As we turn the page to 2021, we have much to be grateful for and much to look forward to.  Despite limitations resulting from pandemic restrictions, our enthusiastic volunteers continue to demonstrate flexibility and ingenuity in order to accomplish our gardening and educational goals. 

Laura Ault demonstrated fantastic leadership in organizing the Greens Workshop!  With collaborative help from Garden Club of New Canaan, we dressed fresh balsam wreaths in red velvet bows and constructed extra-large wreaths using greens harvested from Lee Garden, private properties and town locations. Faith Kerchoff spearheaded the delightfully creative gnome project – which brought special joy to the young and young at heart.  We are all grateful to the many volunteers who participated and to Hospitality for keeping us fortified with coffee and goodie bags while we worked.

Waveny Care Network expressed sincere appreciation for the many holiday containers donated by our members.  Special thanks to Kathy Lapolla our Flower Arranging Chair, for organizing this important activity.

Get ready to Zoom for our exciting monthly programs by registering without delay.  Bill Thomas, Director of Chanticleer Gardens, and Roy Diblik, a specialist in perennial gardening, will provide you with fresh ideas that you can implement in your own garden.  Winter provides time to study up, plan and dream about what you hope to accomplish in the seasons ahead.  As Audrey Hepburn said:  To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.

Programs for 2020-2021 will be virtual via Zoom webinars.

The Zoom link will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to each event.

Zoom will work on your computer, iPad or any smartphone.

Each month, members, and if permitted, guests, will be asked to register for the Zoom program. (Not all programs will be open to the public - some will be for Members only.) A few days before each Zoom program, you will receive an email from NCBL with the invitation and Zoom registration link. Please register using your email, first and last name. You will then receive an email with your personal “one-click” link to use for the event. A reminder email with the same link will also be sent one hour before the program begins. Please do not share your link; it is unique to you. Note: You do not need to have a Zoom account to join NCBL events.

Also, there is no cost to participate in any Zoom event.

 Bill Thomas, Executive Director and Head Gardener at Chanticleer, will give us a virtual tour of one the most artistic public gardens in America. Chanticleer, located in Wayne, PA, is an ever-evolving pleasure garden designed to delight all the senses in every season.

Bill arrived at the 48-acre pleasure garden Chanticleer in 2003, following 26 years at Longwood Gardens.  He leads the talented and creative Chanticleer staff in its continued development of the young garden, now in its 27th year.  He emphasizes an environmentally sensitive, multi-century approach to the property with a strong commitment to horticultural education.  Chanticleer is a teaching garden, providing internships, scholarships and exchanges aimed at experiencing and learning the art of horticulture.  The staff and he co-authored The Art of Gardening (Timber Press), recipient of the American Horticultural Society (AHS) Book Award.  Bill holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He received the Scott Medal and Award in 2017 and the AHS Professional Award in 2016.

"The Art of Gardening at Chanticleer"

is open to the public, so please invite friends to join us.

Roy Diblik is a recognized perennial plant expert, grower, designer, speaker and author. Combining his 35 years of knowledge growing traditional and Midwest native perennials, he specializes in highly aesthetic, sustainable plant communities for all seasons, while reducing maintenance through design. He believes that gardens should be thoughtful, ecologically directed, emotionally outreaching and yet very personal.

His book, The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden, will be available at Elm Street Books.

You can read more about Roy and his approach to gardening by clicking HERE.

Click on the buttons below to view our past webinar programs! You can also find these links on our website.

From January 3rd through the 10th, New Canaan Residents can drop off their Christmas tree at Waveny Pool parking lot from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. daily to be recycled. The New Canaan DPW will mulch the trees and the mulch will be used on the New Canaan Nature Center trails. It's a win-win situation! Thank you, Planet New Canaan for your efforts to keep our town green - in so many ways!

If you have changed any of your contact information (home address, email address, or phone number), please let membership know.

To download the membership form, click HERE.

Jessica Havens sent us these photos from her triangle on the corner of Route 123 and Route 106. Can you believe the Hellebores were blooming on December 13?!

Feeling housebound? A walk through Lee Garden is a refreshing way to be outside in nature and get a little exercise. Be on the lookout in January through March for our blooming Asian witch hazels.

A recent walk through Lee Garden revealed this native evergreen perennial herb, Chimaphila maculata (spotted wintergreen, pipsissewa). Why is this plant commonly called spotted wintergreen when it has obvious stripes on it's leaves? The flower buds have small red spots on them, but we'll have to wait until summer to see that. Chimaphila maculata is endangered in some of our neighboring states.

Chimaphila maculata found in December on Fern Road at Lee Garden.

From the Lee Garden crew:

Our sincerest thanks to everyone who attended the Holiday Greens Workshop! It was a joy to see everyone work together with the Garden Club team to create symbols of love and tradition for New Canaan’s holiday season, especially during such an unusual year.

Thanks to your efforts, the town looked gorgeous. With a little ingenuity (and a lot of new social distancing protocol), we proved that even a pandemic couldn’t stop the flow of creativity from the New Canaan Beautification League.

Faith Kerchoff led a group in crafting darling woodland gnomes from evergreen clippings that could be spotted cheering folks up around town throughout December. Kathy Lapolla spearheaded the lovely, festive Town Hall planters that looked extra-gorgeous in this season’s early snow.

Robin Miner, Cindy Bamatter, and Anne Tropeano brought adorable, protocol-approved goodie bags, and workshop pros Liz Orteig, Sara Hunt, Jill Ernst, and our Garden Club partner, Muffy Lewis, were all on hand to patiently ensure that the workshop went off without a hitch.

While we all look forward to “the return of normalcy,” it’s incredible to see how we’ve adapted throughout the year to carry on the traditions we care about, and this workshop was no exception.

And many thanks to Laura Ault for organizing this year's Workshop! We so appreciate your talents and helping us navigate this event during this time.

Right: Two happy women welcome the arrival of a new Christmas guest! The Gnome brought (briefly unmasked) smiles to The Inn residents Virginia Spugani on the left and Lily Mayer. The NCBL elves are both clever and generous! I also met Garden Club member Mary Trinzi decorating the front door planters. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! (my Mom’s favorite time of year)!

Left: Sara Hunt & Kathy LaPolla put greens together.

It was a team effort!

To see more photos from this day, click on our Flickr photo album below:

Kathy Lapolla our Flower Arranging Chair, asked NCBL members to donate about 28 holiday planters to decorate the individual patios and brighten the lives of Waveny Care clients this holiday season. Below is a note from Stella Clarke, Waveny Volunteer coordinator:

Another way to support bird habitat is by hanging bird houses on your property. Member Fanny Moran received an Eastern screech-owl house as a gift for Christmas this year. You can also build your own. Click the button below to see how!

With colder weather and the second COVID surge upon us, Human Services has serious concerns regarding the welfare of our residents as this pandemic continues down its unpredictable path. Partnering with community organizations is vital in order to strengthen the outreach that is necessary to protect our population of all ages. If you and/or your staff are concerned about an individual, please feel free to contact Human Services. We have many resources that may be beneficial to one’s physical and mental wellbeing.

Jackie D’Louhy  203-594-3081 jacqueline.dlouhy@newcanaanct.gov

Marcy Rand  203-594-3083 marcella.rand@newcanaanct.gov