For our November 2021 meeting we welcomed Debbie Semonich who led us in a workshop of “Winter Sowing.”   Members learned how to make their own miniature greenhouses from recycled plastic containers.  After planting the seeds, containers were wintered outdoors and in the spring seedlings appeared.

These are the successful plantings of Linda Hooper, pictured are the winter sowing jugs containing Hollyhocks, Love in a mist, blue wheat, and Chinese lanterns.

See our November 2021 posting for instructions on how to make a miniature greenhouse of your own.

On Saturday, May 14th we held our Annual Plant and Bake sale at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Parking Lot. 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.  A special thanks to Co-Chairs Lisa DiNardo and Debbi Garrow for all of their hard work that made the Plant Sale a success.

Besides Perennials we also offered Gift Cards donated by local businesses, Painted Rocks designed by club members, Baked goods provided by club members and a Raffle of items donated by local businesses and nurseries.

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Join us this Saturday, May 14 from 9:00 to 12:00 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Parking Lot, 25 Church Street (Huntington Green) Shelton for our Annual Plant and Bake Sale.

Proceeds benefit the community projects for Shelton – scholarships, school programs, senior garden therapy and beautifying our city gardens.  ORGC is a non- profit organization

For sale will be Member Grown Perennials, Annuals, House Plants and Herbs. There will also be Hand Painted Rocks, a Bake Sale and a Raffle.

Follow the links below to visit the Facebook pages for the Local Garden Centers donating annuals and perennials.

Benedict’s Home & Garden

Filanowski Farms

Langanke’s Florist & Greenhouses

Laurel Glen Farm

Wells Hollow Farm 

Follow Olde Ripton Garden Club on our Facebook page.

This month we welcomed once again Margery Winters from Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, CT.  Margery did a Power Point presentation on “Soil – It’s Not Just Dirt.”

Margery is the Assistant Director and instructor at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton where she is delighted to be able to share her passion for earth science and nature with students of all ages. She manages the Nature Center’s native plant gardens and is an advocate for the role of natives in our designed landscapes. She is a Master Landscape Design Consultant.

Rarely discussed by gardeners, soil is the foundation of the garden. Each teaspoon of healthy soil is alive with millions of creatures, many working to keep our plants healthy. We learned why we should care about this intriguing ecosystem.

Always an interesting speaker, Margery, kept us absorbed in her presentation.  We learned all about the different types of soils, the connections between soils and plants and how organic matter makes healthy soil.

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For Horticulture this month Linda Hooper shared with us the gardening trend that “bloomed” during the pandemic.

Everyone was planting a garden and retailers found themselves struggling to keep up with the demand for seeds.

Gardening became an activity for the entire family, working from home encouraged people to put more thought into gardening, landscaping and nature.  It helped relieve stress and boosted the connection with nature and outdoor physical activity.

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