News from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut

The FGCCT Judges' Council

The Federated Judges' Council is committed to promoting the study of the Handbook for Flower Shows and the fair and proper judging of Standard Flower Shows throughout the state. The Council also promotes flower show schools and symposiums within the state.

We have seventy Student, Accredited, Life and Master judges. We meet five times a year to clarify changes in the Handbook, discuss judging concerns and practice judging horticulture and design.

The FGCCT Gardening Consultants Council

Established in October 2000.  To increase knowledge and stimulate interest in horticulture;  to keep informed of advanced gardening techniques; to share this knowledge and promote interest in gardening by giving special programs; and to promote Garden Study courses and special events.

Members attend educational programs and seminars at places of interest; Arboretums, CT Agricultural Station, Lockwood Farm, Vineyards, Tobacco Barns and Wickham Park.

Visits to nurseries and garden centers as well a tours of private gardens take place during the year.

Two special projects were established in 2006 to honor Penny Jarvis, a lady who loved to garden and who gave an endowment to the Consultants Council.  The Love-ly Garden award was given for the first time this year to Lisa Cocco of the Suburban Garden Club of Cheshire and a scholarship award to Garden Study School to Pattie Pitts of the Long Hill Garden Club.

Members are invited to join the council as provisionals  upon completion of two courses of Garden Study school.  Upon completion and test passed of four years of Garden Study school, members may join as Active Members.   Currently there are 45 members of the Council and one Master Gardening Consultant.(Completion of eight Garden Study Courses.)

Nancy Lenoce, Chairman

The Gardening Consultants Council presents the "Love-ly Garden Award" each year. This award is open to all garden club members who have created and maintained her or his own garden. Deadline for submitting the nomination form is June 15, 2007.

Click here for award form in PDF format.

The FGCCT Landscape Design Council

The Federated Garden Clubs of CT Landscape Design Council is made up of Landscape Design Consultants who have successfully completed all four Landscape Design Study Programs as well as Provisional members who have completed two courses. The official purpose of the Landscape Design Study Program and the Council is to educate citizens and Consultants alike in good landscape design principles in order to promote landscape design in their own communities, especially as it relates to public design.

The unofficial purpose is to learn as much about landscape design as possible, to get to know and learn from other people interested in landscape design, to learn how to improve our own gardens, and in some cases, learn more about designing gardens for others.

In order to promote awareness of good design principles, our Council judges the landscape exhibits at The Connecticut Flower Show each February, and, based on a point system, awards a BIG SILVER REVERE BOWL to the most outstanding landscape. Any L. D. Consultant can judge, and Provisionals serve as proctors and helpers. It is a fun way to refine our understanding of design principles.

In addition, we also host a yearly Excellence In Design Competition with different categories each year. Last summer, it was A Garden With A Swimming Pool.This year our topic is A Garden On A Steep Slope. Once again, we will encourage Consultants and Provisionals to judge the gardens. We get to see wonderful gardens all over the state, get to meet with and learn from experienced and new members, and usually go out to lunch or have a picnic. The winner receives our now legendary BIG SILVER REVERE BOWL at the Fall Awards Luncheon.

During the summer we usually go on a field trip or view Garden Conservancy Open Gardens, and then retire somewhere for refreshments to discuss what we have seen. This is such a fantastic way to learn since everyone, new and experienced members alike, sees different aspects of the gardens.

We usually have one or two educational programs each year, with inspiring speakers. Every other year, The Council co-hosts Horticulture Day with the Federation Horticulture Committee and Garden Study Council. The speakers are superb, and Horticulture Day is free and open to the public.

Carol King, Chairman

BLUE STAR MARKER
Maria Nahom NGC Chairman

(condensed from the February-April, 2007, "Keeping In Touch" Quarterly Publication of National Garden Clubs)

2006 - BLUE STAR MARKER PROGRAM'S MOST INCREDIBLE YEAR

242 new orders were received this year. The unprecedented growth began with very welcome grants from Principal Financial Group, and continued to escalate when the manufacturer announced a price increase for all markers. Clubs hurried to place orders before the change - the last increase was in 1996.

Ultimately the final credit for this exciting growth goes to our members across the country who support our Armed Forces, and I predict that the program will continue to grow.

Congratulations to all clubs who helped to make this a banner year for Blue Star Memorial Markers.


Durham Blue Star Memorial, given by Durham Garden Club

This Blue Star Marker in Durham, CT, given by the Durham Garden Club, was dedicated on November 9, 2006

From left to right: Susan Parr, Historic/Memorial/Public Gardens Chairman, FGCCT; Maria Nahom, 1st VP, FGCCT and National Garden Clubs Blue Star Memorial Chairman; Flo Flynn, Blue Star Marker Chair, Durham Garden Club; Mary Gray, National Projects/Patriotic Trees Chairman, FGCCT; Maria Nilson, President, Durham Garden Club

Mary Gray, National Projects/Patriotic Trees Chairman for FGCCT, dedicates a tree at the site of the Durham Blue Star memorial.

ALL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LANDSCAPING GRANTS DISTRIBUTED

Seven Habitat for Humanity homes were beautifully landscaped this past year. Four FGCCT garden clubs took advantage of grants that were funded by of the NGC Walk-A-Thon, which raised more than $800 for CT. The garden clubs who landscaped Habitat for Humanity homes were:

• Ledyard Garden Club, four Habitat for Humanity homes in New London - club members planted more than 350 bulbs around the homes to delight the homeowners last spring.
  
  
• Country Gardeners of Glastonbury and Glastonbury Garden Clubs each landscaped a home in Hartford’s Habit for Humanity neighborhood Swift Village.
  
  
• North Haven Garden Club provided landscaping for a Habitat for Humanity home in New Haven.

In addition to designing, purchasing and installing landscaping, members of these garden clubs are providing education for the new HfH homeowners so that the newly landscaped yards will thrive.

For all clubs that participated in the 2005-2007 HfH project, report forms must be submitted to the NGC Chairman by March 1, 2007 for the club to receive a special certificate. These may be downloaded from the NGC Website at www.gardenclub.org.

This year the company Periwinkle and Bloom will be repeating their generous offer of "container garden in a box" for Habitat 2007 BLitz Build homeowners. This new collection will be available this spring so watch for details on the web. For more information, please contact:

Alice W. Luster, FGCCT HfH Liaison
860 633-9098

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Tips from Jo Williams NGC Chairman

(condensed from the February-April, 2007, "Keeping In Touch" Quarterly Publication of National Garden Clubs)

If your Club, District or Council would like to join in the fun of becoming involved in landscaping Habitat homes, please follow these easy as 1, 2, 3, 4 steps.

1. Telephone your local Habitat Affiliate. You'll find the number in the white pages of the telephone directory
2. Learn from the Habitat Affiliate what the particular landscaping needs are in your community.
3. After taking this information back to your club, decide with your members how you would like to help.
4. Make the commitment and dig in! Help needed in landscaping Habitat homes varies from one community to the next. Many times, the need may be monetary. On the other hand, it might be physical. In some cases, the need might be for gardening tools or equipment of that nature. The theme of the HFH Landscape Project is 'OPEN YOUR HEART AND HANDS' and the philosophy has always been: "No contribution - physical or monetary - is too small," and all donations are gratefully received.