Club Events (List View)

We will put together potted plants and cut flowers which will give the lasting quality of plants with the colorful impact of cut flowers. We will discuss and use houseplants that purify our indoor air quality and aid in sleep and reduce stress levels. 

Details about containers and cost TBD. 

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The Olmsted Heritage in Connecticut 

Christopher Wigren, from Preservation Connecticut, will explore how Olmsted’s brilliant landscapes were shaped by his Connecticut upbringing and discuss how historic landscapes impact the quality of modern-day life. An architectural historian, Chris has been published in various magazines in Connecticut and is the author of Connecticut Adventures: Stories of 100 Places

The EcoType Project

Come learn from Sefra Alexandra and Dina Brewster about the EcoType Project as it grows native plants, wild-collected from local open spaces, and brings them to nursery growers and homeowners. It is at the forefront of the work to restore native pollinator habitats. If you have not seen Sefra speak, this is a special opportunity!

Behind the Lens

Get behind the lens as Rick Kollmeyer shares details about his equipment and accessories, post-processing, and camera settings. He will demonstrate how he frames images while practicing responsible wildlife photography, and lead a discussion of AI and its impact on photography.

All Zone II Members are invited to attend a Dinner and Book Talk on Sunday, April 28th at the Downtown Marriott Ballroom from 5:30pm to 8:00pm, the cost is $75. 

Join friends old and new for a "not-to-be-missed" evening featuring Melissa Newman speaking about her recently published book, Head Over Heels: Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman: A Love Affair in Words and Pictures, filled with never-before-seen family pictures. Melissa will also address her parents’ work with the Connecticut land trusts, the Hole in the Wall Gang, and her own husband’s work on the Save the Sound board.

Melissa Newman, an actress, artist, and singer, is the daughter of Hollywood screen legends Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

This dinner at the Hartford Marriott Hotel is open to all Zone II GCA members.

• To register use this registration form found on the volunteer registration page

Please email Betty Snellings if you have questions.

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Social at 8:30 a.m. - Meeting at 9:00 a.m. - Waveny House

Fee: TBD

Join us to learn how to add interest and intrigue to your floral designs while learning clever ways to change the shape of your green material.

Please go to NCGC SignUp Genius to sign up.

Hospitality 9:30 a.m. - Meeting 10:00 a.m. - Waveny House

Program - Sarah Cedar Miller, Central Park Historian and Photographer, will present her book, “Before Central Park”.

Hort Sweeps: “Spring has Sprung” – First Flowers from Your Garden

Entries will be accepted between 9:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Class I – A Spring bouquet from your garden in a whimsical container, not to exceed 18”
Class II – A flowering branch from your garden

Floral Design Sweeps: “Floral Forest Bathing”

Go out on a limb and have fun with our last sweeps of the year! Create a fun abstract design with spring flowers and other items you might discover on a walk in the park. Designers are encouraged to be creative with both choice of container and incorporation of leaf manipulation within your design.

Exhibits will be staged on 30’ high black draped table, viewed from the front. Floral design entry cards can be printed from the members’ area under club documents on ncgardenclub.org. 

Entries are accepted and Passed between 9:00 and 9:30 am.

Abstract Design:

A style in which the plant material and accompanying components are arranged for their distinctive characteristics which may be form, line, color and texture. The designs are bold, emphasize negative space and interest is shared throughout the design. These designs may interpret a subject or be without a theme.

Photography Sweeps: “A Walk in Our Parks”

We are blessed to have many amazing parks in New Canaan. Let’s show our appreciation for these open space wonders. Take a walk through Irwin Park and Waveny Park and capture the beauty you find there. Be creative and have fun! Photos are judged in advance of the monthly meeting.

Photos should be 8” x 10” and framed in a bright white matte. Please drop off your photo(s) and entry card(s) by 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 10th to Paricia Benington’s front door, 982 Ponus Ridge.
Please sign up on SignUpGenius (so we know to look for your entry).

Class I: Color
Class II: Black & White
Class III: Landscape
Class IV: Budding Photographer (1st or 2nd time entering a sweeps and be judged as either Class I, Class II or Class III)

(aka Plant Exchange) - Home of Lauren Bromberg, 85 Bittersweet Lane. 

Share your green thumb and add to your garden!

First we will visit Cricket Hill Garden, 670 N. Walnut Hill Road, Thomaston, CT. This garden and nursery was founded in 1989, with a Focus on Chinese tree peonies. 

Then we will head to Hollister House Garden ($15pp fee) ~ 300 Nettleton Hollow Road, Washington, CT. An American interpretation of several classic English gardens (Garden Conservancy Garden). 

Small fee TBD 

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9:30 a.m. Old Board Meeting -  10:30 a.m. New Board arrives for Brunch.

Waveny House. RSVP to Paperless Post Invitation.

Hospitality 10:00 a.m. - Meeting at 10:30 a.m. , Waveny House

RSVP to the Paperless Post Invitation. Members Only.

Hort Sweeps: “Glorious Blossoms” – Floral Stars from Your Garden.

Entries will be accepted between 9:00 - 9:30 a.m.

Class I – Peonies
A. One stem disbudded

B. Three or more stems disbudded

Class II - Clematis

Class III – Other cut specimen in bloom - foliage attached

A. Annual

B. Perennial 

Class IV - Roses

1. Hybrid Tea - one bloom disbudded

2. Floribunda-onespray

3. English(DavidAustin)

4. Climbers or Ramblers – one bloom or spray

5. Old Garden Rose (introduced prior to 1867) – one bloom or spray with or without side buds

Notes – An exhibitor may submit up to 3 entries per class, provided each is a different species or cultivar. All specimens must be exhibited in a glass container of the exhibitor's choice. Any foliage must be attached.

Photography Exhibition: “Spring Showers/Beautiful Flowers”

This is a fun, non-judged exhibition to celebrate the beauty that we find in late spring, after the April showers. Be creative and have fun taking pictures of fields of flowers, landscapes, stunning roses or any other flowers that put a smile on your face. Photo should be 8” X 10” and framed in a bright white matte and should be brought directly to the meeting. Photos will be displayed at the meeting on a black draped table. Please sign up on SignUpGenius (so we know how many photos we will have to display).

Floral Design Centerpieces:

All luncheon attendees are encouraged to bring one or two blooming stems in a bud vase. Flowers will be placed on the luncheon tables for all to enjoy!