A wonderful day is planned by the FGCCT for October 26th at the Aqua Turf in Plaintsville, CT.  Clubs and individuals will receive silver awards for the outstanding work they have accomplished throughout the past year.  You will learn about many projects that you may wish to undertake at your club.

A highlight of the day will be the Standard Flower Show, "The Colors of Connecticut," that will feature the wonderful floral designs by our CT Judges Council with such delightful classes as "Sunset in New Haven" and  "The Blue of the Sound."  Horticulture exhibits will line the left wall of the room and be judged for their excellence.

Six vendors will be available for your shopping pleasure and raffle tickets will be sold for your chance to win one of the vendors' gifts.  

For $31.00 you will have an informative day, an opportunity to view the best of floral designs and a delicious lunch. Choose beef, chicken, salmon or eggplant for your entree. Send in your check today as registrations close on October 19. Click below for the Registration Form.

I look forward to seeing you on October 26th.

* Margaret Hopkins
Meetings Chair

REGISTRATION FORM

Before you attend the upcoming "Colors of Connecticut" Flower Show, meet the woman behind it, Trish Manfredi, our Judges Council Chair and 2018 New England Region Symposium Chair.  A native of southern Maryland, Trish had a 4-H flower arranging project beginning a lifelong interest.   After working at the University of Massachusetts as a Home Economist  and administrator , she earned a Ed.D. in Educational Research and later worked at UConn.

When someone brought a collection of old canning jars to her office, Trish began researching fruit  jars and got hooked, joining an antique bottle club,  where she met her second husband, Peter. They live in a 1760 house in  South Glastonbury where they have a part-time business, Domestic Cow Antiques and Events. They specialize in vintage CT milk bottles, and Trish even sells containers with her flower arrangements in them.   She has country-messy gardens, and a collection of houseplants.  Trish likes to mix colorful foliage and  flowering annuals in old wheelbarrows, as well as in pots in brightly painted old chairs, a good way to minimize critters eating the plants.

Manfredi joined Country Gardeners of Glastonbury in 2005.  She has served as Vice President and has just completed several years as Treasurer. " Club members who were flower show judges encouraged me to go to Flower Show School.  I started with Course IV and somehow passed," she says modestly.  She worked her way to student judge becoming eligible for Judges Council. Then she was asked to be Design Chair for Judges Council    writing the schedule for the designs  exhibited at Council meetings.  She became an accredited judge in 2011. Trish has served as Vice Chair and, since May, Chair of Judges Council.

In 2012, Manfredi joined the FGCCT Board as Chair,  NER Symposium for 2013. After the symposium, " I got the idea to do an entire show around tables with a Connecticut theme, " she says, resulting in "A Taste of Connecticut"  for the Judges Council Show at the 2014 Awards Meeting.  She's won design awards at CT State Flower Show and the People's Choice Award at Fine Arts and Flowers at Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford.  She was invited in 2015 to participate in design challenges at the Massachusetts Quadrangle Museums and at the Wadsworth in both 2015 and 2016.  At these events, she and other designers are provided with containers and floral material and must create their designs on the spot.

Manfredi also travels around New England and New York judging shows and demonstrating flower arranging.  She says, "It's fun to see how clubs in other state do things. You can learn a lot." Her husband often travels with her and keeps his eyes open for materials that might work in Trish's creations.

Trish and Peter have volunteered for the last 10 years with Siamese Cat Rescue. They serve as foster parents for rescued cats and help transport them to new homes.  Caring for one or two cats at a time, they have fostered 58 Siamese cats.  Trish even manages to integrate her interests when she creates flower centerpieces for the Annual Luncheon of the New England Siamese Cat Rescue!

* Lynn Hyson
News Editor

The Suffield Garden Club planted a white oak tree at Stony Brook Park in Suffield. Present at the planting were Aggie Schulte, project chair, Kathy Remington, Vice President and Gloria Clark, President of the Suffield Garden Club.

Town workers place the tree under supervision of local landscaper Jim Mather, a supporter of the Suffield Garden Club.

With the tree are (left to right) Aggie Schulte, Project Chair, Kathy Remington, Vice President, and Gloria Clark, President of the Suffield Garden Club.

* Barbara Deysson
State Project Chair

As you probably know by now, monarch butterflies are in serious decline.  Predictions from MonarchWatch for 2016 are that "the area of trees occupied by monarchs in Mexico this winter will be similar to that measured in 2014 (1.13 hectares)," a discouraging drop from the hopeful rebound  (to 4.01 hectares) in 2015. It has been a tough year for these beautiful creatures, with a devastating late winter storm in March 2016 - estimated to have killed up to 50 percent of the overwintering butterflies in the largest of the Mexican colonies, El Rosario - to persistent drought and exceptional heat in many of the breeding regions, reducing availability of both nectar plants and milkweed.

New research indicates that availability of abundant late summer/early fall nectar sources during the migration may be as critical to the survival of this incredible phenomenon as milkweed during the breeding season, so look around your early fall garden. Consider adding asters, agastache, goldenrod, heleniums, late-flowering eupatoriums, and other fall bloomers; these beauties need fuel for their journey south.

These wonderful pictures of a monarch emerging from its chrysalis were taken by Cheryl Cappiali of the Milford Garden Club.

How can we help?

I've had numerous inquiries from garden clubs seeking sources for purchasing milkweed plants. Local nurseries tend to carry the better-behaved varieties, such as Asclepias tuberosa ("butterfly weed"), but you can find a much wider range of options at the state's native plant nurseries, with Natureworks in North Branford and Earth Tones in Woodbury both being excellent sources. Ask at your local nursery; if they don't already carry milkweed varieties, they might be willing to stock them. Spread the word! The Branford club came up with a terrific solution: members can pre-order any (or all!) of four different varieties of milkweed, which the club will order from a Connecticut wholesale nursery. The plants will be picked up next spring and distributed at the club's May or June meeting. What a great way to encourage members to add milkweed to their gardens!

On the subject of milkweed propagation, I will once again this year coordinate milkweed seed collection for MonarchWatch, part of an ongoing collaboration between National Garden Clubs and that organization.  Now is the time to begin collecting pods if your club wants to participate this year. Make sure the pods are DRY before you pack them up in Ziploc bags to send to me. Check for milkweed bugs (those black and red rascals) and DON'T send those! LABEL your seeds as to milkweed variety. You do not need to separate the seeds from the silks (though you may if you wish) - you may send the complete pods, but be sure the seeds are ripe (pods beginning to split, seeds brown). Complete instructions are available at http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/milkweed/seed-collecting-processing/

Mail them to me and I will send them on to MonarchWatch in Kansas:

Marty Sherman
41 East Hill Road
Woodbury, CT  06798
 
The monarchs thank you!  

* Marty Sherman
National Project Chair

I find October is a good month to look back at the growing season past to reassess the garden's successes and failures. I particularly like to evaluate my annual planters while they are still fresh in my mind.

Last December I wrote how I mix Amaryllis bulbs with Coleus in planters on the patio. The easy access to them on the patio helps with two things. First,  I can water and fertilize them regularly and, second, I can remember where I planted them when the time comes to remove them from their planter so they rest to insure this winter's bloom. I mention this now because October is the month to remove them from the soil, cut off the leaves and let air dry for a day or two. When dried, wrap them in newspaper and store in a cool, dry, dark place for four to eight weeks before replanting them.

My bulbs are looking especially lush this year despite the drought conditions we experienced because the one aspect of gardening that I am diligent about is watering my planters. I've planted the Amaryllis bulbs in the garden among my perennials other years and they do not fare as well as when they are where I can easily water them.

I am pleased to report the planters I grew them in were a success too. In one instance I used three Amaryllis bulbs placed equal distance apart around the outer perimeter of a medium-sized planter and placed a colorful Coleus in the center. At this point, the Amaryllis are doing double duty. They will not bloom now but the foliage adds interest to the planter while storing energy for their winter blooms. The effect was simple but lovely.


The other planter that worked surprisingly well for me and cost next to nothing contained three Amaryllis bulbs, one large bulb of Eucomis (pineapple lily) and three small pots of Oxalis that I purchased at the grocery store on St. Patrick's Day and kept alive by placing in a sunny window after the holiday. I used a green variety of Oxalis but a purple variety would be just as pretty. The Eucomis I used had been overwintered several times before this planting. It was a large purple-leaved variety, but any large variety would work. Again, I placed the three Amaryllis bulbs evenly spaced around the outer perimeter of a large pot. I placed the Eucomis bulb in the middle, filling in the spaces between the Amaryllis bulbs with the Oxalis. The clover-like Oxalis has pure white flowers and grew to be quite a bit larger than when purchased. The Eucomis flower looks like a pineapple sitting atop a stem that emerges from the center of the bulb. The leaves of the Eucomis and Amaryllis are very similar. To my eye it all worked. Since all three of the plants are bulbs that can be over-wintered in much the same manner, I'm looking forward to using them again year after year.



A great, simple look that can be achieved with little effort and virtually no cost rates as a success in my book. Sometimes less really is more.  

* Liz Rinaldi
Horticulture Chair

Section A, "Ever After," is the show's Club Competition.  Garden Clubs will use their imagination to create a Functional Buffet Table for six depicting a Fairy Tale.  This is where your garden club can shine with its creativity.  It's one of the most popular sections with the public. 

Section B, titled "Midnight Dreams,"  is made up of three classes of small designs.  Each design is no larger than 8" in any direction.  The entrants in Class 3, "Queen of the Fairies," will be Novices Only - defined as one who has never won a Blue Ribbon in a State Standard Flower Show.  This section of small designs always fills up first because it's the favorite of so many - both designers and the public as well.  

Section C, titled "Off the Beaten Path," contains 3 classes of Tables!  One class highlights an Exhibition Table, Type II.  That means the table exhibit is an artistic arrangement of table components without consideration for functional placement.  Members of Creative Arrangers, I'm talking to you!  

In Section E, "The Winding Path," we are again including a Companion Class titled "Emerald Walkway," where a novice designer works with another designer to complete their design.  The companion can be a judge, a friend, or any other helper the Novice needs to feel confident.  This year Class 11 is a  Contrived Decorated Tree representing a fantasy to be staged on a pedestal.

Class 13, "Trail of Crumbs," is a Stretch Design and Class 14, "Wicked Stepmother," is an Angular Design.  Calling all Beyond Beginning Students!  

This year's show also features three wonderful Artistic Craft Classes in the Special Exhibits Division III.  Artistic crafts are exhibits using plant materials to combine horticulture, design, and craft work to add interest and beauty to a flower show.  

Class 6 - "Magic Circle" is a Floral Bracelet.
Class 7 - "Golden Egg" - Decorate an Egg.
Class 8 - "Invitation to the Ball" Decorate a mailbox (supplied by the committee and yours to
                 keep).  

Another important feature of this show is that design entries can be brought in earlier, on Tuesday at noon, and with just a phone call we'll have someone to help you transport your components to the show floor.

So you see, there's something for everyone!  Advance registration in all Design and Artistic Craft Classes is required by December 16, 2016.  But why wait?  Download a copy of the schedule from our website ( www.ctgardenclubs.org) and decide which class (or classes) you'd like to enter.  Our consultants are waiting to hear from you and can answer any and all of your questions.

* Kris Urbanik
Design Coordinator
[email protected]
860-659-1811

The Wallingford Garden Club Youth Chair has been very creative in developing Frightened Frog Programs.  Three of these programs were open to the community, and the one school-based program led to another opportunity for the Wallingford Garden Club to work with more children in a new garden program.

Book Donations:  The Frightened Frog books were purchased and donated to all eight Wallingford elementary school libraries and to the children's room in the Wallingford Public Library.  

Displays:  A tri-fold display board titled, "Please Help Keep Frogs Alive" was made and placed in the nature corner of the children's room in the public library.  The Frightened Frog book as well as other frog related books completed the display. These items were also part of the Wallingford Library Environmental fair in February.

Public Event Programs:  Two public programs were planned and advertised by fliers as well as on the public library calendar of events.  The first program was a Frog Walk at the Tyler Mill Preserve in Wallingford.  Helen Stowe led the group to a vernal pond where she taught about frogs and their natural habitats.

The second program was held at the public library.  Biology teacher and award-winning environmentalist, Representative Mary Mushinsky, spoke about frogs, their life cycle, sounds and habitats.  She had a jar of eggs to show the children.  At the end of the program, the children were given packets of frog facts, activity sheets and a craft project to do at home.

School Program:  The Frightened Frog was read to the third and fourth grade classes at Pond Hill Elementary School

And More:  After reading the book at Pond Hill School, the teachers asked if the Wallingford Garden Club would be able to help replant a garden on the school grounds.  The Janet Donavan Memorial Garden honors a woman who had taught at Pond Hill for many years, but now it needed to be restored. This is a large space with three raised beds and seven ground-level beds.  Garden Club members held three training sessions for the children. After they had cleaned and restored the beds, they planted vegetables, flowers and herbs.  Home Depot donated plants and seeds. Plants left over from the Garden Club plant sale were used.  The children decided that their families would be responsible for care of the garden over the summer; they watered, weeded and harvested.  All produce was donated to Master's Manna, a Wallingford Service Agency that offers food and support to local homeless, and low- and moderate-income families.   Wallingford Garden Club will continue to work with the children at Pond Hill School throughout the school year.



When you offer public programs, you will often interest parents as well and will get great publicity for your club....perhaps even some new members!  Think outside the box...it is not hard to put together a display panel.

* Ann Germano
Youth Chair