Susan Bergen has lived in New Canaan for 14 years and maintains a lovely “wild” garden on her property. After studying and photographing her garden for an entire year to show all the changes through the seasons, Susan recently gave a lecture using her own photographs to the New Canaan Beautification League. Susan’s volunteer activities over the years are numerous and include being head of Lee Garden for three years, co-chairing the Gardeners Exchange of Encore, and working on the Secret Gardens Tour for the Nature Center. Susan has served as a board member of the New Canaan Nature Center, the New Canaan Beautification League, Encore and Newcomers. Susan also ran the Holiday Market for the Nature Center and helped make crafts.
Anda Hutchins moved to New Canaan 14 years ago and has created a beautiful garden, filled with perennial beds, roses, woodland and tulip beds (Anda lived in the Netherlands for 3 years). Her rose garden includes climbers, old roses and 27 hybrid teas. Anda has served on the board of Hamilton College, the New Canaan Library (6 yrs.) and New Canaan Mounted Troop (8 yrs.). Currently, Anda serves on the Library’s Advisory Board. While on the Library Board, Anda was very active on the Long Range Planning and Development committees and the annual Library luncheon.
Kate Kend originally moved to New Canaan 11 years ago, moved briefly to England, and then returned to her beautiful home and gardens on Barnegat Road. Kate and her husband (a 4-star chef) cook with vegetables and herbs from their gardens. A lawyer by background, Kate has served on the board of the New Canaan Nature Center, the New Canaan Library and the Vassar College President’s Advisory Board. Kate is a retired member of the Gardeners, where she served as Program Chair. She has taken courses at NYBG and worked on the Nature Center Garden Symposium. Kate’s mother was very involved with the GCA both nationally and at the zone level.
Muffy Lewis moved to New Canaan 17 years ago and has contributed in many ways to New Canaan’s charitable organizations. As chair of the Garden Center’s Festival of Trees (2000), co-chair of the Nature Center’s Secret Garden Tour for 2 years, and co-chair of the Nature Center’s 50th Anniversary Gala, Muffy is a dedicated volunteer. Muffy currently serves as a board member of the Nature Center. While living on Weed Street, Muffy opened her garden to everyone on the Secret Garden Tour and now she is busily planning her new garden on Old Stamford Road. Besides gardening, Muffy loves decorating, oil painting, flower arranging and walking her dogs.
Maureen Meyer moved to New Canaan 10 years ago and lives in an antique house in Silvermine, caring for her lovely gardens which include boxwood, espalier fruit trees, peony and Buck roses. With her strong flower arranging skills, Maureen chairs the Flower Guild at St. Mark’s Church and also cares for the flower beds in the Gospel garden (which supplies vegetables for the NC Food Bank and flowers for the altars.) Active at New Canaan Country School (her daughter attends 2nd grade), Maureen chairs the Parent Association Arts Committee and student arts-related activities. An artist herself, Maureen has exhibited her paintings in various venues, including the Rowayton Arts Center and the Wilton Library. In her spare time, Maureen runs an antique business.
Susan Valk is a 23-year resident of New Canaan and has enjoyed living in three different homes. With her excellent design sense and flair for decorating, Susan has made each home and garden beautiful. She especially loves arranging objects d’art and planting seasonal urns. A retired member of the Gardeners, Susan has also been active with the Nature Center Secret Garden Tour for three years. Susan is a past board member of Waveny Care Center and currently serves as a board member of the New Canaan Community Foundation. Her sister, Jen Pivirotto, is a NCGC member and her mother was a member of Hortulus Garden Club in Greenwich. Having graduated from Duke University, Susan works as a real estate broker and has been taking a course in garden design at Fairfield University.
As our youngest provisional candidate and a New Canaan native, Elizabeth Zea moved back to town from New York City 8 years ago. While maintaining her mature garden on Weed Street, Liz also works part time as a management consultant in the advertising field. Liz has designed and renovated the gardens at the Montessori School in Wilton (which her twins attended) and currently serves on the Beautification Committee at the New Canaan Country School. Liz also serves on the board of Alexandra’s Playground, a non-profit group dedicated to building playgrounds. Before moving back to New Canaan, Liz took flower-arranging courses at the New School in New York and worked on weekends for a NY florist. Liz has also done freelance work for the former Earth Garden here in New Canaan.