On Sunday, September 18, the Garden Club of Old Greenwich created its first ever fresh flower “Flower Burst” installation at the Art on Sound Beach Avenue festival. Sponsored by the OG Merchants Association, the village was closed to vehicle traffic and over 30 artists showcased their original artwork. The Garden Club of Old Greenwich contributed to the event by displaying their artist floral design talents by creating their first ever large scale floral design.
The display stood over 10 ft. tall and took club volunteers 5 1/2 hours to assemble. The entire greening base was sourced from the yards of members, and most of the flowers used to create the burst were sourced from local Fairfield County, CT farms. The seasonal blooms were in shades of yellow and apricot and featured chrysanthemums, zinnias, hydrangeas, snapdragons, and cockscomb.
95% of the materials used to create the Flower Burst were completely biodegradable or recyclable. 100% Natural Floral Foam™ called Agra Wool™, made from Basalt and a type of sucrose (cane or beet sugar), were used. The display was pollinator friendly & bees were feasting on the blooms all day.
In preparation to design and create this large scale design, they hosted a membership workshop that featured New York Botanical Garden instructor Nsombi Woodson who shared valuable information on the construction of the support structure and floral selection. At the close of the Art on Sound Beach Avenue event, volunteers from the club disassembled their Flower Burst installation, and assembled hand tied bouquets that they gave away to the public resulting in many smiles.
The 69 members of the Garden Club of Old Greenwich are a busy group, and the village benefits from their green thumbs and plantings year round tending to over 65 planters and 17 sidewalk beds, 3 seasons of the year. The Garden Club of Old Greenwich will celebrate their 100th Anniversary in 2024.
Respectfully submitted,
Wendy Yu, Past President 2020-2022
Garden Club of Old Greenwich