Club Year-End Celebration
On June 7, the Riverside Garden Club ended its 104 th year with a lovely event at the Riverside Yacht Club. The event included a plant swap where members brought various home-grown plantings to exchange with others. Awards were given to Club members who made significant contributions: Laura Petit, Terry Lubman, Donna Reed and Linda Porter. Cindy Lindemeyer, Club President, welcomed the membership with a recap of all that was accomplished over the last 12 months.
The club year began in September with a wonderful tour of Sleepy Cat Farm in Greenwich. Members were guided through a 13 acre garden that has taken its owner 26 years to create and were greeted by not only beautiful flora but also the kitties who live there. In October, Trish Manfredi, a National Garden Club Flower Show Judge and well-known designer, shared her knowledge of flower arranging. Many members used these skills in November to design stunning floral bouquets which were donated to area schools, libraries and nursing homes.
Our Holiday Party in December was hosted by our Vice President, Ellen Brennan-Galvin and her husband Bill, whose home was graced by a beautiful 18 foot spruce decorated with treasures from around the globe. Members enjoyed delicious
food and drink to celebrate the holiday. As the new year unfolded, members learned how to garden during changing environmental conditions, design gardens to welcome back our pollinators and sustain a healthy native habitat in your backyard. And, as is tradition for the Club over the past 100 years, a clean up of the Riverside Train Station Garden was
conducted as part of our April Earth Day celebration.
In May, working with members of the PTA from Riverside and North Mianus schools, the Club ran another very successful and fun-filled field trip to Binney Park for fifth-graders. Busloads of 148 students participated in a scavenger hunt, a hike through Binney Woods, a demonstration of bee-keeping and lessons from a turtle and snake specialist. The entire year then came to a crescendo at the Club’s May meeting when we welcomed area garden clubs and members of the community to hear Steven Scanniello, a nationally renown rose expert and author, speak about the care and development of roses . His presentation was a lead up to a tour the Club will be taking to the national landmark Elizabeth Park Conservancy in West Hartford in June.
The club year began in September with a wonderful tour of Sleepy Cat Farm in Greenwich. Members were guided through a 13 acre garden that has taken its owner 26 years to create and were greeted by not only beautiful flora but also the kitties who live there. In October, Trish Manfredi, a National Garden Club Flower Show Judge and well-known designer, shared her knowledge of flower arranging. Many members used these skills in November to design stunning floral bouquets which were donated to area schools, libraries and nursing homes.
Our Holiday Party in December was hosted by our Vice President, Ellen Brennan-Galvin and her husband Bill, whose home was graced by a beautiful 18 foot spruce decorated with treasures from around the globe. Members enjoyed delicious
food and drink to celebrate the holiday. As the new year unfolded, members learned how to garden during changing environmental conditions, design gardens to welcome back our pollinators and sustain a healthy native habitat in your backyard. And, as is tradition for the Club over the past 100 years, a clean up of the Riverside Train Station Garden was
conducted as part of our April Earth Day celebration.
In May, working with members of the PTA from Riverside and North Mianus schools, the Club ran another very successful and fun-filled field trip to Binney Park for fifth-graders. Busloads of 148 students participated in a scavenger hunt, a hike through Binney Woods, a demonstration of bee-keeping and lessons from a turtle and snake specialist. The entire year then came to a crescendo at the Club’s May meeting when we welcomed area garden clubs and members of the community to hear Steven Scanniello, a nationally renown rose expert and author, speak about the care and development of roses . His presentation was a lead up to a tour the Club will be taking to the national landmark Elizabeth Park Conservancy in West Hartford in June.