flowers.

Ms. Dalley is a well-known TV & Radio gardening expert who is also a garden designer and water gardening expert. She writes for many local and regional publications.

Club members also displayed artistic Fourth of July red, white and blue arrangements as well as horticultural displays of fragrant flowers and herbs or any flower mentioned in Shakespeare’s writings. 

Wednesday, June 10th

The Club visited Shakespeare’s Garden Nursery in Brookfield, CT on June 10.  A tour of the greenhouses and grounds was provided as well as a visit to the nursery gift shop along the way.  Shakespeare’s Garden is a unique garden center and barn shop specializing in arrangements, annuals, perennials, landscape design, installation and property management.  Their display gardens offer inspiration and show an uncommon passion for creating and caring for the simplest to the most ornate garden setting.  The trip was a relaxing and inspirational experience.

Lunch followed immediately after at McGuires Ale House on Route 6 in Bethel.

APRIL 6 MEETING – FOOLPROOF HYDRANGEAS

Master Gardener Lorraine Ballato of Brookfield presented a program on Hydrangeas that covered the many different types of Hydrangeas, their care and planting suggestions.

Afterwards, the Club continued their study of native pollinators with a review by Linda Hooper of the Bald Faced Hornet and Polyester Bees.  Spring & Easter flowers were also on display.