FOUNDED IN 1931, the West Hartford Garden Club works to improve and beautify our community. Since 1987, the major sources of funding for these projects have been our Garden Tour (click here to request more info) and Plant Sale through ticket sales and Sponsorships. THANK YOU !
West Hartford Climate Emergency Resolution
CURRENT AND ONGOING CIVIC PROJECTS:
Spicebush Swamp Park – Bird and Pollinator Gardens
Providing a program of garden therapy for youth and adults
Supporting historic properties
CIVIC PROJECTS OF THE WEST HARTFORD GARDEN CLUB OVER 82 YEARS:
Planting trees and landscaping
Encouraging community gardening
2024 FEDERATED GARDEN CLUBS OF CT AWARDS FOR OUR VARIOUS CIVIC PROJECTS
Warmest congratulations to our accomplished Civic Projects Committee for awards and recognitions at the annual Federated Garden Club Awards luncheon held earlier this month. It was a long program – there are 122 garden clubs in the Federated Garden Clubs of CT, including more than 6500 individual members. Our club received an astonishing number of awards. We are grateful to all of the club members who attended and especially award recipients. This luncheon is our opportunity to showcase our club’s achievements and to recognize individual members whose contributions to activities and events throughout the season have been remarkable.
Our long-term restoration project at Spicebush Swamp Park led to the club’s receipt of the National Garden Club Certificate of Merit for Conservation Activities. In addition, the club received the Federated Garden Clubs of CT highest award, The Lucille Schavoir Award, for outstanding work in the community [including Seed Library achievements; environmental, conservation, and tree planting efforts at Spicebush, Wojan’s Woods, and Wolcott Park; booths at Earth Day programs (as well as the historic gardens efforts, and healing therapy committee work at Elm Grove, youth work at Hillcrest, and membership committee achievements in welcoming new members)].
Our club also received a Federated Award of Excellence specifically for the Seed Library collaboration with the West Hartford Public Library, thanks to JANICE SCHNABEL’s hard work (thank you, Janice); and a Club Certificate of Achievement for the work we have done to promote the efforts of Lights Out CT and Darken the Skies – to protect migrating birds – we brought Meredith Barges, Co-Chair of Lights Out CT, to the WHPL to speak to a larger group about issues related to light pollution. In addition, a Club Citation for Arboreal was presented to the club for all of our spring and summer tree planting at Spicebush, Wolcott, and Wojan’s Woods.
TREX Community Partnership Program lead Gina Cocchiola received a Certificate of Individual Achievement – Environment for her role in coordinating this project with training, site assignments, and more. Thank you to Gina for running this program!
Of special note, the Joyce P. Harris Award was presented to our own MADELEINE HEXTER for outstanding horticultural achievement. As former Civic Projects Co-Chair, Madeleine led the installation of the Pollinator Pathway Garden around the park sign at Spicebush Swamp Park, and later led a group to plan a Bird Sanctuary further into the park. These actions triggered more work at Spicebush, the ecological restoration of which is now the key civic project for our club. The award book description of Madeleine’s efforts said, “…with thanks to Madeleine’s vision, leadership, organization, and persistence.” Thank you, Madeleine, from all of us!
And, last but not least, each club has an opportunity to select ONE individual for a Good Deed Citation, and we chose Civic Projects member LORRAINE LODIGIANI this year. Lorraine led seed ball making programs for several Earth Day-related functions, assisted with the Winter Sowing program we co-sponsored with WHPL, and helped to lead seed sorting and Seed Day launch programs for the Seed Library. Lorraine is always available to pitch in with civic projects whenever she can.
CONNY THE WHALE TAIL INSTALLATION
Our design proposal was accepted, the tail was installed by the Trout Brook Trail, and soon a fence will be placed around it. Between August and September, pavers will be installed between the tail and the fence, and the town will grade and landscape in preparation for installing our plants. We expect to order plants for delivery and installation in September when the weather is cooler. Our goal is to evoke a feeling of ocean waves and movement. Dedication is planned for October.
EARTH DAY EVENT
On April 20, 2024, an Earth Day event was held at West Hartford Town Hall Parking Lot in Blue Back Square at 50 South Main Street, Blue Back Square. The West Hartford Garden Club was one of the event sponsors. At our booth, which we are sharing with UCONN Master Gardeners, visitors were able to make native wildflower seed balls, using soil leftover from winter sowing and seeds leftover from our Seed Saving/Seed Swap last fall, and pot up little annual flower and vegetable plants.. We were approved for a 100% Sustainable CT grant, which is contingent on collecting 75 donations (in any amount) through this link: Project Earth Day.
CT Lights Out! Help Save Connecticut’s Migratory Birds
The Civic Projects Committee has launched a new campaign! We are asking members of the West Hartford Garden Club to support the CT Lights Out program by turning off some or all outdoor lights, especially from 11 pm to 6 am, during Peak Migration times. Peak fall migration is from August to November. Many garden groups are supporting this program.
Please sign the Pledge to Help Migrating Birds by turning down your lights and identifying “West Hartford Garden Club” as the organization with which you are affiliated when asked.
We all know that bird populations are threatened. We are working hard as a club to plant trees, shrubs, and flowers to support birds and the pollinators that help to feed them. Turning out lights is another way we can help. In Connecticut we have 450 native bird species, of which 60% are migratory. Of these, about 80% migrate at night due to lower temperatures, better airflow and air patterns, and to stay away from their predators – which usually migrate during the day.
Civic Projects Committee member Anastazia Owsiak recently attended a program about Lights Out CT to learn more. She summarized what she thought were the most important points made during the program in the attached document. Anastazia came away from the meeting thinking that this would be an easy and worthwhile way for our group to continue to support our feathered friends.
Thank you for considering participating in this program.
Earth Day Fair
The West Hartford Garden Club participated on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the West Hartford Town Hall, 50 South Main Street, in an Earth Day Fair sponsored by The Foundation for West Public Schools. Earth Day Flyer.
The West Hartford Garden Club emphasized the idea that children and families can make a difference toward a net decrease in the impact of climate change by improving the environment to save the earth throughout every day in the little things we do from the time we wake up until when we go to sleep at night.
