PURPOSE
The focus of the Visiting Gardens Committee is to plan and manage garden field trips to members’ gardens and other gardens for the club. It also informs members of trips sponsored by The Garden Club of America, The National Council of State Garden Clubs/The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, and other clubs. Through visits to other gardens our members experience traditional and eclectic plant pairings, different garden styles and designs, and horticultural diversity. The committee maintains a list of local gardens, public and private, that may be visited by members and also assists members wishing to visit gardens in other cities or towns.
MEMBERS
Chair: Marilyn Elsworth
Vice Chair: Terri Burditt
Previous Chair: Bonnie Sullivan
Committee Members:
Peggy Atherton, Cordalie Benoit, Jenny Byers, Nyla Carlton, Trish Helm, Kathleen Higgins, Martha Maguire, Jennifer Morvan, Robin Sauerteig, Nessie Stewart, Darlene Zimmerman.
ACTIVITIES
May 11, 2023.
A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND BEAUTIFUL POP-UP GARDENS
Billie Ladd’s Garden
Jenny Byer’s Garden
Lisa Lovejoy’s Garden
Maria Pia (mature)
Thalia
Avalanche
Martha Alexander’s Garden
MaryAnn Lynn, Pat Sabosik, Marilyn Elsworth, and Trish Helm visited the New York Botanical Gardens on April 1st to see and experience the glorious bloom of Orchids in the Conservatory.
Elizabethan Club Garden Tour
The Elizabethan CLob is a social club at Yale University named after Queen Elizabeth, the club maintains a library, and is a meeting house to discuss literature. They also have a wonderful private garden behind the house. A small group attended a garden tour on May 25, 2023
HOLLISTER HOUSE
A small group of members attended an informative ‘Barn Talk’ on cutting gardens at Hollister House on October 8, 2022. The presentation addressed growing the best variety of flowers to cut, plant, transplant, cultivate, and prepare for indoor use. The stroll through the gardens took place under the clearest blue skies! Lunch was enjoyed at the historic Mayflower Inn followed by a meander through the Shakespeare gardens on the property.
FAIRFIELD GARDEN CLUB
GCNH members joined the Fairfield Garden Club on October 12, 2022 at the Ogden House & Garden. Since 1935 the Ogden House Garden has been planned, planted and maintained by the Fairfield Garden Club. The garden, located behind the house, features raised beds, walkways of crushed sea shells with plants and herbs typical of those used at the time. The tree shown in the garden is a 95 year old Elm. Our group was then treated to a wonderful luncheon at the home of one of FGC’s members.
Spring 2023 visits under consideration
Private Garden of non-club member George Anthony Jones, Plantsville, CT
Harkness, Giving Gardens at Coogan’s Farm, Mystic/New London
Small gardens of club members in East Rock, New Haven
May 19, 2023, 10:00am to 4:00pm Wethersfield & Innisfree, Millbrook,NY
RECENT PAST GCNH EVENTS
4/23/2022 – Lisa Lovejoy home Daffodil Garden
5/14/2022 – Botanical Healing Garden, New Haven
5/14/2022 – Garden at the home of Trish Helm
6/11/2022 – Garden at the home of Marilyn Elsworth
6/11/2022 – Garden at the home of Pat Sabosik
6/24/2022 – Leap Garden, New Haven
9/23/ 2022 – Non-member home garden of Peter Dodge, East Haven
10/8/2022 – Hollister House, Washington, CT
10/12, 2022 – Fairfield Garden Club Ogden House and Garden tour, Smithsonian archived Gould Garden