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.

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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.

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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.

For the first meeting of the year we welcomed Marie Hayes who gave the Power Point presentation “Victorian Gardening.” 

Ms. Hayes is a Master Gardener and former Head Gardener at White Flower Farm in Litchfield, CT.  and has specialized in perennial borders and cutting gardens for over 35 years.

She also provides garden consultation and floral design through her business Gardens Unlimited. Continue reading →

The first meeting of the year for the Olde Ripton Garden Club will be held on March 3, 2025 at 10:00 in the Shelton Community Center.  We will be welcoming Marie Hayes of Gardens unlimited who will present a program on Victorian Gardening.

Ms. Hayes is a Master Gardener and former Head Gardener at White Flower Farm in Litchfield, CT.  and has specialized in perennial borders and cutting gardens for over 35 years.

She also provides garden consultation and floral design through her business Gardens unlimited.

Join us as we recall the Victorian era of gardens filled with hollyhocks, lilacs, roses and wisterias.

Meetings may be cancelled due to inclement weather and road conditions.  Check our Facebook page for information.

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

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.

Our first meeting of the year will be held 10:00 on Monday, March 3, 2025 at the Shelton Community Center, Suite 2.

The members of the Olde Ripton Garden Club wish everyone a safe, healthy, happy holiday season.

Huntington Branch of the Shelton Post Office

Some of the holiday decorations created by the members of the Olde Ripton Garden Club.

At our December meeting, Teya Bell was honored with an award for her work on the “Shelton Seed Library.”

Teya along with committee members of the Olde Ripton Garden Club in conjunction with the Plumb Memorial Library opened the Shelton Seed Library to the public on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

The purpose of the Seed Library is to provide Shelton gardeners with free seeds to use in their home gardens.  The Seed Library is located on the second floor of the library and is open to residents of Shelton.

Wreaths were purchased from Wells Hollow Creamery for the annual wreath decorating event.  Members decorated 35 wreaths to be distributed to Shelton municipal buildings, civic gardens, and Shelton Schools.

Club President Lisa DiNardo and Dan from Wells Hollow Creamery

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.

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