November Newsletter

  • Goodbody workdays: Saturday, 11/7, Tuesday, 11/17 (final put-to-bed workday)
  • November 10: Tuesday, Zoom Open Board Meeting 5:30pm. We encourage ALL members to participate. Followed by: Gardens of Mount Vernon and Monticello video. See below in Education for details.
  • November 15: Sunday,1:30. Silver Center, Bartlett Arboretum “Cornucopia & Pumpkin Table Center Workshop”  To sign up: Email: Valerie Mead- Deadline Monday, November 9 – New members will be given priority attendance. Cost: $15 per person.
  • November 17 & 18: Garden Club of America presents its Conservation Study Conference.  See the link below to register.
  • December 1: Tuesday Zoom Board Meeting 10:00
  • Holiday Party: Evening gathering- TBA


A Message From our President:

Dear Fellow Club Members,
With the coronavirus increasing in a number of states we will now be moving to zoom meetings, except for a few very small workshops, for the foreseeable future.  I‘m sure everyone would agree, we want to be very careful.

So, I hope you will join us on November 3rd for a 5:30 pm short zoom meeting.

Following the Zoom meeting, we will watch a video on the gardens of Mount Vernon and Monticello.  It looks like a great production. See below for more information by Dianne.
Pour yourself a glass of wine and join in for the viewing.

Thank you to Libby & Susan for the photos



REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

This year, for the first time, all GCA club members are invited to come together from across the country for The Garden Club of America’s 2020 Conservation Study Conference, an online event.
 
An all-star lineup of conservation heroes will guide us as we dive into the importance of land conservation — for the benefit of us all and our future generations. 
 
We’ll virtually journey to wildlife refuges, national parks, redwood forests, Olmsted parks, and the world’s largest colony of bats in the world near Austin, Texas. We’ll look through the lens of art in nature from an eco-artist, learn more about the importance of children in nature, partake in a “cooking for the climate” demo, and toast our pollinators with a delicious margarita.

Our goal is to make us more aware of the value of both our public and private lands in our country and inspire us to be effective stewards.

Last day to register November 10th

EDUCATION:

Leave the Leaves
The Stamford Pollinator Pathway (https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/stamford) is asking everyone to leave the leaves. Perhaps this is not practical for your lawn, but how about your garden beds? The leaves and litter are essential shelter for hibernating bumblebee queens and the larvae of numerous butterfly and moth species. Beneficial insects like lady bugs are drawn to leaf and mulch piles at this time of year and in springtime will attack aphids in your garden. Click on the link to the Xerces Society to learn about “Leave the Leaves!” by Justin Wheeler https://www.xerces.org/blog/leave-the-leave

The Garden Club of America
Program Committee has created  “It’s Yours: GCA Programs on Demand”.  There will be three video programs which clubs can zoom during upcoming virtual meetings.  The first program, “Revolutionary Gardeners: Gardening Wisdom from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson” is hosted by Mount Vernon’s director of horticulture, Dean Norton and Peter Hatch, the emeritus director of Gardens & Grounds at Monticello.  Both gentlemen have received awards from GCA for their work preserving the heritage of these gardens.  This video will be zoomed to Stamford Garden Club members following a quick open Board Meeting at the November 10th (moved from November 3rd, election day) at 5:30 pm.  The meeting room will open at 5:00 pm.  If you need assistance with zoom, please email Dianne.

The GCA Program Committee has announced the launch of a virtual program series.

Coming on December 1st, “Farm, Flowers, Food and Photography:How a 19th Century Estate and Organic Farm Expresses itself in the 21st Century,” Featuring the talented Matthew Benson of Stonegate Farm in New York’s Hudson Valley

Zone II Gavel Competition results are in! What is the Gavel Competition? Each year when we have the Annual Zone II meeting, there is a class in the flower show for a competition where every club grows the same plant. This idea came from a Stamford Garden Club member, probably back in the 1950’s. Each club has several members grow the plant, this year an ornamental pepper, Capsicum annum ‘Hot Pops Purple’. The best grown plant is selected by each club and submitted to be judged against the other Zone II clubs. This year, it had to be a virtual competition. Marianne Pollak grew the plant that was selected from 2 others, grown by Dianne Farley and Meryl Silverstein. Mary Trehan beautifully photographed our selected pepper from 5 angles along with the entry card and submitted the entry through “Dropbox”. Fairfield Garden Club had the winning plant. It was gorgeous! Go check it out!