The members of the Olde Ripton Garden Club wish everyone a safe, healthy, happy holiday season.  Pictured are some of the wreaths around town that were created by members of the Olde Ripton Garden Club.

The front door of the Shelton Historical Society on Ripton Road in Shelton.

Originally a farmhouse built around 1840, the Osborne Homestead Museum is now one of fifteen distinctive historic sites in Connecticut.  Frances Eliza Osborne (1876-1956) was the last of the Osborne family children and deeded the 350-acre property to Connecticut to preserve it as a state park for future generations.

Every December for more than 30 years, local clubs have prepared lavish holiday decorations following an annually chosen theme.  The theme for the 2025 Holiday Season is “A Derby Holiday.”  The Olde Ripton Garden Club decorated the Dining Room with the topic of the “Sterling Opera House and Women’s Club Guests.”

The holiday tours will run from November 28 through December 20, 2025. Tours will be offered Thursdays through Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Fridays, December 5, 12, and 19, the museum will present “Twilight Tours” to display the amber glow of the decorations from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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For our December meeting members decorated wreaths to be delivered to Civic buildings, Civic gardens and schools around Shelton.

Rich with history, symbolism, and aesthetic beauty, the wreath is a favorite decoration year-round.  The beginning of December welcomes boughs of fir, spruce, and holly to the wreath form — since ancient times, evergreens have served as symbols of life and strength against the bitter cold, snow, and ice.

Members of the Olde Ripton Garden Club

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For our November meeting, Renee Marsh led us in a game of “Gardening Jeopardy.”

Members formed four teams and each team took a turn choosing a topic and trying to give the correct answer to a question about specific plants.

Later members got to try their luck on a game of Bingo.  Club President Lisa DiNardo called out the letters and numbers and members filled their boards until we had a winner.

At our November meeting Renee Marsh presented the “Proposed Landscaping for the War Memorial” at the Riverwalk. Planting will be done in the spring.

Shelton’s City Hall’s front garden was decorated for the fall with a pumpkin and colorful Mums.

Shelton City Hall

Club members Cheryl Biros, Lori Hansen and Joy Reho worked on decorating the City Hall garden for the fall.

Cheryl Biros, Lori Hansen and Joy Reh

On Nov. 4th, Olde Ripton Garden Club members Cheryl Dziubina, Joan Mauri, and Joanne Brunelle worked with the Junior Friends of Library group to clean up Plumb Library Garden beds.   Also in attendance was Lisa DiNardo and her niece, who stopped by to lend a hand.

Librarian Joe Cappella manages the Junior Friends group.  The 8 students assisted in removing weeds, vines, and the invasive Tree of Heaven. Once the beds were cleared, the group planted crocus, allium, and daffodil spring bulbs.

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The entrance sign to Shelton High School has been decorated for the autumn with mums and pumpkins.

The Shelton High School garden is tended by Co-Chairs Lori Kniffin and Judy Stoddard with additional help from club member Diane Wood.

The Richard O. Belden Cultural Center garden is decorated for the Autumn with pumpkins and colorful mums.

The Richard O. Belden Cultural Center Civic Garden is tended by members Joanne Brunelle and Lisa DiNardo.

At our October meeting we welcomed Norma Jean Macauto, 2nd Vice-President of the  Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.   Norma Jean is also the membership chair of the Garden Club of Brookfield.

Her presentation gave insight into the events, activities and volunteer opportunities offered by the Federated Garden Clubs.

For our October meeting, members brought their own pumpkins and club members Debby Garrow and Lori Kniffin provided all types of decorations to add to their pumpkins.

Donna Kay Pensiero proudly shows off her finished pumpkin.

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For our October meeting, Linda Hooper hosted a “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.”

Linda Hooper

The serving area was complete with theme cups, napkins and plates.  Around the serving area were quotes from the original Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

Members were encouraged to wear madly decorated hats to the tea party.

Fall has arrived and the ORGC gardens are being decorated with pumpkins, Mums, corn husks and other fall items.

The Shelton City Hall garden is decorated with a pumpkin and colorful blooms.

Shelton City Hall

The Huntington Green is colorful with pumpkins, Mums and a scarecrow.

Huntington Green

The Plumb Memorial Library showcases Pumpkins and colorful Mums.