Giving Back!

An important part of the New Canaan Garden Club's mission to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening, is the work we do to beautify and serve our community. During the holiday season, these efforts are well-received and widely appreciated by many members of our New Canaan family. Here are several projects that we enthusiastilcally undertake each year:

Donation to New Canaan Department of Human Services - NCGC's members collected and donated $2,800 to the New Canaan Department of Human Services for the town's Food Pantry and Warm Up Fund. The Food Pantry historically makes its largest distributions during the holidays with between 120 and 190 individuals accessing the resources every two weeks. Many of these same families also benefit from assistance from the Warm Up Fund which helps with heat, electric and propane expenses.

Decorations for the Holiday Stroll - Each year the Club decorates and donates trees and wreaths for the annual Holiday Stroll held in early December to kick off the holiday season. The trees surround the stage for Santa's arrival and the wreaths decorate the New Canaan Playhouse windows. After the Stroll, the trees are donated to the New Canaan's Department of Human Services for New Canaan families who otherwise would not have a tree.

Tray Favors for Meals on Wheels - A group of NCGC members gathered to create tray favors from holiday greens for the New Canaan Meals on Wheels, a non-profit service dedicated to providing nourishing meals each weekday throught the year to eligible residents of New Canaan.

Georgia O'Keefe and Little Italy!

What is better than touring the Georgia O’Keeffe Show at the New York Botanical Garden? Going to the show on a beautiful fall day, and then having a personal culinary tour of the Little Italy of the Bronx, Arthur Avenue, afterwards!

Many of us didn’t know that Georgia O’Keeffe spent nine months in Hawaii in 1939, when the Hawaiian Food Company (now Dole Foods) commissioned her to produce snapshots, sketches and paintings to reveal the true character of the island -- going beyond Waikiki Beach. She was overwhelmed with the lush beauty of the place, and said, “Many things are so beautiful that they don’t seem real.” Real or not, her paintings of the tropical flowers -- angel trumpets and birds of paradise, plumeria and belladonn -- were as stunning, to my mind, as any she painted in New Mexico. Equally fabulous was a documentary shown about her time in Hawaii.

Lunch consisted of pizza (only a thin layer of cheese below the tomato sauce) at a food stall in the Arthur Avenue Market, as our guide Danielle Oteri filled us in on the history of Arthur Avenue. It goes back to 1915, and generations of Danielle’s family had lived there almost from the beginning. Out came our tote bags (which Lydee Hummel who arranged this great day, advised us to bring) and before long we were tasting and buying dried sausage, cheese, fresh pasta, pastries, bread and olive oil -- all from the best purveyors. We were stuffed by the end of the tour, and headed back to our cars with visions of Georgia O’Keeffe, fresh pasta and truffle cheese dancing in our heads . . . Emily Kelting

Irwin Park: New Canaan's gathering place!

Last spring, the New Canaan Garden Club held a successful plant sale fundraiser and instructional planting activity for children at Irwin Park Barn. Club members were on hand to provide assistance with selecting plants and advising on best planting practices. Open to the public for the first time, the barn is part of the 36 acre park which is a vibrant community gathering place for walking, jogging and exercising dogs on its environmentally friendly Flexi-Pave trails.

The New Canaan Garden Club manages ongoing conservation and beautification projects at Irwin including the addition of 44,000 daffodils and 42 trees. According to Irwin Park Committee Co-Chair Judy Neville, “As stewards of this varied habitat, we continue our efforts to sustain the rich biodiversity of Irwin by adding plantings and trees to help protect the environment and the endangered Monarch Butterfly. Butterflies represent the essence of nature; freedom, beauty and peace. Irwin park provides an opportunity for people of all ages in our community to enjoy the changing seasons and connect with nature."

An important civic project for the New Canaan Garden Club since 2005, Irwin Park provides social, health and environmental benefits for residents of the town of New Canaan and those from neighboring communities.

Flowers on Wheels!

As a Provisional Member of the New Canaan Garden Club and a Board Member of New Canaan Meals on Wheels, Stephanie Radman initiated a new program which adds joy to the lives of some of our town’s residents through “Flowers on Wheels.” Twice a month from April through October, Meals on Wheels clients receive flowers from the gardens of Garden Club members that are arranged and delivered with the meals. According to Radman, “Meals on Wheels clients are delighted to receive our simple, but lovely floral gifts. This is a donation from our hearts that makes a difference to some of the individuals in our fabulous community.”

Meals on Wheels of New Canaan has been providing nutritious meals to town residents in need since 1972. Sometimes the only person that a client will see all day is the Meals on Wheels Driver. One client said “I love flowers and it makes me so happy to receive them. I take care of them so they last as long as possible.”

Flowers on Wheels is the New Canaan Garden Club’s latest civic commitment which includes maintaining Waveny Walled Garden, beautification projects in Irwin Park, and supporting conservation efforts in New Canaan. In addition, Garden Club members provide horticultural therapy at Waveny Care Center which, like Flowers on Wheels, brings flowers and plants to some of our residents who are not always able to enjoy New Canaan’s beautiful public spaces.

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