Horticulture Committee

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MEMBERS

Chair:  Pat Sabosik

Vice Chair: Deirdre Newberry

Previous Chair: Trish Helm

Members: Susan Anton, Nori Babbitt, Linda Badgley, Sharon Bender, Cordalie Benoit, Judith Clark, Jeanie Cook, Rosaline Crowley, George Davis, Rebecca DeFelice, Deborah Desir, Victoria DiSesa, Janice Dreier, Adele Edgerton, Marilyn Elsworth, Amy Estabrook, Judi Freudenberg, Melissa Gambaccini, Melanie Ginter, Kathy Goodbody, Margaret Gottschalk, Sandra Greer, Susie Grimes Trish Helm, Robin Hochstrasser, Ann Hoefer, Mary Lachman, Geralyn Lawson, Millie Legenhausen, Lisa Lovejoy,  Maryann Lynn, Carolyn Millman, Rosita Murphy, Deirdre Newberry, Jane Snaider, Nessie Stewart, Celeste Suggs, Ellen White, Susan Wildridge

PURPOSE

This committee expands members’ knowledge of botany and horticulture through workshops, lectures, focused garden visits and demonstrations.  Members develop gardening skills including growing plants from seed, plant care, pruning, propagation, and organic plant management. Activities include workshops, seed swaps, plant sharing events, and training from local garden experts.  The committee encourages members to exhibit in regional flower shows (GCA and FGCCT) as well as in-club bench shows.  The Chair or an alternate is encouraged to attend horticulture meetings of GCA (Shirley Meneice Conference) and FGCCT and report to the Club membership about them.  Club participation is mandatory for any flower show that is part of GCA Zone II Annual Meeting. The committee is responsible for propagating plants for the GCA Zone II Gavel Competition and collecting seeds for the GCA Seed Exchanges, which take place during the Shirley Meneice Conference and the GCA Annual Meeting.

Links, Ideas, and Resources

Do you enjoy Dahlias? Review this article from Natureworks, a retail garden center in CT:

How to Grow and Store Dahlias

Spring GCA Garden Show hosted by the Fairfield Garden. Club, May 1st and. 2nd at the Fairfield University Bookstore. The Horticulture Committee will organize a trip in late April to attend the show. Entries welcome.

Here is a link to an informative blog and podcast: A Way to Garden, Horticultural Know-How by Margaret Roach, well known gardener and columnist for the New York Times

A Way to Garden

Keep up on new trends in new naturalism gardening with Kelly Norris. Sign up for his informative blog.

The New Naturalist Garden

HOW-TO

Winter Sow
Watch Trish Helm’s hands on instructions on how to start your spring plants from seed.​

Download the written instructions.​
Here is a Brochure on Winter Sowing

Forcing Branches
White Flower Farm   “Forcing Branches Tutorial”

Management of Invasive Plants
Here is an excellent presentation on when and How to Manage Invasive Plants

Gardening Under Lights
Christopher Bolick from Marsh Botanical Garden has recommended the book Gardening Under Lights by Leslie Halleck to anyone interested in experimenting with grow lights this winter. The book is a wonderful how-to for both novices and seasoned indoor growers.

ENTRY FORMS
You may fill out the entry cards directly and save to your desktop “with your changes” and then print it, or OR download the file, fill it out on a computer and then print it, or print and fill out an entry card by hand.