Over the weekend of February 23 through February 26, The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut hosted the 2017 Connecticut Flower and Garden Show, “Woodland Enchantment,” at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. We’re proud to announce that ORGC members Renee Marsh and Kimberly Wehger were awarded First, Second, and Third Place across two Photography classes. Continue reading
This is a reminder that our next meeting is Monday, March 6 at 10 am at the Plumb Memorial Library. Our featured presenter will be Sandy Nesteriak taking us on a tour of the Gardens of WIlliamsburg. Read more here…
We want to remind all Shelton gardeners that The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut 2017 Connecticut Flower and Garden Show, “Woodland Enchantment,” is this weekend from Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, February 26 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Harford.
What can you find at the show? Gardeners from around the state will be featuring specimens in an Advanced-Standard flower show. Educational exhibits of the theme “Mighty Woods” will offer gardening, forest, and ecology information from groups such as UCONN Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Greenhouses, Rhododendron Society of CT, CT Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), and CT Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG). You’ll also be able to browse a wide variety of goods and services vendors, from plants, seeds, fertilizers, and bed kits to shed builders, landscaping heavy equipment, and landscape designers.
For more information, including show times, directions, and ticket price, please see the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut show flier, available on their website.
The next meeting of the Olde Ripton Garden Club of Shelton will be held on Monday, March 6 at 10 am at the Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St. downtown Shelton.
The meeting will feature a program on “The Gardens of Williamsburg” with speaker Sandy Nesteriak, a long-time Club member and a frequent visitor to the Gardens of Williamsburg. Continue reading
Connecticut saw a major snowstorm today, including thundersnow, blizzard warnings in sections of the state, and overall snowfall rates of 1-3 inches per hour. Shelton had a total accumulation of approximately 10 inches.
What does snowfall mean in terms of moisture? NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) explains that 13 inches of snow typically equals 1 inch of rain. This can vary, depending on snow’s lightness or sleet-like qualities.1 Therefore, Continue reading
Take a look at the ground in your yard, and you may note distressingly parched turf, powdery and loose even in the cold weather. In October 2016, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy asked residents and businesses to voluntarily reduce water consumption by 15% in “Drought Watch” areas and by 10% in “Drought Advisory” areas. Connecticut has had three consecutive years of precipitation shortfall, with some drinking water reservoirs now less than half full. Unfortunately, this water shortage is continuing into 2017, and recovery will need continuing conservation efforts from residents. Continue reading
Part of Our “Making Your Garden Work for You” 2016-2017 Theme Series
As we pass the mid-point of January, we enter the deepest phase of winter – which brings to New England the coldest temperatures and heaviest precipitation. A glance out your window or a brisk walk through your yard or a park, however, will show that winter is anything but desolate. Squirrels continue to scurry from undergrowth to tree, and branches are alight with a variety of overwintering birds.
In November, we discussed the important role gardens can play in the ecosystem, with members Renee Marsh (past ORGC president and master gardener) and Joyce Fedorko (Horticulture Chair) presenting garden bed preparation considerations and information on soil and wildlife needs. Here in the coldest months of the year, gardeners can see the payoff of this advice. Continue reading
CT Flower & Garden Show – “Woodland Enchantment” Feb 23-26, CT Convention Center, Hartford. Federated Garden Club Members pay $12.00 per ticket in advance ($16.00 at the door). Renee Marsh and Kimberly Wehger will be participating in the Photograpy Competition. This is a major fundraiser for Federated so let’s get a good turn-out and cheer Renee and Kimberly on!
Ticket orders must be received by Feb. 1. Send checks made out to: Olde Ripton Garden Club to Diane Moran, 56 Cloverdale Avenue, Shelton.
All around Shelton, wreaths designed and created by Olde Ripton Garden Club (ORGC) are on display! At our December 5th meeting, we held a wreath-making workshop to prepare decorations for the community. The beautiful creations from our members can now be viewed at businesses and public buildings throughout town. For ORGC, giving back to the residents of Shelton is an important part of our club mission, and we are delighted by the enjoyment the decorations have provided.
Shelton City Hall features several wreaths. The first greets visitors from the overhead glass window above the double door entrance. Others can be found in the Mayor’s Office. Continue reading
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. We concluded our 40th year with our traditional wreath-making workshop using these botanical treasures of the winter season.
Wreath bases were purchased from Jones Tree Farm.
Early on the snowy morning of December 5th, members began by unloading more than two dozen dewy, natural wreath forms from a pickup truck. These were stacked alongside piles of winterberry, holly, boxwood, white pine, pinecones, and twigs — in the spirit of our dedication to conservation, we used only all-natural clippings and trimmings.
Once members had selected their bases and trimmings, Continue reading
The vine is unmistakable: pliable, curling tendrils with copious, small waxen berries covered in a yellow outer layer that pops open to reveal bright crimson.
Bittersweet has both winding, pliable tendrils and woody branches. Note the red berries with a yellow outer layer.
Bittersweet is a popular autumn and winter decorating accent, given the ease with which it can be worked into wreaths and garland. The tough, older stems have enough structure to also be useful in standing displays like urns and arrangements.
It is important to note, however, that Oriental or Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a non-native, highly invasive plant. Since 2004, the state of Connecticut has prohibited the importation, sale, purchase, and cultivation of bittersweet. Note that this includes transportation of bittersweet, either as live plants or within arrangements. Fines for violations are set at $50 per plant. The Connecticut law can be reviewed here.
Gardeners interested in a native alternative should look for winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata). It can be found growing near water sources or at some garden centers. Its bigger, bolder berries are also showier in arrangements!
For addition information on bittersweet, please see the following resources:
When choosing berry branches for holiday arrangements, the winterberry holly is a great, native alternative to bittersweet.
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.
A decorated sconce at the Osborne Homestead Museum.
Every December for more than 30 years, local garden clubs have prepared lavish holiday decorations following an annually chosen theme. The 2016 theme, “A Sparkling Holiday,” showcases each room in the sparkling, rich colors of gemstones. The Olde Ripton Garden Club (ORGC) decorated the Osborne parents’ bedroom in emerald.
On Thursday, November 30, the Osborne Homestead Museum honored the garden club volunteers for their talent and hard work at the Annual Winter Holiday Volunteer Appreciation Party. Our Osborne Homestead Museum Decorating Committee (Linda Hooper, Linda Tura, Fran Hope, and Maggie Howell) were all in attendance to accept their certificate of appreciation.
The ORGC Osborne Homestead Museum Decorating Committee and attending officers. From L-R, President Renee Protomastro, decorating committee members Linda Tura, Linda Hooper, Maggie Howell, and Fran Hope, and 1st Vice President Joyce Donnelly
The Osborne Homestead Museum is open to the public, and the decorated rooms offer inspiration for specific holiday color schemes. Continue reading
What do you do with standing dried flower stalks and pods in late autumn? Should hydrangeas be pruned now or next year? Will piled leaves left on a garden adversely affect the plants or soil? How is the 2016 drought affecting Connecticut? In November’s meeting, we tackled these concerns while presenting late autumn arrangement ideas for Thanksgiving and ways to create winter holiday decorations from resources in your own yard.
The guest presenter for November was Rob Flater of Benedict’s Home & Garden, demonstrating how to construct holiday arrangements from inexpensive props and natively found flora. Rob led off with a brief history of kissing balls, then described how to use a kissing ball kit (available at Benedict’s Home & Garden) to construct one from fresh materials. He followed up with a demonstration of building evergreen arrangements for floor containers and tabletops.
Joyce Fedorko, Horticulture Chair, presented tips from Natureworks Horticultural Services, LLC for preparing garden beds for winter. Preparations are a gradual process, and the generally accepted advice is “If it’s yellow or brown, cut it down, if it’s green, leave it alone.” Tips for specific plants were addressed through Q & A.
The 2016 drought continues to be deeply problematic for Connecticut. Master Gardener and past ORGC president Renee Marsh gave a “Caring for the Earth in Our Backyards” presentation, covering its impact on the state and steps gardeners can take to care for their plants in in the extreme conditions. Renee devoted extra attention to the critical — and fragile — organisms and structure of soil. Soil ecology of forest and perennial garden environments differs significantly from that of lawns and vegetable gardens, and she stressed the importance of treating them differently. Reiterating tips from Joyce’s garden bed preparations discussion, Renee explained that autumn leaf accumulation on garden beds helps prevent moisture loss, feeds microorganisms in its decomposition, and provides protection in winter months.
Members had an opportunity to view the awards given to ORGC in 2016, including the First Place Certificate of Commendation from the National Garden Clubs and both the Award of Excellence pewter bowl trophy from the Federated Garden Clubs of CT and First Place from the New England Regional Garden Clubs for the 2015 ORGC yearbook. In addition to discussion and display of the certificates, 1st Vice President Joyce Donnelly presented the Federated Garden Clubs of CT Certificate of Individual Achievement to ORGC 40-year Charter Member Claire Norris.
The meeting included many examples of late autumn arrangements ideal for Thanksgiving tabletops. Among the favorites were creative uses of pumpkins and smaller gourds as containers and incorporation of sweeping, feathery grasses.
