By the time you read this, I will have moved from where I lived over 41 years. I doubt there’s an emotion I haven’t felt as I sort, donate, hand off to grown children or friends, or chuck things.
I’m edging perennial beds again, now, to tempt gardeners or potential gardeners to tend beds with seasonal favorites I will miss more than I’ll miss this house. I know the name of each of them, and remember when this bearded iris or that peony provided the perfect bloom to enter in my club’s flower show. I know which peonies were planted before WWII, and which Itohs Cricket Hill introduced to me.
I make a point to let the realtors know which of the senior trees are cabled. The Mother of all Sugar Maples by the front wall needs elder care. She’ll be at her shiniest as this house is shown. What she adds to the winter hardscape is incomparable.
In New England, we have dramatic transitions, especially in the fall. This is the time of year for crisp morning air and even crisper apples. It’s the time we take stock of what worked or didn’t in our gardens. Some write it down. Some never seem to have the time. I’m in the latter group, especially this year.
Fall of 2021 means we need jackets if our clubs hold meetings outdoors, and masks for meetings indoors. We enjoy each others’ company as much as we love to garden, so we’ve adapted. A couple of clubs held wonderful Fall Garden Tours or Flower Shows. We adapt.
During the third week in September, I spent hours on Zoom as National Garden Clubs, Inc., held its Fall meeting virtually. Others I know spent two days of that week online for FGCCT’s virtual Environmental School (the feedback is that it was wonderful!). As you have probably heard from your club’s president, our 92nd Awards Meeting, Wednesday, October 27, will also be virtual.
We know we so want to meet in person, and we accept not all our members are comfortable with that… yet. I hope you are as grateful as I am that we have new technologies to assist us, and that an intrepid cadre of gardeners continue to master skills so the rest of us can run a comb through our hair and meet online. Please join me to thank Renee Marsh, our Horticulture Chair, for leading the way last year, and Karin Pyskaty, our 1st Vice President, for taking up the challenge last year and this.
This CFNews is the October/November issue. Our Awards Ceremony is The Federation’s Thanksgiving. We will bestow roughly 80 awards on the 27th, to individuals and Member Clubs we cannot wait to celebrate. Who will receive the Bronze Medal, the highest Award given by The Federation? Please, please, register, and join us. No, it will not run six hours, more like… One!
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Thank you for what you do to Grow Gardens and Gardeners.
Polly Brooks
President
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92nd Annual Awards Meeting, October 27, 2021 — A ZOOM Webinar!
As concern continues regarding indoor meetings with meals in close proximity, the 92nd Annual FGCCT Awards Meeting is now a Zoom Webinar on October 27, 2021 at 10:00 am.
The National Garden Club Awards will be presented, along with prestigious FGCCT Awards: Bronze Medal, Lillian Rathbun Award and Lucille Schavoir Award. Other awards include: Tribute Awards, Awards of Honor, and awards for Civic Development, Environmental Concerns and Conservation, Garden Therapy, Historic, Memorial and Public Gardens, Horticulture, Public Relations and Communications, Scholarship, and Youth.
We had so much fun last year with the pumpkin design challenge, it’s back again. “Pumpkins on Parade II” features six floral designs created in a pumpkin. Vote for your favorite and we’ll announce the winner. If you are interested — read on! And submit a pumpkin design! CLICK HERE.
Think about hosting a “watch party” with some of your garden club friends. It’s a great way to share your successes and achievements.
Registration is FREE, but IS REQUIRED, by clicking HERE. After you have registered, you will be sent an email confirmation with a ZOOM Webinar Meeting Link.
— Nan Merolla, FGCCT 2nd Vice President and Acting Meetings Chair
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PUMPKINS on PARADE II — A 2021 Floral Design Challenge Opportunity!
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We had such fun last year that we're doing it again!
You're invited to create a fall design using seasonal flowers and a real pumpkin! Share a photo, and perhaps your design will be featured as part of the FGCCT's virtual Award Meeting on October 27th.
From those entered, six (6) designs will be chosen by a panel. [Photo entries will be identified only by number.] The six photos will be shown during The Federation’s Awards Meeting Webinar. Attendees will vote for their favorite design, and the results will be announced before the end of the meeting.
Just take a photo of your design and send it as an attachment to Trish Manfredi, Judges Council Chair at ptmanfredi@cox.net by October 14, 5 p.m. In the e-mail, list the common names of the plant material used. Dried material, real fruits and vegetables, ribbon, wire, etc. are OK. Also, no faux/artificial flowers, foliage, fruits, vegetables, etc. are permitted. No invasive or endangered plant material may be used.
The winning design and all top six entries will be posted on the Federation's website for everyone to enjoy.
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It's HERE! Get Ready for "Rhythm and Blooms" (and all that jazz!) |
The 40th Annual Connecticut Flower & Garden Show is coming to the Hartford Convention Center from February 24 - February 27, 2022!
Mark your calendars, check out the Schedule at the link below, and start thinking about what you or your club might enter, from Design to Artistic Crafts to Educational Exhibits to Photography.
So tune up that sax and dust off those dancing shoes!
We'll see you in February at "Rhythm and Blooms"!
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YOU Be the Judge!
After not having a State Flower Show in 2021, the Flower Show Committee is hard at work gearing up for a great 2022 show “Rhythm and Blooms” and hope that you’ll join in the excitement. If you ever attended a flower show and wondered, “Why did the judges choose that rather than this as first place?” here’s your chance to “Be the Judge.” Every month, we’ll be putting a class of four designs from past shows on the Federated Garden Clubs of CT, Inc. website and letting you vote on which design you would judge as first, second, third, and honorable mention (fourth). At the end of the month, we’ll tally the votes and compare them with the judges’ rankings. So, click on this link https://ctgardenclubs.org/you-be-the-judge/ and have some fun.
Don’t forget to check back on October 15 to see what place the designs were awarded, and view October’s next class of designs. Remember, you be the judge!
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Check the Event Calendar for any Member Clubs, Affiliate Organizations*, State or National events.
*Affiliates may submit up to six events each calendar year.
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Staying Connected in the era of COVID and beyond …
An Update from the First Vice President
Our world for the past year has, for the most part, been virtual! Checking our email has been one of the only ways to keep up with what has been going on in our garden clubs. Many have had outdoor meetings, when the weather has permitted. The Wallingford Garden Club installed our new President, Carmelina Villani, at a picnic in September. Those who chose not to get the word via email, were left in the dust so to say. I’ve heard one too many times, “I never look at my email” and “You mean we had a speaker on ZOOM?” Let’s hope we can get back to more in person gatherings but sending updates through email, is fast and far less expensive than sending messages out through the USPS!
Constant Contact is the way The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc. has communicated with members for a number of years. It is most important the we are kept up to date with regards to current email addresses. Each time you send in your dues with your roster, Barbara Romblad, the FGCCT Office Administrator, cross checks to see that anything new is updated in our files. If there is a change during the year, please let her know asap.
It was brought to my attention that over 500 members have unsubscribed to our emails. Those emails bounce back to us. That means that those members don’t receive ANY of our email blasts that keep everyone current with what is going on at the state level. You may not be interested in some of the information but unfortunately, we can’t pick and chose who receives which of the messages sent out. Of course, those who have unsubscribed are not reading this, so it is up Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers to check with their membership and determine who has not received the CFNews and please give Barbara a heads up, so it can be corrected.
Karin Pyskaty, First Vice President, FGCCT
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"Treasury Notes"
What Makes a Non-Proft a Non-Profit?
A club or organization cannot just declare themselves to be a non-profit. An organization applies to the IRS to gain the Federal status of a non-profit. There are dozens of different types of non-profits, based on the purpose of the organization. Specifically, Garden Clubs can be determined by the IRS to be non-profit if the stated purpose of the club is to be charitable and educational for the public good. The Federation was granted this designation and also granted status as a “parent” organization and the right to extend the Federal non-profit designation to our club members. Each individual club does not have pay a fee and apply to the IRS. In return, our Garden Clubs must comply with current Federal laws and regulations to maintain their non-profit status.
Does your Garden Club include the words “educational and charitable” in your stated purpose? It should! Does your club call itself a “social club?” It shouldn’t! The IRS could revoke your non-profit status if you are nothing more than a club that meets for social purposes. How much of your budget is spent on educational and charitable endeavors?
The term “non-profit” is often misunderstood. It does not mean that garden clubs are prohibited from making a profit. It merely means that the profits are not taxed by the Federal government. Should garden clubs strive not to make a profit? Absolutely not! Any organization that isn’t making more money than it is spending doesn’t have much of a future. Is there a limit as to how much income, profit, or savings a garden club can have? Not really!
Then why do so many garden clubs plan a budget that has equal income and expenses each year? Why aren’t we planning to make a profit? How do we manage to pay our expenses and also be “educational and charitable” if we don’t have profit?
More in next issue about Garden Club budgets.
Shirley Hall, FGCCT Treasurer
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Environmental School, Course 4, Goes Virtual (and national!)
On September 22-23, 2021, The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc., presented National Garden Clubs Environmental School Course 4, delivered virtually to a national audience via Zoom. Attendees participated from CT, PA, DE, NY, NC, VA, FL, KY, MD, MA, CA and WI. This year the focus was on “Water and Related Issues,” a topic of high relevance today. Top scientists, industry leaders and educators guided students through a variety of topics related to water over the two days.
With the demand for water outstripping supply, classes touched upon how to maintain adequate water supplies for all who depend on it. Agriculture, manufacturing and humans compete for a resource we have taken for granted. With a warmer climate, weather patterns are changing, affecting rain patterns. The emphasis was on being good stewards of the earth to preserve the quality of our water. Water on earth is a closed loop. It evaporates and falls back to earth. There is no new water being created; we must protect what water we have.
For all the water on our planet, only .003% is potable water, fit for human consumption.
The two-day course featured 8 one-hour modules, plus a 2-hour virtual field trip. The first module focused on “Sustainability” and how to balance water supply and demand, with the least impact on the environment. The theme that all things in nature are connected permeated throughout the classes. Thoughtfully designed infrastructure, manufacturing products with recycling in mind, and planning communities to mirror nature, all protect our water resources, and have the added benefit of improving human well-being.
During the virtual field trip, students visited three sites in Connecticut. At Dinosaur State Park, students reviewed how glaciers formed our soils. At a CT State Fish Hatchery, students learned about how water quality affects fish, and at Hammonasett State Park students learned about saltwater species and what they need for a healthy ecosystem. At each, attendees recognized the importance of water to all life, and its significant contribution to our economy and recreation. Most importantly, emphasis was on stewardship involving everyone: educators, industrialists, environmentalists, and citizens alike. Removing invasive species and reducing the amount of nitrogen we put on our lawns will go a long way to preserving our lakes, rivers, and CT’s Long Island Sound. Our collective efforts can have a significant impact.
There was very positive feedback from the attendees, who appreciated the quality of the teaching and topics. Those working towards an Environmental Consultants Certificate took an exam at the end of the 2nd day, and all passed with good grades. National Garden Club’s schools are open to garden club members and anyone with an interest in learning about the Environment, Gardening, Landscape Design or Flower Shows and Judging.
Sharon Bender, Chair of Connecticut Environmental School, along with Ginger Casanova, Registrar, Millie Legenhausen, Publicity and Hospitality and Karin Pyskaty, Zoom administrator, and Susan Quincy of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, put the program together, which was very well received.
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Tours
The Lowcountry: Beaufort and Savannah
Including the Savannah NOGS Garden Tour
April 18-24, 2022
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Highlights
Walking tour of Beaufort with Janet Matlock
Savannah Private Walking Tour of Homes & Gardens
Savannah NOGS Garden Tour
Visit Pinpoint Heritage Center, Eco Dolphin-Spotting Cruise & Tybee Island
Southern Cooking Class with Chef Darin
Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden
Breakfast daily, Sunday Lunch, 1 Box Lunch, 2 Lunches, 1 Tea, 3 Dinners
For complete details and reservation information, click here.
[And check out Facebook and Instagram to see terrific photos from our recent tour to National Parks in the Southwest: Grand Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce & Zion!]
— Kathy Lindroth, FGCCT Tours Coordinator
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FGCCT Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee is very pleased to report that Linda Kaplan of the Quiet Corner Garden Club in Woodstock has joined the Board as Public Relations Chair and Media Team Leader. Joining the Board as Assistant Treasurer is John Davis, also a member of the Quiet corner Garden Club. Linda and John bring a wealth of experience to their respective roles.
We’re actively looking to fill three important positions which remain vacant on the Board of Directors.
- Meetings Chair
- Recording Secretary
- Youth Activities Chair
Do any of these roles speak to you, or do you know of a club member who might be well suited and would enjoy serving in one of these positions?
The Board of Directors meets in New Haven, six times a year, every other month. You’ll be part of a wonderful group of dedicated individuals from across our State who not only fulfill the responsibilities of their positions to the benefit of our members, but you will also surely have a good time. Your club will realize the benefit of having a voice on the Board. What’s even better is the relationships you’ll forge and the friendships you’ll gain for life, while also making a difference in your communities and in our State.
Contact Nominating Chair Arlene Field at afield2@earthlink.net or 203-922-2053 if you would like additional information.
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The "Naked Ladies" — Late Summer Showstoppers! |
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In August I burst into the kitchen shouting “There are naked ladies in the garden!” The man of the household greeted this pronouncement with some caution. I think he feared that either the pandemic or the heat had finally pushed me over the edge. He was relieved (and disappointed I suspect) to learn that the ladies in question were flowers. I, on the other hand, was amazed to find them blooming in my garden. To understand my mystification perhaps I should give you some background on the ladies in question.
The genus Amaryllis contains two species, A. belladonna and the rarer A. paradisicola, neither of which is the one you grow indoors in winter. The showy winter-blooming bulb that everyone calls Amaryllis is now classified as the genus Hippeastrum. This was done over 30 years ago after a very long and complicated botanical food fight. Both are in the family Amaryllidaceae and have large bulbs but Hippeastrum is winter-dormant and native to South America, while Amaryllis, is summer-dormant and native to South Africa.
The common name, “Naked Lady Lilies,” comes from the fact that they bloom in late summer when the bulbs are dormant and there are no leaves. The thick flower stalks shoot straight out of the ground and are topped with clusters of fragrant pink or white flowers. This phenomenon of flowering without leaves is known as hysteranthy and many geophytes (plants with underground storage organs like bulbs, tubers, corms or rhizomes) exhibit it. My Colchicum autumnale does the same thing (often called “Autumn Crocus” but not a Crocus at all).
The botanical name, Amaryllis, comes from a Greek myth in which a nymph named Amaryllis, out of unrequited love for the cold-hearted Alteo, pierces her heart with a golden arrow. Her drops of blood create beautiful flowers along the garden path which the jerk finally notices. Really?? Have you ever noticed that women in these old myths are either clueless young virgins or old crazies with snake hair? I want new myths with clever, dangerous females. Interestingly, all parts of A. belladonna are toxic which is why you don’t have to worry about deer but do need to be careful of pets. And the aforementioned Colchicum is super deadly poisonous with no antidote. Just saying…
Anyhow, somehow I missed the long, strappy foliage that appeared in the spring. I probably assumed it was a spring bulb. There was no missing the two three-foot tall stems that popped up in August. The pink flowers had a sweet fragrance and were quite attractive to pollinators.
Now one big question is how those bulbs made it through the winter. Some sources say the bulbs are cold hardy to Zone 8. Other sources say Zone 7 which is supported by the fact that they grow in my mother’s Maryland, Zone 7a garden (I guess they could have hitchhiked from there). In my Zone 6b garden, I suspect they will meet a cold end unless I dig and store them in the winter. That is not going to happen. First, too much work and second, they don’t like to be disturbed. The mother bulb multiplies by producing bulbets but she is a drama queen and if divided, may not bloom for several years. I suspect transplanting will be met with equal dislike. I don’t need another potted plant and given its need for warm/cool/warm cycles, I doubt my basement will satisfy her anyway.
So given that, why plant Amaryllis belladona? Because we are gardeners! Exotic, high maintenance plants? Oh why the heck not. Actually I suspect the bulbs will take very little care if planted in the right spot. If you want to give it a try, it is suggested you plant the bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep in a warm, protected spot and cover in the winter with some evergreen boughs, chopped leaves, or salt hay. They prefer full sun and tolerate a wide range of soil as long as it is well drained. Like most bulbs they will tolerate drought but need moisture when the foliage begins to emerge in the spring and through the blooming period in late summer/early autumn. Stop watering once the flowers fade and the bulbs go dormant again. That’s it.
As for my ladies, I plan to keep them as cozy as possible this winter and hope to see them gracing my garden again next year.
— Renee Marsh, Horticulture Chair
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Newtown Approves Native Plant Policy for Town Properties |
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The Town of Newtown has approved a Plan requiring the use of native plants on municipal properties.
Requiring native plants for Town landscapes will help mitigate the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation and the proliferation of non-native exotic species. Newtown joins other Connecticut towns that have established regulations, existing policies to include native plants or are in process developing Plans. Approval of a native plant policy shows Newtown’s willingness to preserve and maintain healthy ecoystems that will ensure the well-being of our community now and for future generations.
— Holly Kocet, Garden Club of Newtown
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"Club Corner" is a feature of the CFNews designed to be a place where clubs or individual club members can showcase club achievements and activities. Visit " Club Corner" on the FGCCT website for latest news and tips for clubs - - and while you're there, check out the new "Featured Club" tab where we'll be highlighting a different club in each CFNews issue, based on YOUR submissions. Keep them coming!
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Wilton Garden Club Celebrates a Centennial with Flowers and Fashion |
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Two glorious early fall days, a 100th birthday, a garden club ecstatic to celebrate it all and what do you have? For the Wilton Garden Club, it was a flower show aptly titled, “A Century of Flowers in Fashion.” On Friday, September 24th from 1 pm to 4 pm and Saturday, September 25th from 10 am to 4 pm Wilton’s historic Old Town Hall’s doors were opened to an extravaganza of designs, educational exhibits, photography, and youth displays bringing together fashion and flower trends during the last 100 years. “We had such a great time planning and putting this show on to celebrate our history in such a meaningful way with the community,” stated flower show General Chair Yolanda Bonomo, who noted that Wilton Garden Club’s first flower show was held in 1922, one year after its founding. “ It took tremendous teamwork to get this done, and all of us, including many new members, learned a lot,” added Bonomo.
A Century of Flowers in Fashion, an NGC Small-Standard Flower Show, spotlighted twenty-eight creative floral and botanical designs with fashion and flowers in vogue from the Roaring Twenties when the Club was established through the 1980s to the present day. The public was treated to Fancy Flapper, Gatsby, Rock and Roll, Old Hollywood, Disco and eclectic 1980’s floral designs, as well as mannequins all dolled up in outfits representing each era. Always popular and fun to see was the Horticulture display which encompassed a huge variety of prime flower specimens selected from Club Members’ gardens. A special treat was the Photography section, entitled “Hometown Photo Shoot” with black and white and color photos capturing beauty and nature in Wilton.
An educational conservation exhibit guided the public on the ecological importance of incorporating native plants in our landscapes and the necessity of identifying and removing invasive plants and shrubs to protect wildlife with lots of fresh plants to see as well as an informational video presentation. Several other fascinating displays seen up close and personal were the food harvests presented by the Club’s award-winning Youth Gardeners and Wilton’s Girl Scouts’ fairy garden mini vignettes, designed using collections of plant material in all shapes, textures, and colors.
After a hot and rain-filled summer turned to fall in Wilton, this show was a tremendous success! Everyone who came seemed to enjoy the creativity of Wilton Garden Club members as they showcased their commitment to horticulture, education, and conservation, while celebrating the Club’s 100th birthday. One attendee, Charles Johnson of Wilton asked, “Will you have a flower show every year?” Well, maybe not, but celebrating our Centennial with the community during this special year has been a worthwhile experience for all involved. For more information about the Club, visit www.wiltongardenclub.org.
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Pollinator Project Teams Girl Scouts with The Garden Club of Old Greenwich |
Girl Scout Troop 50917 has been working with The Garden Club of Old Greenwich refurbishing an almost two-decade old overgrown pollinator garden at Old Greenwich School and creating a database to educate people about pollinator-friendly plants. These combined projects are goals towards the girls earning their Girl Scout Silver Award, the second highest award achieved in Girl Scouting.
The girls first identified the plight of pollinators as a troublesome environmental concern. The Girl Scout Troop researched pollinator gardens and learned about the Greenwich Pollinator Pathways. Pollinator Pathways establish pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife. The troop contacted the Garden Club of Old Greenwich and learned about what constitutes a pollinator garden and toured the Butterfly Garden maintained by the club at Greenwich Point. The girls developed an action plan and worked to weed and refurbish the garden at Old Greenwich School. They planted additional pollinator-friendly plants, including fall blooming asters. The Girl Scouts also plan to create some educational documents to ensure and inspire ongoing learning about the garden at Old Greenwich School.
The Girl Scouts researched over 45 flowering pollinator-friendly perennials. They recorded data about the plants that included their height, bloom time, features and their region of origin. This information will be published in an online catalogue that The Garden Club of Old Greenwich will have available on their website. “For years the club had wanted to catalogue the plants at the Greenwich Point Butterfly Garden. Through their hard work and time the Girl Scouts of Troop 50917 have finally allowed this important database to be created” said Wendy Yu, Co-President of the Garden Club of Old Greenwich.
The Girl Scouts' refurbished garden has become the newest addition to the Greenwich Pollinator Pathway system. The Garden Club of Old Greenwich congratulates and thanks the girls of Troop #50917 on this noteworthy achievement.
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Cultivating Serenity … and Herbs … in Woodbury
Members of the Pomperaug Valley Garden Club spent the summer on two new projects: the renovation of the 17th and 18th century medicinal herb garden at the historic Hurd House in Woodbury and installation of a new "Serenity Garden" surrounding a memorial fountain near the Woodbury town library. The Hurd House project, spearheaded by two of the club's Master Gardeners, Nancy Bailey and Mary Krivicky, was a collaboration between the club, New Morning Market, and the Old Woodbury Historical Society. The 17th-century garden was planned and installed in the 1960sby the late Adelma Simmons of Caprilands Herb Farm in Coventry. Hurd House docents had long used the garden for education and to delight students on field trips but needed help to bring it back from disrepair. The Historical Society supported this project, which was halted during the pandemic but revived last spring with the help of club members. New Morning Market funded many of the plants as part of its 50th anniversary celebration.
Just up the road, in the center of town, a new "Serenity Garden" took shape. Surrounding a memorial fountain—a gift to the town from a prominent family in 1927, in memory of their daughter, who died in 1916 at the age of 17—the new garden is the inspiration of club member and Master Gardener Mary Krivicky, who always felt the fountain would make a perfect location for a Serenity Garden. The new garden contains everything from lavender and strawberries to pollinator-friendly perennials, complementing the club's library Monarch Waystation ("Fluttering Pages") which is located a few feet away. A busy summer!
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Assessing the project in consultation with Historical Society docent Sue Cheatham and with the help of a garden plan for restoration of the garden. |
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After several intensive workdays, and the assistance of New Morning Market (who helped provide the new plants), the garden is back to its historic roots. |
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A serenity garden is designed to reconnect you with nature. The sound of water from a water feature is an important element. |
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Donations by Garden Clubs to our Scholarship, Garden Therapy and World Gardening Funds |
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We thank the following Garden Club for their recent donations to the FGCCT Scholarship Fund.* For almost 40 years, the Federation has awarded scholarships to college and university students who major in Agronomy, Botany, City Planning, Conservation, Environmental Studies, Floriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Land Management, Landscape Design, Plant Pathology, or allied subjects. We welcome donations of any size. Our appeal is ongoing to give all of our clubs the opportunity to make a contribution in the amount of their choosing.
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Scholarship Donations as of September 25, 2021 |
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Sasqua Garden Club
West Hartford Garden Club
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(No donations received for either Garden Therapy or World Gardening Donations)
Change in procedure for mailing donation checks: Although the position of Assistant Treasurer has recently been filled, please continue for now to send all checks for donations directly to FGCCT Treasurer Shirley Hall, and, as always, made out to "FGCCT" with the appropriate Fund listed on the memo line.
The Treasurer will notify the appropriate Chair of all donations. Please note that due to the deadline for articles and information for the CFNews, some donations may not be received and deposited in time to be included in the bi-monthly donation acknowledgement, but will be included in the next issue of our newsletter.
Mail checks to
Shirley Hall, Treasurer
21 Tamarac Swamp Road
Wallingford, CT 06492
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Publications from National Garden Clubs, Inc.
and New England Garden Clubs, Inc.
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Tips to use online calendar and submitting a calendar event - click buttons below. |
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Don't Forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
FGCCT is on Facebook and Instagram and we love to post your news and photos! Please send upcoming events, club activities, civic projects, milestones, and hort tips. Include photos and a brief writeup of the news your club would like to share. The best format is text in an email with jpg photos attached. Take active photos showing members at work or showcasing beautiful gardens, flowers, and plants (please name the flower if it is a hort only photo). Let’s follow each other! Send submissions to social@ctgardenclubs.org
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URGENT NOTICE
ALL FGCCT CLUBS MUST FILE WITH THE IRS!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CLUB PRESIDENTS AND TREASURERS
To maintain your garden club's Tax Exemption status, your club MUST file with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) EVERY YEAR. You must file a form 990, 990-EZ, or 990N (the e-postcard).
Clubs that fail to file an annual 990-series return or notice, for three consecutive years, will AUTOMATICALLY lose their tax-exempt status.
or Go To
www.irs.gov, then click link for "Charities & Non-Profits."
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Deadline to submit articles/photos, ads and calendar events for the October/November 2021 issue of The Connecticut Federation News is September 10, 2021. Please submit to:
ARTICLES/PHOTOS
Marty Sherman
ADVERTISING
Barbara Romblad
PO Box 854, Branford, CT 06405
203.488.5528
CALENDAR
Ellie Tessmer
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State, Regional &
National Events
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