Meet Pyrrharctia Isabella better known as the Woolly Bear Caterpillar.

This month for our Horticulture presentation, Linda Hooper shared information about the Woolly Bear caterpillar.

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For our October meeting, club member Martha Nosal led us in a floral arranging workshop.  Rather than using floral foam bricks, which are considered hazardous because of the chemicals “phenol” and “formaldehyde”, to secure the flower stems we used chicken wire and wooden sticks.

There were many colorful flowers and interesting greens to choose from.

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For our September meeting we welcomed Ceil Rossi.

Ceil lived in Arizona for over 26 years during which time she discovered gourds, an art form of the southwest.

Her earthy artwork is grown from the ground and it’s these hard shelled vessels that have perpetuated her passion for art.

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This month we welcomed back Cathy Rich as our guest presenter. Cathy demonstrated and created beautiful flower arrangements which were auctioned off at the end of the program.

Cathy showed us how to use plants and flowers from the garden to make interesting and unusual arrangements.

Follow the “continue reading” link below to see some of her beautiful arrangements and learn how to use your own garden plants to design unique arrangements of your own.

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After more than a year of virtual meetings we were finally able to come together in person and enjoy a sunny day at the Kellogg House at Osborne Homestead Museum https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Education/Kellogg/Osborne-Homestead-Museum in Derby, Connecticut.

Picnic organizers DonnaKay Pensiero and Holly Secskas

We had a short business meeting after which we enjoyed our picnic lunches.  Later many member took the opportunity to walk through the beautiful gardens of Kellogg House.

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This month Linda Hooper presented Digger Bees and Bumble Bees

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Photo Courtesy of E. Wehger, Slater Sanctuary

This month we welcomed Sally Brockett, President of the Daytime Gardeners of North Haven, who presented “Hummingbirds: Jeweled Acrobats in the Garden.”

Sally gave an interesting presentation about Hummingbirds, we learned many interesting facts  about these “Jeweled Acrobats.”

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Olde Ripton Garden Club

Shelton, Connecticut 06484

May 12, 2021

Dear Donors and Customers

Thank you for your generous gifts to The Olde Ripton Garden Club. We are thrilled to have your support. Through your donations and purchases we will be able to raise funds and continue working towards assisting in beautifying streets, and grounds around public buildings in Shelton. Today your donation is going toward new Signs for our Community Gardens and to award a scholarship to a Shelton High School Student who plans to study horticulture, conservation or the environment.

You truly make the difference for us, and we are extremely grateful!

Sincerely,

Lisa DiNardo & Debby Garrow

Co-Chairmen Olde Ripton Garden Club 2021 Annual Plant & Bake Sale

On Saturday, May 8th we held our Annual Plant Sale and it was a huge success.  Thank you to the public for supporting this important fund raiser.  The Olde Ripton Garden Club is a non-profit organization and all proceeds benefit the community projects in which we are involved.

Lisa DiNardo, Plant Sale Co-chairman and committee member Debby Garrow stand by the hand made wreaths that were available for sale.

Besides member donated plants and baked goods, also available were crafts including hand made wreaths, painted trowels, lavender sachets and floral arrangements.  Also sold were gift cards and raffle tickets for a selection of baskets and large plants, all donated by local businesses.

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Join us on Saturday, May 8th for our annual plant sale which is a major fundraiser for the Olde Ripton Garden Club.  We are a non-profit organization and all proceeds benefit the community projects in which we are involved.   

Because of the pandemic last year, we were unable to offer this successful fundraiser to the community, please stop by and check us out and learn all about the Olde Ripton Garden Club.

For our April meeting we welcomed Margery Winters, Assistant Director of Roaring Brook Nature Center.  The virtual program was “Spring Wildflowers.”  We discovered why they bloom in the spring, where to find them, how they got their names and what makes these plants so special.

Margery is the Assistant Director at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton and manages their native plant gardens.  She is a past President of the Simsbury Garden Club and past Chairman of the Federated Garden Club Landscape Design Study Program and is a Master Landscape Design Consultant.

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At our March virtual meeting, Club Horticulture Co-Chair Linda Hooper shared with us information about the solitary Mason Bee.  Mason bees are some of the first bees to emerge in the spring. They can tolerate temperatures down to 55 degrees, for much of North America, this means that mason bees will be active beginning in late February to early April.

Mason Bees are excellent pollinators, but unlike Honey Bees, they do not produce honey, they are named for their habit of using mud or other masonry products in constructing their nests.   A variety of commercial nesting boxes are available at garden shops and online.