The Shelton City Board of Alderman designated the “Orange Coneflower” (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm”) as the City of Shelton’s Official Flower at their meeting on Thursday, Feb 11, 2016.
The Olde Ripton Garden Club of Shelton requested the designation as it is celebrating its 40th Anniversary of continued service to the Shelton community this year with the theme “Growing Together”, encouraging residents and businesses to grow this flower in their gardens around the City.
It is the Club’s desire that you consider planting the Rudbeckia fulgida “Goldsturm’ as well as other native species of flowers, trees and shrubs in your own gardens this coming spring.
Rudbeckia fulgida “Goldsturm’ is a large, daisy-like flower named for its orange-tinged petals in keeping with Shelton School’s colors. It is easy to grow and can be grown in containers or naturalized in meadows and planted freely around homes. The Orange Coneflower is a native plant that will grow readily in our area and it is a perennial assuring that it will return to our gardens year after year. It is attractive to birds, bees and many pollinators that are needed for our gardens to thrive; it blooms from midsummer through the fall; and provides a long season of color.
A contest will be held for those who plant the City Flower this spring and summer. Residents and Businesses are asked to take a photo of their Rudbeckia and submit it to CityFlower@OldeRiptonGardenClub.org. Winners will be picked monthly and announced in the Shelton Herald. A display of all the photos submitted will be displayed in the Fall (location to be announced). Area businesses are being asked to donate prizes for the contest.
The Club will also offer the plant for sale at its May 14th Annual Plant Sale, come rain or shine, at St. Paul’s Church parking lot across from the Huntington Green. All proceeds will go to the purchase of City Flowers that will be planted in the gardens maintained by the Club at many locations throughout Shelton including the Libraries, the Green, and the Community Center where the focus this summer will be on developing pollinator gardens in our community.
So join us and plant the City Flower in your garden and show the community you care about pollinators and support the Garden Club Anniversary by “Growing Together” with us this year.