This month, as we continue with our virtual meetings, we were delighted to see the program, “Small Furry Critters and You,” presented by past president Renee Marsh.
We enjoyed information about the critters that live in our yards, along with information showing us how to discourage the critters from enjoying our garden plants and vegetables. Continue reading
The May meeting of the Olde Ripton Garden Club will not be held at the Plumb Memorial Library due to Covid-19. A virtual meeting will be held for members on Monday, May 4th at 10:00. Please check back to see when we will resume our regular monthly meetings.
Member Photo
May welcomes the return of flowering trees and shrubs, look for our Native Dogwood trees to be blooming around Mother’s Day.
Because we are spending our days at home, to help brighten your spirits try visiting the New York Botanical Gardens’ interactive website. https://www.nybg.org/nybg-at-home/
Another website with virtual garden tours is House Beautiful’s 8 virtual gardens from around the world. https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/g31913008/best-virtual-tours-garden/
ORGC member photo
The April meeting of the Olde Ripton Garden Club has been cancelled due to Covid-19. Check back often to see when we will resume our monthly meetings.
During this time when most of us are spending time at home, go outside and welcome the spring! Forsythia is in full bloom in many yards, flowering spring bulbs have popped up and Bleeding Hearts have poked out of the ground.
Our pollinators are also starting to show up, look for the Ruby Throated Hummingbird to return to Connecticut between the18th and the 25th of April. To feed Hummingbirds use this simple recipe of 1 part sugar to 4 parts of water. Make sure to use only plain white sugar as honey and other sugars may be harmful to Hummingbirds. Make sure to refrigerate any left over food, check the feeders often to assure that the food hasn’t spoiled.
This month we welcomed Cathy Ritch who shared flower arranging techniques with us.
Cathy’s arrangements are unique and simplistic in design. Using striking leaves and greenery to compliment the flowers, an attractive centerpiece is fashioned.
For our first meeting of the new year we will welcome Floral Designer Cathy Ritch who will demonstrate several easy floral designs that incorporate plant material we commonly have in our own yards. At the end of the meeting we will hold a raffle for the completed designs.
Cathy Ritch is an accomplished and enthusiastic floral designer, instructor and National Garden Clubs (NGC) Accredited Life Judge. Her designs have won numerous blue ribbons and top NGC design awards at the Connecticut Flower and Garden Shows. Her work has been exhibited at the New Britain Museum of American Art’s show “Floral Expressions.” The NGC Vision of Beauty Calendar has featured photos of her designs.
She was the chair for the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut annual flower show for three years and leads Beyond Beginning Floral Design Workshops for which she won a prestigious NGC “Award of Excellence.”
A member of the Long Hill Garden Club of Trumbull and Creative Arrangers of Connecticut, Cathy is happiest when she can create floral designs using plant material grown in her own gardens.
Olde Ripton Garden Club will meet at 10:00 on Monday, March 2nd at the Plumb Memorial Library. Visitors are welcome and asked to donate $5.00 towards the program and refreshments.
Pictured is the carpet that was purchased for the Children’s Department of the Plumb Memorial Library. The purchase was made possible by a donation from the Olde Ripton Garden Club. As a tribute to our club this carpet was chosen because it focuses on trees, flowers and the beauty of nature.
For several weeks each winter, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Osborne Homestead Museum is transformed into a holiday showcase. Talented and dedicated garden clubs beautifully decorate all the rooms in this historic homestead. This year’s theme is Nature’s Friends and the Olde Ripton Garden Club Committee, chaired by Joyce Donnelly, decorated the children’s bedroom and bathroom with lemurs.
Volunteers from our Youth Gardening Program worked with students on Friday, May 31 at Perry Hill School’s Garden Club to beautify and plant flowers around school. The kids worked hard and learned a lot about flowers, the soil, plants and the environment. Proceeds from our Plant Sale go right back into the community. Bravo students for caring about your surroundings! Special thanks to Deb Tucker and her teaching staff!
On Saturday, May 18 the weather cooperated and the community turned out in force to support the efforts of Shelton’s Olde Ripton Garden Club. Perennials and Plants grown by many Club members were offered to the public as well as organic vegetables from Guy’s Eco Garden in White Hills and a delicious home-made bake sale and raffle. We were thrilled this year that students from Shelton Intermediate School joined to display their school garden club projects and plants that they grew in their classroom.
The Olde Ripton Garden Club was established in 1976 to beautify our community and is dedicated to the environment and preservation of our natural ecosystem. Our members volunteer their time, love and efforts to make Shelton a better place. Our annual plant sale proceeds fund our projects which include a high school scholarship to a student who will be studying horticulture or related field, youth gardening in our schools, senior garden therapy in assisted living facilities, design, planting and maintenance of gardens throughout the city and holiday decorating at government buildings, schools and public places of importance. We strive to work with as many other like-minded, non-profit community organizations in Shelton as possible and seek new members who are interested in the same.
We owe a special thanks of gratitude to many for the work at the Green which is still in progress. First, the Olde Ripton Garden Club Volunteers, the City of Shelton and especially Mark and Chris Hansen, a Shelton High School volunteer who came to us to perform his community service hours. Chris and his dad went above and beyond to make this renovation complete. He is a shining star and we salute him! Thank you.
On December 5th a Christmas tree was decorated by members of the ORGC, led by Judy Pavone, in the upstairs reading room at the Plumb Memorial Library. Pictured are l to r: Patti Leung, Diana Wehger, Ruth Pesavento and Judy Pavone.