Garden club events
The Orchard Valley Garden Club of Southington is accepting applications for a $1,500 scholarship to a Southington graduating senior who is continuing his or her education with any of the following majors: agronomy, botany, city planning, conservation, environmental studies, floriculture, forestry, horticulture, land management, landscape design, plant pathology, or allied subjects. Qualifying criteria and contact information is listed at orchardvalleygardenclub.weebly.com or southingtonschools.org (search scholarship).
Wethersfield Men’s Garden Club will host a free public lecture Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Pitkin Center (30 Greenfield St): “From Machu Picchu to the Galapagos.” Drs. James and Sandy Sulzen will give a slide presentation covering their recent extended trip through Peru, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. The group will discuss the contrasting cultures, the quite unique and varied geography, climate and agriculture (2,000 types of potatoes cultivated in Peru), as well as a taste of the music, history, flora and fauna encountered across the trip. All members of the public are invited. Refreshments will be served.
The East Hartford Garden Club will host Dr. Yonghao Li for the program “Native plants, Successful Containers, and Healthy Perennials” on Feb. 25. Li will discuss the topics of gardening with native plants, useful tips for container gardening, and common diseases of perennials and their identification and prevention.
The meeting will be held at the South End Senior Center, 70 Canterbury St., East Hartford. Li, who holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology, is responsible for the Plant Disease Information Office in New Haven, a part of the Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. with light refreshments followed by Dr. Li’s presentation at 7 p.m. This gardening event is free and open to the public. Ample parking is available.
The Orchard Valley Garden Club of Southington will host Chrissie and John D’Esopo who will speak on their Wild and Woolly Conifer World: Four Seasons of a Creative Botanical Wonderland on Feb. 26. Meetings begin at 9:45 am and are held at the Southington American Legion, 64 Main St., Southington. Guests are welcome, a $5 donation is suggested. For more
information 860-628-6975.
At the February meeting of the Hardy Plant Society, Peter and Barbara Rzasa will give an introductory presentation about the Wonderful World of Lichens. Participants will learn to recognize different lichen forms and structures, their ecology, habitat requirements and ancient and modern uses for lichens. Several specimens will be available for viewing through a stereo-microscope. This meeting will be held at the Solomon Welles House in Wethersfield on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
The Glastonbury Garden Club will meet March 4 (snow date March 11) at St. Luke’s Church, 915 Main St., South Glastonbury, from 7 to 9 p.m. The program will be on “Soil – It’s Not Just Dirt” with Margery Winters from the Canton Nature Center. Rarely discussed by gardeners, soil, is nonetheless, the foundation of a garden. Each tablespoon of healthy soil is alive with millions of creatures, many working to keep your plants healthy. To attend this program or for member information, call 860-633-2283. Anyone, with an interest in gardening and/or floral design is invited to join, regardless of experience.
West Hartford Garden Club will meet March 7 at noon, when Joan Butler and Jana Milbocker present “Birdscaping, Home Sweet Home: Turning Your Property into a Mecca for Birds.” Both are both avid gardeners, plant collectors, garden designers and writers. This program explores the methods and joys of creating beautiful gardens with native plants that are designed to bring avian performers into our backyards. Meeting to be held at St John’s Episcopal Church, 679 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. On-street parking on So. Highland Street or in the church parking lots. Entrance to meeting room is at the back of the church, at the top of the ramp. If West Hartford Schools are closed due to weather, the meeting is canceled. Guest donation of $10 includes a light buffet lunch. Reservations requested. Contact Susan at 860-305-6370 or reserve online at WestHartfordGardenClub.org
The Simsbury Garden Club will meet March 18 for a presentation, “Going Native,” by Margery Winters, of Roaring Brook Nature Center. Discover the ecological benefits of native plants and how we can recapture native habitats in our own gardens. Margery Winters is assistant director of Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, vice president of the Simsbury Land Trust and a longtime member and past president of the Simsbury Garden Club. The Simsbury Garden Club will meet at the Simsbury Public Library Program Room at 6:30 p.m. for a monthly meeting with light refreshments, followed by guest presentation. The public is invited. simsburygardenclub.org
OTHER EVENTS
Gardening workshops
The Hillstown Grange is holding gardening workshops on first and third Thursdays, February through June. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The one-hour workshop will start at 7 p.m. Topics will be starting a garden, soil testing basics, spring tips and feature bug of the week, and will change as gardening needs progress with warmer weather. Garden workshops are freewill donation and open to the public and for experienced as well as new gardeners. The Hillstown Grange is located at 617 Hills St., East Hartford. 860-690-2845 or hillstowngrange@aol.com.
Charles E. Beach House Tour
For one day only the owners of the Charles E. Beach estate at 18 Brightwood Lane, West Hartford, will open all 8,426 square feet of their home as a fundraiser Feb. 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. for the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society. Guests may tour all three floors of this historic home. The Charles E. Beach House is an example of Shingle Style architecture, built in 1900 for the son of the Vine Hill Farm fortune. For many years, Vine Hill Farm put West Hartford on the map with its production of “hygienic” milk that was shipped across the country. noahwebsterhouse.org
Maple Syrup-Making
More than 200 trees have been tapped up at Flanders Nature Center and it’s time to boil down the sap that’s gathered for maple syrup. Feb. 23 and 24 and March 2, 3, 9 and 10, Flanders staff will give demonstrations on turning sap into syrup with a mix of science, stories and humor. Demonstrations, with a $3 suggested donation, will be at the Flanders Sugar House, 5 Church Hill Road, Woodbury. Flanders’ annual pancake breakfast featuring Flanders maple syrup, pancakes, sausages, coffee and orange juice, will be March 3 from 8 a.m. to noon. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for ages 5 to 11. Children under 5 are free. flandersnaturecenter.org
Connecticut Flower & Garden Show
The 38th annual “Connecticut Flower & Garden Show” is Feb. 21 through 24 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The event covers almost three acres and includes seminars by horticulturalists, landscapers and industry professionals, more than an acre of gardens in full bloom. There will be a design, horticulture and photography competition with more than 250 judged entries, all with an “April in Paris” theme. There will be over 300 booths of displays, activities and shopping, with handcrafted gifts, fresh flowers, plants, garden ornaments, metalwork sculptures, herbs, bulbs, seeds, fertilizers, soils, gardening books, patio furniture and lawn and garden tools and equipment. The UConn Co-op will offer free soil testing to those who bring a half cup of soil.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 22 and 23; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 24. Admission is $18 adults; $16 seniors over 62 on Thursday and Friday; $5 children 5-12; free under age 5. Cash only. Paid daily parking at Connecticut Convention Center Garage. Free parking and shuttle at 18 Pequot St. Thursday and Friday. $5 parking at Front Street North and South garages Saturday and Sunday. More details at CTFlowerShow.com.
Southeastern CT Home and Garden Show
The 38th annual Southeastern Connecticut Home and Garden Show runs from Feb. 22 to 24 at the Earth Tower Expo & Convention Center at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville. The home show will include home builders, remodelers, real estate agents, contractors, interior designers and other service providers while the garden show will include landscapers, gardeners, landscape design architects and designers, tree experts and several other garden and lawn processionals. Horticulturist Paul Split, gardener Tovah Martin and Kevin O’Connor of This Old House are among the featured presenters. Friday 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults $10, seniors 65 and over $8, children under 12 admitted for free. jenksproductions.com/tickets/annualsoutheastern-ct-home-and-garden-show, or tickets available at the door.
Antique Arms Show
Glastonbury Elks Antique Arms Show, featuring pre-1898 firearms and militaria, will be held March 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Admission is $5. Firearms from 1898 through World War II are allowable for sale for sellers and buyers having the necessary licenses. The public may bring pre-1898 firearms or other militaria for sale or discussion. The Glastonbury Elks is located at 98 Woodland St., which is accessed from Hopewell Road.
Lecture and supper
The Haddam Garden Club will host a lecture and supper March 7 at 6 p.m. with Dr. Yonghao Li, plant pathologist with CT Agricultural and Experimental Station, will speak on the pruning of woody shrubs and trees at the Haddam Old Town Hall, 21 Field Park Drive. Supper with winter soups prepared by Haddam Garden Club chefs, cornbreads, rolls, dessert, coffee and tea, is included. BYOB. Cost is $20. RSVP Lynne Cooper llcooper13@comcast.net. haddamgardenclub.org/events
Send information on home and gardenrelated events to calendar@courant.com at least three weeks in advance.