The members of the Olde Ripton Garden Club brought non-perishable food items to our Annual Club Luncheon to be donated to Spooner House, Area Congregations Together.

On Monday, June 2nd we held our annual June luncheon at Matto Wine Bar in Shelton.

A big thank you to our 2nd Vice President Debby Garrow, who coordinated the successful luncheon. Continue reading →

At our June 2nd meeting, we were pleased to see Claire Norris receive a Life Membership in the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.

Claire is one of the founding members of the Olde Ripton Garden Club.  She has held many positions in the club including club President from 2004-2006 and 2008-2010.  During the years Claire has been in the club she has chaired the Artistic Design Committee, the By Laws Committee, the Plant Sale Committee along with many other positions.

Presenting Claire with the award is current club President, Lisa DiNardo.

Picture courtesy of Diana Wehger

For “National Garden Week” club member Renee Marsh designed floral arrangements for the Plumb Memorial Library and the Huntington Branch of the Plumb Memorial Library.

This week was an opportunity to encourage pride in our community, interest new members in the Olde Ripton Garden Club, and work with other groups to be part of those efforts.

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 start promptly at 10 a.m.  There will be no meeting in June.

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

On April 17th the Olde Ripton Garden Club went on a field trip to Colorblends Wholesale Flower Bulbs in Bridgeport.  The Colorblends Spring Garden has finished blooming for the 2025 season. It will open again in Spring 2026 in early April.

Each spring, visitors to the Colorblends House & Spring Garden can stroll through an evolving display of color as snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs come into bloom. Design ideas and creative blends abound in this intimate garden, which is a collaboration between Bridgeport-based Colorblends Wholesale Flower bulbs and distinguished Dutch garden designer Jacqueline van der Kloet.

The garden and restored 1903 Colonial Revival  mansion  are at 893 Clinton Avenue in Bridgeport’s  Stratfield Historic District. Access is easy from I95, the Merritt Parkway and US Route 1, and street parking is plentiful.

Help Celebrate National Garden Week in our Community!

Join NGC clubs across the country to celebrate National Garden Week, June 1st–7th, 2025. This week is an opportunity to encourage pride in our community, interest new members in the Olde Ripton Garden Club, and work with other groups to be part of those efforts.

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 start promptly at 10 a.m.  There will be no meeting in June.

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

On Saturday, May 10, 2025 Olde Ripton Garden Club held its annual Plant and Bake Sale.

Debby Garrow and club president Lisa DiNardo

Thanks to Co-Chairs 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.

Thanks also to the local businesses that donated gift cards to the Plant and Bake Sale.

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

Judy Pavone, Joan Mauri, Cheryl Biros, Jen Lombard, Bake Sale Chair Pat Robik and Lori Kniffen at the Baked Goods Table.

Continue reading →

American Flags were placed at the Huntington Green Gazebo and the Huntington Fire Department.

Huntington Green Gazebo

Huntington Fire Department

For our May meeting we welcomed new club member Loreta Carrero who showed us how to make Spiral Bouquets.

Loreta Carrero

The spiral bouquet technique is a fundamental skill in floral design that creates a structured, yet effortlessly elegant arrangement. It allows for a balanced distribution of flowers, giving bouquets a full, rounded shape while keeping stems aligned for easy wrapping and handling.

Members proudly show off their finished spiral bouquets. Continue reading →

This Saturday from 9am to 1pm, rain or shine, come visit the Olde Ripton Garden Club’s Annual Plant and Bake Sale held at St. Paul’s Church parking lot.  There will be a master gardener present to answer your gardening questions.

Available will be member grown perennials, also for sale will be annuals, herbs and tomato plants.  Check out our bake sale and gift card sale, all proceeds benefit community projects including city gardens, youth gardening, senior garden therapy and scholarships.

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 start at 10 a.m.

For our April meeting we welcomed Interfaith Minister and Advanced Master Gardener Donna Katsuranis who shared the Power Point presentation “Composting and Soil Health.”

Donna has taught numerous Advanced Master Garden classes and has lectured throughout the Northeast to Garden Clubs and the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show.  She is also a principal for the Kiwanis Giving Garden in Brookfield, which grows vegetables for local food pantries.

Donna spoke about the whys and hows of composting and the benefits to your garden and lawn.  Composting can correct a soil that is too sandy or heavy with clay.  We were shown the correct ingredients to add to our composting so that we could obtain a healthy mixture to use in our gardens.

Continue reading →

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is eastern North America’s sole breeding hummingbird.  Feeders and flower gardens are great ways to attract these birds.

Photo Courtesy of Eric Wehger, Slater Sanctuary

The first hummingbirds have arrived in Connecticut, the males always arrive first followed by females a week or two later.  After their long voyage they are hungry and will be looking for food to regain their weight.  Hummingbirds will often return to the same location year after year.  Banding research has shown hummingbirds showing up in the same location and even on the same day from one year to the next. Continue reading →

As part of our 40th anniversary, the Olde Ripton Garden Club presented a proposal to the Board of Alderman that the Rudbeckia fulgida be named the Shelton city flower. The proposal was approved and in 2016, Rudbeckia fulgida was designated the Shelton City Flower.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Rudbeckia fulgida, also known as the orange coneflower or Black-eyed Susan, is a perennial wildflower native to the eastern US. It’s known for its daisy-like flowers with yellow-orange rays and brownish-purple centers that bloom from mid-summer to fall.

ORGC stock photo

The plant can grow to 4 ft tall and has sturdy stems, dark green foliage, and bristly hairs on the leaves and stems. 

It is easy to grow and can be grown in containers or naturalized in meadows and planted freely around homes. Rudbeckia fulgida 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.