October, 2023 Newsletter

Volunteers Making New Canaan Beautiful

Dear Members and Friends,

Our October 4th luncheon is right around the corner and promises to be a great event.

We've had many requests to continue offering evening programs and will do so on November 1. Jen Cipriano from Copia will speak to us on preparing our landscapes for winter. Hope to see you there.

The annual greens workshop in conjunction with the NC Garden Club is coming up on November 29. Please mark your calendars - - and if you are planning to prune your evergreens and can get an appointment to do so, we would LOVE to have the trimmings. Drop off days will be Monday November 27 and Tuesday November 28. For any questions, please contact either Kathleen Murphy (kapmgo@gmail.com) or Barbara O'Shea (barbara636@mac.com).

After many years of hard work and planning, the Lee driveway leading up to the barn has finally been paved. Thank you to Faith and her volunteers for getting this done.

Ty Tan is hoping to begin planting the train station the 14th, 21st or 28th of October, Saturdays, when fewer cars will be present. Stay tuned for more information.

And, finally, thank you to the more than 30 volunteers who tend New Canaan's traffic triangles, the town hall planters, the wall along the town hall driveway, the mail box area on Pine Street and the Mead Park Plaza, its entrance off Park Street, and the Gold Star Walk. Combined with the hanging baskets, our town looks great!

Sincerely,

Robin Bates-Mason & Jill Ernst

co-Presidents

Mead Park Gold Star Walk Memorial Rock

Wednesday

October 4, 2023

11:15 - 2:00 pm

The Country Club of New Canaan

95 Country Club Road

New Canaan, CT

Therapeutic Horticulture:

Growing Relationships through People-Plant Connections

with

Anne Meore LMSW, HTR

Designer/Instructor

Bon Secours Charity Health System

Anne M. Meore, Licensed social worker, registered Horticultural Therapist and NYBG faculty member, shares the foundational pillars of the people-plant relationship that connect us not only to the natural world, but also to each other. Skills will be explored which are instrumental in therapeutic horticulture applications for a wide variety of service communities.

The Program includes a hands-on activity that will be done before lunch is served. Please arrive promptly by 11:15 if you'd like to participate. Each attendee will make two herbal tea bags with materials provided by our speaker.

Ms Meore's work at the New York Botanical Garden includes serving as the Horticultural Therapy Program Coordinator for THRIVE (­Therapeutic Horticulture and Rehabilitative Intervention for Veteran Engagement) and partnering with the Bronx VA’s Resilience & Wellness Center, the first-ever therapeutic horticulture program offered at NYBG.  She is a faculty member of the TH Certificate Program at NYBG and is the proud recipient of the AHTA’s 2022 Charles Lewis Excellence in Research Award, and the John Walker Community Service Award for her Horticultural Therapy work with a wide spectrum of vulnerable populations.

In addition to her work at NYBG, Ms Meore is the owner of Planthropy LLC, providing therapeutic garden consultation, horticulture therapy programming, and lectures on the importance of the “people-plant” relationship.  Planthropy’s latest work was the 2022 design and installation of the G.R.O.W. Garden (Gardening for Resilience & Optimal Wellness), the first therapeutic garden on the J.J. Peters VAMC campus, in which she provides therapeutic horticulture, garden education, and staff support programming.

November 1

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

New Canaan Nature Center 

Preparing Your Winter Landscape

with Jen Cipriano

You've asked for an evening program, and we have one for you!

Jenn Cipriano of Copia Home and Garden will provide a tutorial on how to prepare your landscape for the winter. Topics will include what to prune and when, fertilizing, mulching and suggested plantings that will provide interest and color during the winter months. Don’t clean or prune until you attend this program!

Jennifer Cipriano is the co-owner of Copia Home and Garden. She attended Cornell University, earning a BS in Ornamental Horticulture and has worked at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Denver Botanic Garden. She particularly enjoys giving plant workshops in our area. Jenn and her husband Peter have recently started their own farm raising eggs, growing perennials, trees, shrubs and organic vegetables.  

Volunteers Needed to Make Flower Arrangements

Waveny Care Center

Mondays in October & December

Flower arrangements are an integral part of making Waveny the attractive home it is for its residents.

The commitment is about 1-1/2 hours and you are welcome to work with a partner.

Detailed instructions will be sent by Amy S. and Amy R. with regard to sourcing flowers.

If you are able to help on one of the dates below, please sign up by clicking the button below.



October, 2023

Monday, 10/9 - one person to work with Eva Wingate

Monday, 10/23 - one person to work with Lindsay Bassett

Monday, 10/30- one person to work with Jessica Havens 

December 2023:

Monday, 12/4 - one person to work with Lindsay Bassett

Monday, 12/18 - two people!

Sunday, 12/24 - PLEASE NOTE SUNDAY INSTEAD OF MONDAY, two people!

You can sign up by clicking this button below:

If you are new to this project, please contact Amy Reid or Amy Sorensen for orientation prior to working.

areid1010@gmail.com

ac_sorensen@yahoo.com

Kathleen Murphy wheels the cart full of arrangements for the dining room.

Betsy Bilus admires the beautiful arrangements ready for delivery.

TRAIN STATION

Ty Tan is targeting Saturdays in October (when the station has fewer cars). 

We will be working with the town DPW as well.

Oct. 14, 21, or 28. 9 am.

SLOBs at LEE GARDEN

will be spreading chips along the road.

We are mainly providing guidance and encouragement!

Sat. Oct 14, 10-noon.

NC AMBULANCE CORPS

Replanting the front area by South Ave., repurposing some shrubs 

from the Police Station, which will soon go under renovation.

We will be working with a town crew. 

Possibly a Friday Traveling Trowels event.

PICKLE BALL COURT PLANTINGS/Mead Park

Tiger has asked if we would like to assist 

the town crew in planting this area.

Design by 

Keith Simpson Assoc.

Plants provided by the town.

Please let Faith know if you would like to be on her notifications list

for these projects.

faithkerchoff@hotmail.com

🎄SIGN UP NOW!🎄

Wednesday, November 29

Each year, the New Canaan Garden Club and NCBL partner to make wreaths and gnomes for public buidings and spaces in New Canaan. The greens are supplied by residents and the town through tree trimmings and delivered to the Nature Center where volunteers staple or tie them onto forms. Finished products are delivered and placed or hung by the DPW. This is a fun day and an excellent way to support the town at the holiday season. NO ARTISTIC TALENT REQUIRED.

WORKSHOP DATE: Wednesday, November 29 9am - 2pm 

at New Canaan Nature Center. 

It's a wonderful way to start the season and enjoy the friendship of our members.  Talent is not a requirement, only energy and interest.

Sign up using the button below!

Our Greens co-chairs, Kathleen Murphy and Barbara O'Shea

We need your evergreens, berries, and cones, for our Greens and Gnomes Workshop!

Drop off days will be Monday November 27 and Tuesday November 28.

If you can hold off on your pruning until then, we would greatly appreciate it, as our wreaths are only as special as the contributions of material we receive!

Ty Tan is targeting Saturdays in Oct. (when the station has fewer cars) 

for us to begin planting. We will be working with the town DWP as well.

Oct. 14, 21, or 28. 9 a.m.

The following plants are being offered in our Fall Plant Swap:

• Sedum 'Autumn Joy' (pink): contact Camilla Austin
• Daylily (yellow): contact Camilla Austin
• Rose of Sharon (white and pink): contact Karen Sneirson
• Digitalis sp: contact Karen Sneirson
• Hakone Grass: contact Jill Ernst
• Hosta (purple): contact Lally Jurcik
• Strawberry: contact Susan Sweitzer

Guidelines/Spirit:

● The Dig and Divide is for New Canaan Beautification League members only

● Make direct contact with the member who has a plant you would like to take (you can click on their name above to email or find contact information in your directory).

● Plants must be collected on or before the end of October 2023

● Plants offered should be pest free and healthy. Plants taken and given at members own discretion.

● Do not offer plants from gardens with Asian Jumping Worms

● This is a trial, we are open to suggestions to improve the process. We hope this can become an annual event

● To offer plants, update when plants have been taken, or for any questions please email camillaaustin127@gmail.com

A big thank you to all the amazing members who contributed baked goods to our September Welcome Back Coffee. Our Hospitality Committee did a wonderful job coordinating the beautiful morning. Thank you Cindy Bamatter, Robin Miner, and Anne Tropeano. We had quite an amazing spread and it was great to see so many old and new faces after the summer.

Cindy Bamatter & Libby Butterworth

Thank you to our Hospitality Committee for pulling together such a great morning.

Jill Ernst, co-President

Due to popular demand, Nora Fay has generously permitted us to print her recipe for the blueberry coffee cake she brought to the Welcome Back coffee.

Nora's Blueberry Coffee Cake

CAKE

1 large egg

1/2 c low-fat milk

1/2 c low-fat plain yogurt 

3 tbsp canola oil

2 cups all purpose white flour 

1/2 c sugar

4 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1 and 1/2 cups rinsed then dried fresh blueberries 

TOPPING

3 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

2-3 tbsp chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

Mix wet ingredients (except blueberries) in one bowl

Sift all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Stir dry into wet until just blended smooth- don’t over mix!

Fold in blueberries, sprinkle on topping.

Bake for 25 minutes in a greased square baking dish or until a knife comes out clean. Let sit for at least 10 minutes but serve warm!

Deborah Chud is a retired Massachusetts physician turned garden-maker, consultant and educator. Her 6 years of research on New Perennial gardens, including  New York’s High Line, Chicago’s Lurie Garden, the Oudolf Meadow at Delaware Botanic Gardens, and Oudolf Garden Detroit, generated the most comprehensive existing database of New Perennial plant combinations  and led to the creation of her own highly unusual New Perennial garden. She will be speaking to us about her research in February and we will publish more information about her presentation closer to that date.

Dr. Chud has generously invited any NCBL member to tour her gardens before the end of October. If you're going to be in Boston and have an hour or so, please feel free to get in touch with her. Contact Fanny Moran who has her Chestnut Hill, MA contact information.

The Driveway Has Been Paved!

After more than three years of planning, negotiation with neighbors and fundraising, Faith Kerchoff has made the paving of the driveway a reality. Frank Piro of Piro Paving in Norwalk, gave us a great price and we celebrated on September 22 with Prosecco and cookies.

Faith Kerchoff and her dedicated volunteers have worked long and hard getting Lee Garden to its present state. The barn was created from the previous house in 2018. Irrigation was added in 2020, a new gate in 2022, and finally, our newly paved driveway which should comfortably park 4+ cars. Thank you Faith for all of your efforts!

From George Lee's old house to NCBL's new Shed, aka Barn

To volunteer at Lee Garden, contact Faith Kerchoff.



The Service League of Boys (SLOBS) will be

at LEE GARDEN to

Spread chips along the road.

We are mainly providing guidance and encouragement!

Sat. Oct 14, 10-noon.

We are looking for volunteers to work in the garden for

an hour or two per week. 

It is a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors this fall and

Lee Garden has a lot to teach us:

Want to learn more about azaleas and rhodies, ground covers, shade plants,

pruning and more? You will at Lee.

In November we'll be planting bulbs.

Our extensive book collection is open for all to enjoy.

We are there Mondays and Thursdays from 9:30-1pm or you can email Faithkerchoff@hotmail.com to set up a different time to meet.

Members of the Bartlett Master Gardener program have been volunteering at the garden this year and we thank them for all they've helped us accomplish.

NCBL VESTS

We are taking orders for our nifty green fleece vest with an embroidered

NCBL Logo.

Sizes available: XS-S-M-L-XL- 3X-4X (the sizes run a bit large).

They are men’s sizes and are being made by 84 Sports in New Canaan.

Send or drop off money to Faith Kerchoff.

Also, if triangle/traveling trowels volunteers would like long-sleeve,

bright green T-shirts, let Faith know.

They are free.

NCBL green fleece vest as modeled by Kathy LaPolla

Our hanging baskets were still going strong in September:

NCBL will have an educational table set up on October 14. Please let Ginny know if you are willing to help on one of two shifts: 9:30-11:30 or 11:30 - 1:30. It's a nice way to support NCBL while seeing lots of friends.

ginnyadobbs@gmail.com

Country Club & Rte. 123

God's Acre

The Triangle Co-Chair team, led by Barbara Wilson along with Claude Colabella and Greg Brown, is eager to help volunteers keep the triangles looking their best. Please follow these guidelines for fall clean-up:

1. After the first hard frost, you may cut back perennials to almost ground level, or for pollinator-friendliness, you may leave perennial stalks standing as they provide shelter for hibernating and egg-laying insects. It’s your choice to cut back or not.

2. Leave leaves and vegetation for the winter if possible. This will help the wildlife.

3. If you determine that leaves need to be removed, rake or blow leaves to an appropriate place. Some triangles will have blown leaves picked up by a landscaper or the town.

4. Leaf pick up dates will be determined - and advertised - by the town. (Usually November.)

5. Replace any plants as needed.

6. Prune trees or shrubs as needed.

7. Plant bulbs if appropriate. (Let us know if you need bulbs.)

8. Leave ornamental grasses for winter.

Claude will be the contact person if you have any problems or questions: nccolabella@hotmail.com.

And, thank you for all your hard work as we continue to make New Canaan beautiful.

Ponus Ridge and Cascade Road

Thrift Shop

Schoolhouse Apartments at 156 South Avenue is a 40 unit low/adjusted income housing facility transformed out of an old school. The Daycare Center of New Canaan is located in the basement of the building. Over the past year, the Schoolhouse Board has worked to update the grounds and building.

NCBL was asked if we could make their sign more welcoming. The results are below. Thank you, Faith, Sandy, Pam and Kathy.

There are lots of ways to support NCBL, many of them 'behind the scenes'. We are always looking for people to fill leadership positions in a variety of areas, including computer work, membership, photography, beautification, programming, fundraising, and more. We will be looking to build our committees for the 2024-2025 season this winter. Please let Barb Achenbaum know if you have an interest in sharing your talents: barbachenbaum@gmail.com .

The Pollinator Pathway fundraising effort for the Cam Hutchins Memorial Pollinator Garden at Bristow Park and Bird Sanctuary was exceeded!

Thank you to all who donated.

If you missed the program on the Spotted Lanternfly held at the library this summer, you can still view it by clicking the video icon below.

Thank you for being a member! If you have not done so already, please pay your annual dues promptly.

Anyone who joined after December 31, 2022 does not have to pay dues for the coming year, 2023 – 2024.

PLEASE RENEW ONLINE through our website by clicking the button below:

...or send in your membership form with your check for dues to:  NCBL Membership, PO Box 1244, New Canaan, CT 06840. To download the annual membership form, click the button below.

Welcome to our newest members!



Val Franco

Margaret Rose

Patti Roth

Amanda Sutton