Message From The President |
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March is the Month of Expectation, according to Emily Dickinson. What do we expect from March? At the very least, putting our “non-winter” behind us, and planning a joyful return to the garden and warmer days.
Last month the beautiful blossoms of the Connecticut Flower Show ushered in the first breath of spring, getting us in the mood for more! Our own Flower Show Committees are ramping up their efforts for the June extravaganza, so if you are asked to participate, please jump on the bandwagon. “A Tapestry of Nature” awaits.
In the meantime, we’re getting ready for a fabulous March floral design program with Jane Godshalk. Do attend, and bring a garden club friend if you like. This promises to be a marvelous program, featuring a drawing for Jane’s arrangements. A Prosecco cocktail reception will follow the main event.
See you there!
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Message from the Vice-President |
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GCA Founder’s Fund Finalists
It is time, once again, for our club to cast its annual vote to help select the recipient of the GCA Founder’s Fund award. This year there are three finalists:
- Cylburn Arboretum Friends Nature Education Center Garden
- The Butterfly and Bee Pollinator Meadow at Chickasaw Park in Honor of Muhammad Ali
- Sowing and Growing Evanston Grows: Urban Gardens and Community
Please click HERE to read more about these worthwhile projects. Then VOTE for your selection via email by clicking on my name below to express your support for one of these worthwhile projects. Susan Magary needs to cast our club vote to the GCA by April 1 so please vote ASAP.
The Founder’s Fund prize awarded by GCA is $30,000 to the ultimate winning project and $10,000 to each of the two runners’ up. We hope you will participate.
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March 2023 Program Notice |
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March Membership Meeting
Litchfield Community Center March 23, 2023
Keynote Speaker: Jane Godshalk
5pm-7pm
Cocktails To Follow
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Jane is a floral designer, a teacher, a Floral Design Judge, a Member of the GCA Board of Associates and an author. You can learn more about Jane by clicking HERE.
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We may be the luckiest garden club in Zone II! Jane Godshalk, who has been described as " an exciting and internationally recognized floral designer with a uniquely American style, fresh and uncomplicated, " will be the keynote speaker at our March meeting.
Her talk, “Inspiration...It’s All Around Us,” will start with a short 15 minute PowerPoint presentation reviewing floral designs, followed by a 60 minute hands-on design demonstration.
Due to Jane’s presence in the Garden Club of America Floral Design community, our club is opening this program to other GCA and Federated garden club members. LGC member may bring a guest or prospective new LGC members.
Please note: Anyone who is not an LGC member will be required to pay a $30 fee to attend. This will include a ticket to the drawing for the floral designs created in containers. While there is no fee for LGC members for the speaker, there will be a $10 cost for LGC members to enter the drawing.
All LGC members and guests who will be attending this special event are required to RSVP, and there will be a list of respondents at the door. If you plan on bringing a guest, please let us know by March 3rd. All other LGC members have until March 10th to reply.
To RSVP to Nan Skeie click HERE.
Checks should be made payable to: The Litchfield Garden Club. They can be brought to the meeting, or mailed in advance to:
The Litchfield Garden Club
PO Box 848
Litchfield, CT 06759
Look forward to seeing you at what promises to an educational and fun event.
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Please RSVP to Nan Skeie by clicking HERE.
Zoom will also be available for those of you not able to attend in person:
Litchfield Garden Club is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 858 4312 7213
Passcode: 114910
One tap mobile
+13052241968,,85843127213#,,,,*114910# US
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Committee Reports & Announcements |
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Flower Show "Tapestry of Nature"
Saturday June 17th at Flower Show
🪴🪴🪴 LGC Flower Show Plant Sale 🪴🪴🪴
Propagate, Divide and Donate...
Our plant sale at the flower show is just 4 months away! Kristen and I are hoping that we will have a fabulous selection of specimens from all of our gardens. Details on logistics for the sale to follow in the coming months.
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Volunteers Needed
The flower show is 4 months away and Kristen and I are looking for some members to volunteer to help us with the Silent Auction at the "Preview Gala Party" on June 16th and at the Plant Sale on June 17th from 10am-4pm. We could really use your help so please "raise your hand"!
What we need:
- A tech savvy member who can type the silent auction item description sheets and the bid sheets.
- Someone to help us close out the auction and check people out on Friday, the night of the event
- Plant Sale volunteers are needed to man the tent and help with plant check out on Saturday. The plant sale will also include botanical notecards, Scheepers seeds and fresh flowers.
If you can help us with any of these tasks please contact either me or Kristen by clicking on one of our names below.
Update: Corporate Sponsorship Outreach
To date we have had some fabulous commitments from local businesses to sponsor our Flower show and have received some of the nicest notes about our local beautification.
Levels range from $250 to $5000.
- Platinum ($5000): White Flower Farm
- Gold ($2500): O & G & Litchfield Bancorp
- Silver ($1000): Litchfield Hills Veterinary Hospital, Torrington Savings Bank & John Scheepers
- Bronze ($500): Julia Metcalf Architecture and Interior Design & Bartlett Tree Experts
- Friend ($250): Lawrence Jeffrey Estate Jewelers, Litchfield Hills Nursery & Sister Parish Designs
Please thank them for their support if the opportunity arises!
We are still waiting to hear from many others. If you happen to know of a business that might be interested in sponsoring, please let us know and we will reach out to them.
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LGC Instagram
Lynn and Jessica invite you to share your photos or interesting seasonal information that they can post on IG. Submissions should include a clear photo with a brief caption or description.
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Please forward this information via email to either:
Jessica Travelstead HERE or Lynn Chapman HERE.
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LGC Member Profile
Virginia Budney
LGC Member Since: 2016
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When did your interest in gardening initially blossom?
Though I have always enjoyed beautiful landscapes and gardens, I designed and planted my first garden after moving from Manhattan to Litchfield nine years ago.
It has been a fascinating endeavor with a steep and on going learning curve!
Favorite flower and/or tree?
David Austin Roses in pale yellow and soft pink layered against deep blue Delphinium.
What is your favorite garden tool?
My favorite garden tool are clipping shears.
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What is your favorite gardening tip or "trick of the trade?"
I have learned that if geography dictates, David Austin Roses can flourish in a north facing garden as long as the roses get five-six hours of direct sun.
Who is your favorite “gardening guru”. This can be a person, a favorite book or gardening website or someone you might follow on social media or the internet.
Bill Nobel, for his enchanting New England Gardens.
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Conservation Meeting
March 16, 9:30am
Margy Miner's House
Please bring your ideas for projects that involve native species. Plants, trees, shrubs. Think outside of the box and include how, whatever we decide, we would be helping our birds and pollinators.
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The Federation Honors Bronwyn "Ronnie" Shoelzel
The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut's show committee presented a memorial in Ronnie Schoelzel's honor at the Connecticut Flower Show last month. They honored her as a past president of the Federation and someone who was past State Horticulture Chair and also was a mainstay in the Connecticut Flower Show for innumerable years.
A few weeks ago they asked me if I would like to do an arrangement for the memorial. I was honored and delighted to do this for Ronnie who was a long time friend and fellow club member, judge, and lover of all things flower-y. I wanted the bouquet to be bright, cheerful and spring-like and so included pussy willow, and all yellow and white flowers in a large brass bowl. The Federation, in honor of her past Presidency, and other work, placed a beautiful photograph of her and an easel with a bit of her history, work and hobbies, i.e., her dogs and tango dancing, as well as her gardening. Our thanks to the Federation for this tribute for her and for sending the photos of the display which was such an appropriate recognition of Ronnie's dedication and service to this State organization.
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The Design Committee will be meeting in March to plan for the April Sweepstakes and to answer any questions members may have concerning the upcoming design division of the flower show. There are 4 openings in the Design Division and members are encouraged to talk with Sara Gault and enter to join in the fun!
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Flower Show Update
A "Tapestry of Nature" committee meeting was held on January 31 at St. Anthony's to further plan for our June flower show. Everything is falling into place nicely! The February LGC meeting focused on the flower show and each of its committees and their responsibilities. Members learned exactly what it takes to stage an event like this, so newer members will be ready for the next one!
Crystal and Kristen are doing a fabulous job on Sponsorships and the Silent Auction items. It is going to be a blow out affair! All committees are well organized and working in a timely fashion. There is no doubt that we have a wonderful group of responsible and enthusiastic members! Gratitude to all!
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The weather seesaw continues on, 50 degrees one day and snow or ice the next. Plants would like to bloom, but I keep my fingers crossed that they don’t! If you want to see blooming plants go to Flower Shows! Don’t forget that the Philadelphia Flower Show is happening live this year from March 4-12th.
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February was a busy month. A Kokedama Workshop led by Trina Horine from Hortulus was very well attended and was great fun. Our creations will be on display for all to see at the April Meeting. You can check out the images from the event HERE. We also had a great Horticulture committee meeting. Thank you to all that attended and for sharing ideas for our upcoming April and May sweepstakes.
Remember the babies from our November 2021 succulent workshop? Keep tending them. We can start fertilizing on a more regular basis now, the sun is stronger already and we will start seeing more growth soon.
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Membership News
Our January deadline for submission for Provisional candidates has passed, but please keep in mind any friends or acquaintances that you think would be a good fit for our club.
A good introduction for your friend would be March 23rd at our March program. As you all know, our keynote speaker is Jane Godshalk and this would be a good time for her/him to meet other members in our club.
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“…my awakening to the spell
of Trillium seems as mad and lost
as the love that held me trembling
a lifetime ago, as the wild willingness
to yield everything to beauty,
let go the year-round, earthbound
human life and be
the robin who comes alive
once a year at a flower’s call.
~Hilde Wisert
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Photo Credit: Cathy Oneglia Trilliu, White Memorial Conservation Center |
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The Photography Committee made two field trips to the Edward Burtynsky photography exhibit at the New Britain Museum of American Art. His story of the environmental impact of man on nature with the purpose of creating progress often has unintended and deleterious consequences and effects, sometimes remediated, sometimes left for posterity. Exhibit runs through 4/15. |
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In April, we will venture to the O & G Southbury Quarry to photograph the work being done there and the remedial solar plant. That plant is now providing power, making the quarry energy self sufficient. We could with a little work, create a story board of environmental and cultural photography in CT showing environmental impact.
If you missed the GCA Photography Conference, all the lectures are on the GCA website. Very inspiring!
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May Sweeps
The classes are up on the website. We are all a little busier than usual and I would like you to have a good three months to wander around and seek out Pareidolia (Class III). I hope that you will think that it is fun and a great reason to refresh in the great outdoors. Click HERE to view the classes for the May Sweeps.
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Here is my accidental brush with pareidolia, out with my camera on a rainy day on Little Pitch Road. Golfer? Olympic Torch Bearer?
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The Projects Committee met on January 17th and reviewed upcoming activities:
- Plans are being finalized for Meredith Penfield and Drew Harlow to visit the Environmental Science Club at Litchfield High School. They intend to present the process of how to graft a tree cutting. Meredith will discuss her success story of how the 2012 sycamore in front of the Tapping Reeve House was grafted from the 1779 original Oliver Wolcott Jr. tree planting.
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The Litchfield Historical Society has confirmed two dates for "TREE WALKS" this summer. The walks are a stroll along North and South Streets, last about one hour, and are limited to 12 people. They are a great way to get the word out regarding LGC's involvement in the Treescape of our town. Walks are schedule for:
- June 3rd: Susan Magary will represent the LGC
- August 19th: Margy Miner will represent the LGC
- Diane Stoner donated pusseywillows to use in the three planters in town. Rose Brooks and Drew Harlow had fun refreshing the planters.
- The Projects Committee and Conversation Committee will host a dedication of the 2012 sycamore tree at Tapping Reeve House on Arbor Day, April 28th at 1PM. A bronze plaque will be placed in front of the tree. Club members are invited to attend. A reception in the Tapping Reeve House will follow.
- Summer Plantings: Rose Brooks & Nan Skeie have volunteered to select the plantings for the horse trough and two planters. They will be planted in May.
- A tree will be planted in honor of Ronnie Schoelzel. With Treescape in mind, the tree will be planted on the North/South Street corridor. Hugh Schoelzel will help select an appropriate site.
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Member News and Upcoming Events |
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The Connecticut Daffodil Show |
SAVE THE DATE
April 26- 27, 2023
Connecticut Daffodil Society Presents,
"Yellow Brick Road"
For More information click HERE. To view the artistic schedule click HERE.
FLORAL DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
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