New Canaan Garden Club Presents – Gardens In Bloom

On Thursday, June 8, 2023, the New Canaan Garden Club will present its

inaugural garden tour, Gardens in Bloom, featuring four exceptional residential New Canaan gardens. The self-guided tour will be held 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., rain or shine. Tickets are $50 in advance and can be purchased at ncgardenclub.org. Each featured garden is unique in both horticulture and garden design. They range from meticulously tended formal gardens to a thoughtfully planned “gardener’s garden” to transformed settings incorporating sustainable practices and native plantings. Knowledgeable Garden Club members will be on hand at each location to guide visitors and answer questions throughout the day. Gardens in Bloom will provide a day of inspiration, education, and delight, and tourgoers will leave with ideas they

can apply to their own gardens.

In addition to the private gardens, the tour will spotlight three gardens at New Canaan’s historic Waveny House, which also serves as the ticket pick-up location. The iconic Walled Garden at Waveny was restored in 1993 by the New Canaan Garden Club in partnership with the Town of New Canaan and numerous supporters. The Garden Club restored the Peony Walk in 2014 and the Parterre Garden in 2017. Garden Club volunteers lovingly care for and maintain these gardens at Waveny and welcome the opportunity to proudly showcase these public spaces.

A preview party will be held on Wednesday, June 7, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at a fifth private garden. The party will feature highly regarded Connecticut horticulturist, garden writer, and speaker Lorraine Ballato. Tickets to the Preview Party are $75 and can be purchased at ncgardenclub.org. “We’re thrilled to embark on what we hope will become an ongoing tradition for the New Canaan Garden Club and our community,” remarked Debbie Simpson, co-president of NCGC. “This is a terrific opportunity to reach those passionate about gardening and highlight the important work of our Club.” Gardens in Bloom Co-president Karen Murray adds, “Our goal is to continue this effort every other year. We have many talented and dedicated members with much to offer our community.”

“We have an exciting array of sponsors lined up for the event,” says Jayne Benton, Gardens in Bloom chairwoman. “They include the Hannelore Kaplan Team at William Raveis as Exclusive Grand Level Sponsor, Hutchinson Tree Care Specialists, Save-A-Tree, Kathryn Herman Design, and Karl Chevrolet as corporate sponsors, and Bedford & New Canaan Magazine as the tour’s Exclusive Media Sponsor.” Proceeds from this event will fund the Garden Club’s numerous civic projects, which include the gardens at Waveny Park, the stewardship of Irwin Park, the ongoing maintenance of the Colonial Herb Garden at the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, and monthly horticulture therapy programs at Waveny Care Center. In addition to floral design, horticulture, photography, education, and conservation, these civic initiatives are the cornerstone of the New Canaan Garden Club. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 beginning June 7. They can be purchased at ncgardenclub.org. Tour tickets can be picked up at Waveny House, 677 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT, on Wednesday, June 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday, June 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

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ABOUT NEW CANAAN GARDEN CLUB

The New Canaan Garden Club (NCGC) was founded in 1909 to “stimulate the love of gardening among its members and the members of the community, and to promote conservation and to encourage civic planting.” NCGC was the third garden club established in the United States and became a Garden Club of America (GCA) member in 1920. Its legacy and influence are evident across New Canaan and in support of GCA conservation and environmental initiatives nationwide.

In New Canaan, The Club is responsible for the ongoing beautification of Irwin Park and completed a 10-year Master Plan in 2022. The Club is also responsible for planning and maintaining three gardens at Waveny Park: the Walled Garden, the Peony Walk, and the Parterre Garden. In addition, the Club tends the Colonial Herb Garden in partnership with the New Canaan Museum and Historical Society. Club Members conduct monthly horticulture therapy sessions for the residents of the Waveny Care Center and manage a weekly Flowers-on-Wheels program. Several times a year, members gather to create and donate floral arrangements to the Meals-on-Wheels program and the Waveny LifeCare Network. The New Canaan Garden Club meets every month between September and June. Its monthly meetings feature local and national speakers on landscape design, conservation, horticulture, and photography. The Club hosts numerous workshops throughout the year, and each month, members showcase their talents in floral design, horticulture, and photography which are often judged by certified floral and photography judges.