September, 2021 Newsletter
Volunteers Making New Canaan Beautiful
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Dear New Canaan Beautification League Members and Friends,
We hope your summer has been rejuvenating…despite the rain…or maybe… even because of it! This will certainly go down in the record books as one of the wettest summer seasons ever! Average for July, for example, for our area is 4 inches of rainfall. This year we experienced 16 inches of the wet stuff! Good news is - most plants are flourishing; the bad news is - so are all those pesky weeds!
We all continue to navigate the health epidemic in individual ways but share common safety and social concerns as we adopt a sound path for the future. In keeping with similar guidelines adopted by other community organizations, New Canaan Beautification League will require proof of vaccination and mask wearing for all in-person indoor events for the foreseeable future. We will continue to monitor state and local regulations and recommendations and conduct the format of our many activities including, but not limited to, Board Meetings, Program Meetings, and special activities like the Autumn Luncheon with utmost respect for the well-being of all members.
As health guidelines are subject to change, (sometimes on short notice) it is especially important for all NCBL members to keep up to date with NCBL newsletters and emails. Our approach in all matters is to exhibit flexibility, sound judgement and appropriate perspective. Your individual approach to NCBL participation should be guided by your circumstances, concerns and decisions.
Just as adaptability plays a key role in nature, so has resilience been important in NCBL’s ability to function as a thriving organization of over 190 members! (a new record!) Thanks to our many volunteers who contributed their time and diverse talents! Take time to enjoy this entire newsletter, chock full of marvelous photographs and exciting news!
The rain will come, and the rain will go. Just as Orphan Annie optimistically crowed in her now world-famous tune, let us all sing: “The sun will come out tomorrow! Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there will be sun!”
Warmly,
Carol & Karen
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Wednesday, September 8*, 2021
Welcome Back Coffee
and Bristow Park and Bird Sanctuary Tour
Mead Park Colonnade (next to tennis courts)
10:00am
*rain date: Thursday, September 9
Following the coffee hour, landscape designer and NCBL member, Ty Tan , and Chris Schipper, Past President of the Land Trust Board and leader of the Friends of Bristow, will speak about Bristow Park and Bird Sanctuary adjoining Mead Park. The Bristow talk will be followed by a tour of this restored 17-acre bird sanctuary which contains multiple walking trails and a lovely pond. It was recently planted with pollinator friendly native plants and is the latest property in town to join the Pollinator Pathway. It has provided a habitat for birds since 1924.
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Autumn Luncheon with Page Dickey
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Noted author, Page Dickey, describes her transition from her celebrated NY garden, Duck Hill, to a 17-acre Connecticut garden with a view of the Berkshires in her latest book,
Uprooted : A Gardener Reflects on Beginning Again.
In an illustrated talk, Page describes leaving her beloved garden, Duck Hill, after 34 years, finding a new home in northwest Connecticut at the foot of the Berkshire Hills, and falling in love with its land. A garden emerges with echoes of Duck Hill, but deeply entwined with the surrounding fields and woods. We will learn how her approach to gardening has changed with this new adventure.
RSVP by sending a check payable to NCBL for $42 to:
Gloria Simon, 143 Butler Lane, New Canaan, CT 06840
Indicate your choice on entrée (chicken, fish, or vegetarian) on memo line.
Checks must be received by October 10/3/21
ALL ATTENDEES MUST BE FULLY VACCINATED
You are welcome to invite a guest providing that person has been vaccinated.
Books will be available for purchase and signing.
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Wednesday, November 3
9:30-11:30
New Canaan Nature Center
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"Winter's Beauty, Brought Indoors."
Kyle Riccoboni, floral designer and owner of a new business, Modern Houseplant, will show us how beautiful the winter season can be when we think outside the box. Nature has many wonderful textures at this time of year and by saving and drying materials from your garden, you can create some beautiful wintry creations.
You can follow Kyle on Instagram @modernhouseplant
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You can find our past recorded programs on our YouTube channel.
Click on the image below and please subscribe to bring us to 100 subscribers!
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Please welcome our newest members:
Kate Grohsgal
Barbara O'Shea
Lois Sandberg
Steve Zatz
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Civic Beautification | Traveling Trowels |
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HARD WORK PAYS OFF.... BEAUTIFULLY |
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A band of merry weeders and trimmers has been hard at work this summer under the guidance of Faith Kerchoff, Rob Carpenter, Yvonne Hunkeler and a few others.... Look how beautiful they've made our town! |
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Post box drop off as one drives through. |
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Post box drop off, looking toward Park St. |
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The addition of a butterfly bush makes a nice difference to the new entrance at Mead Park. |
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Gold Star Walk bridge at Mead Park |
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Liz Orteig's carefully tended wall across from Town Hall |
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Garden at Mead Park Plaza |
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A Note from the Triangle Chairs |
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Fall greetings 2021 to all Triangle Volunteers!
As you know, our Triangle Volunteer Coordinator Team is led by Barbara Wilson, ably assisted by Claude Colabella and Greg Brown. We are eager to help the volunteers as needed to keep the Triangles looking their best. Barbara is the contact person if you have any problems or questions so please email Barbara@wilsonlandscapearchitect.com going forward (and also check your spam folder to see if you missed one of her emails).
Below is the fall cleanup process, leaf pickup and plant replacement.
· After the first hard frost, please cut back perennials as needed, close to ground level.
· Leave ornamental grasses for winter interest.
· Rake or blow leaves to an appropriate spot on the triangle. If you need help clearing them please contact Barbara so that we can coordinate with the Town to have them picked up. If possible you can also let the leaves stay for the winter if they won’t damage the plantings. They can be removed in the spring.
· Leaf pick up date(s) to be determined - probably November.
· Contact us if you need to replace any plants that are overgrown or died this year.
· NCBL will be hiring an Arborist to prune the trees this coming winter or spring 2022.
· Shrubs can be pruned as needed over the winter or next spring. Let us know if you need help pruning.
· Spring bulbs - let us know if you need bulbs (tulips, daffodils, alliums, etc).
· If there has been damage to your island this year (by trucks, cars, weather events) please let us know and we can add this to our list to schedule repairs.
Thank you for all your hard work and for continuing to make New Canaan beautiful.
Sincerely,
Barbara Wilson, Claude Colabella & Greg Brown (Triangle Co-Chairs)
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White Oak Shade & Nursery Rd. |
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Marvin Ridge & Old Norwalk Rd. |
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Faith and company have been busy at Lee |
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Tranquility on Chichester Rd. |
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The terrace is potted up with pretty begonias |
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Yellow begonia outside the house |
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Firey red begonia on the terrace |
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Summer Rain is busy installing irrigation at Lee Garden. This is a huge step up for the plants - and the volunteers - who have historically spent hours hand watering. |
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There was lots of activity at Lee Garden this summer. New areas were cleared of the pesky ground ivy and plants are planned for those places. We moved some shrubs around. When nights start to get cool, it will be an excellent time to move things and divide perennials and ground covers.
The overall amount of rain this summer has our azaleas looking really healthy.
Join us on Monday and Thursday mornings (10-2) at the garden! Learn about ground covers: propagating, pruning, etc. with a great group of like-minded gardening souls. Bring your questions!
For more information, contact faith: faithkerchoff@hotmail.com
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Waveny Care Center Flower Arranging |
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WAVENY FLOWERS - SIGN-UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER AND DECEMBER
We are looking for volunteers to make flower arrangements for Waveny Care Center residents to enjoy in the months of September, October and December. Please consider signing up for one of these Mondays:
September 6 [Labor Day], 13, 20, 27
October 4, 11, 18, 25
December 6, 13, 20 and 27
Waveny asks that all volunteers be vaccinated, and be sure to bring a mask. COVID testing is not currently required for entry, but this could change depending on external conditions. If a testing requirement is reinstated, it will involve a 15-minute COVID test administered onsite by Waveny staff. We will advise of any changes and are grateful for your understanding. Detailed guidelines will be provided to every volunteer.
Flowers can be sourced from your gardens (or other members' gardens), area stores (Stew Leonard's, Costco, Walter Stewart's, Acme, East Coast Wholesale Flowers) and local churches. Even vegetable gardens can provide fragrance and visual interest in the form of herbs and sprigs of aromatic foliage. Reimbursement is available.
These spots usually fill up quickly, so sign up soon. Please call if you have any questions.
Thanks in advance for your enthusiastic support!
Betsy Bilus
enbilus@gmail.com
203-722-5535
Enikö Szatai
enikoszatai@gmail.com
203-524-3507
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Hanging basket on Elm Street |
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Zucchini Chocolate Cake
2 ½ C. sifted flour ¼ C. Cocoa
2 Eggs 1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda ½ C Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla ½ C Buttermilk
2 C. Grated Unpeeled Zucchini (about 1 large)
1/2 C. Cooking Oil 1 ¼ C. Sugar
3/4 C Chopped Walnuts 6 oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream together butter, oil and sugar in mixing bowl until light and fluffy, using electric beater at medium speed.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Blend in vanilla.
Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
Stir in Zucchini.
Pour into greased 13 x9 pan.
Sprinkle with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts.
Bake at 325 for 55 Minutes. Cool pan on rack.
Bon Appetit!
Alternatively, two 9 in. pans for 40 min.
Submitted by Cindy Bamatter
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If you have changed any of your contact information (home address, email address, or phone number), please let membership know.
(Laura Ault: lauramulloy@gmail.com)
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Happy or sad, please let me know if one of our NCBL members, needs some support or cheer in the form of a note and maybe, some flowers.
Many thanks for your thoughtfulness!
Libby
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Looking for “Blooms”
We have more new members joining us! Please volunteer to be a “bloom” and help us welcome our 'buds'. Just share your enthusiasm and alert them to upcoming events. We want to be sure everyone feels welcome. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Jill Ernst.
203-972-0320.
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In early August, Carol Seldin, a master gardener, invited Buds and Blooms to view her beautiful 'Dogwood Hill'. |
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This bird house actually has pews in it. |
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Carol & Poco show off some of their hard work. |
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Check Your Garden for this Invasive Pest |
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Invasive Asian Jumping Worms |
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You may think that earthworms are good for the soil, but did you know there is an invasive earthworm that has been causing trouble in our soils in various areas of the country, including here in New Canaan?
The Asian Jumping Worm (Amynthas agrestis, Amynthas tokioensis, and others) has recently gained notoriety as its presence has become more prevalent and troublesome in the United States.
Why is the Asian Jumping Worm (AJW) so troublesome? Unlike our European earthworms which aerate our soil and enrich it with their excrement, AJWs change soil structure and chemistry, leaving soil that is hard, dry, and lacking nutrition. This can cause a variety of problems in the nursery trade, home gardens, and our forests.
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How do you know if you have them?
AJWs look quite different than their European cousins. The simple task of weeding your home garden can reveal them as they hang out in the top mulch layer of a garden. The soil in a densely infested area has a signature coffee ground like appearance:
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The clitellum of the AJW differs from the European worms. It is closer to the head of the worm, reddish when young, but a lighter/whitish color when mature. The clitellum is not raised and completely encircles the earthworm’s body. In contrast, the clitellum of the European earthworm appears as a raised saddle on the worm, and does not completely encircle the worm’s body: |
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As its common name describes, the AJW moves differently than others. Instead of slithering slowly, these worms are quick moving, snake-like, and will thrash wildly when disturbed. Try to pick one up and they will often break off a piece of their body in the attempt to escape. |
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Although the worms die with our first frost, their 2-mm cocoons survive our winter and hatch when temperatures reach 50°F for a consistent period. A new invasion of AJWs can be eradicated if acted upon quickly, before the worms start producing cocoons in late summer.
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How do you stop the spread?
There are currently no viable jumping earthworm control methods, although research is continuing and we can prevent their spread. The following recommendations on preventing spread are from Cornell Cooperative Extension service:
- Do not buy or use jumping worms for bait, vermicomposting, or gardening.
- When purchasing bulk mulch or compost, use a reputable producer that has heat-treated the material to a temperature of 130°F for at least three days to destroy the cocoons or purchase bagged mulch.
- Check your property for jumping earthworms using a mustard pour (it won't harm your plants!). Mix a gallon of water with 1/3 cup of ground yellow mustard seed and pour slowly into the soil. This will drive any worms to the surface where you can easily remove them.
- Cocoons are sensitive to heat and can be destroyed with clear plastic solarization; in late spring or summer, cover moistened soil with a sheet of transparent polyethylene for two/three weeks or until the soil temperature exceeds 104°F for at least three days.
- Be careful when sharing and moving plants; always check for worms and know where your plantings come from; buy bare root stock when possible.
- If you have a small population of jumping worms, handpick and destroy them by bagging them and throwing them in the trash, or place them in a bag and leave out in the sun for at least 10 minutes; then throw the bag away.
- Research is currently being conducted on invasive worms at the University of Wisconsin and several practices do show some promise of control. Abrasive materials such as biochar (ground up charcoal) and diatomaceous earth (fossilized diatoms) may show some promise in killing adult jumping worms. Incorporate one of these products into the infested soil to a depth where the worms are located; worms that come in contact with the materials will be adversely affected.
- If you have jumping worms, avoid moving plants or soil from your yard.
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Google the term “Asian Jumping Worms” and you’ll find an enormous amount of information. Below are links you may find as a helpful place to start:
History of earthworms in North America and well written article on one reporter’s in-person interviews about AJWs with scientists from the Bronx and beyond:
Podcast with expert Brad Herrick which includes some of the efforts being tested to combat the worms:
A healthy-living blog that describes the writer's experience with AJWs and lists some solutions that are being tried across the country at the end of the post:
Informative summary from Cornell Cooperative Extension service:
Margaret Roach has done (2) interviews with Brad Herrick and her latest can be found here:
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You can download a referenced pdf of this newsletter article by clicking HERE. |
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The Black and Gold Bumble Bee Found!
First Time in 100 Years in CT
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For the first time in 100 years, The Black and Gold Bumble Bee (Bombus auricomus) has been seen in Connecticut! This summer, three observant CT residents logged sightings of this rare bee in iNaturalist, the citizen-scientist portal available for monitoring observations of the natural world.
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Even before this year's sightings, this bee was extremely rare in CT. It can be identified by the unique pattern to its abdomen with its first abdominal segment being black and segments 2 and 3 being yellow. |
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Above photo courtesy of Charles Brown on iNaturalist.org (charliebrowncb5) |
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The three places the bee was found in CT this year were: a pollinator garden at the CT Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point, a suburban flower garden in Portland, and a wildflower meadow at the Belding Wildlife Management Area. In all three instances, the bee was found on Monarda (bee balm). |
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above: The beautiful lavendar flowers from native species Monarda fistulosa, taken by an NCBL member visiting Trustom Pond, Rhode Island.
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Scientists have still not determined why the bee may be making a resurgence this year. One hypothesis is that our citizen scientists may just be getting more observant!
These observations may not have been noticed if they weren't recorded into iNaturalist. If you haven't tried iNaturalist yet, you may want to take a look. You can log your own observations, see the observations of others, and get your own observations identified.
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The website has easy to learn video tutorials. Find them by clicking the button below: |
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Our NCBL Newsletter is used to distribute information regarding NCBL activities and announcements that pertain directly to our stated mission. The newsletter shall not be used for political issues, or for the promotion of merchandise or services unless such merchandise or services are part of a joint venture with NCBL. |
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visit our website:
New Canaan Beautification League
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