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11/10/2019 11:00 PMOn November 7, Branford Garden Club (BGC) members came out to recognize Branford's 375th anniversary, celebrate the club's newest statewide accolades, and learn more about their shared interests from a pro, all in a spectacular setting – Rose Vineyards and Winery in North Branford.
Established 91 years ago, BGC is today the state's largest garden club among some 122 belonging to The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc. (FGCCT).
On October 31 at FGCCT's annual awards meeting in Plantsville, BGC won several top honors in it's Class VI (Extra Large Club, over 100 members). At the meeting on Nov. 7, those awards were shared with the entire BGC membership.
The November BGC meeting at Rose's brought in nearly every member, said BGC president Pat Sanders. The club also arranged for a master judge to attend and give a demonstration of floral arrangements, following a light lunch and business meeting.
"This meeting is also our annual design show, which is also a part of the way we're celebrating Branford375," said Sanders. "So some of the designs we're making will be to recognize Branford's 375th anniversary."
The meeting opened with a visit from an actor portraying an historic Branford character, arranged by Branford375 committee member/Shoreline Theatre Arts co-founder Colin Sheehan. East Haven resident Denny McDermott came in Colonial garb to share the story of Ann Williams Atwater Huntington Barker, a Branford resident who was married to three different Branford reverends over the course of her life. Branford Town Historian Jane Bouley provided the research for the story of Barker, as told by McDermott on Nov. 7.
Impressive Awards
The Nov. 7 event was also decorated with several silver platters and an impressive traveling trophy which were earned among numerous 2019 FGCCT awards collected by BGC and individual members.
BGC earned FGCCT's impressive traveling Silver Cup Flower Show award for BGC's two-day, multi-venue and many layered Standard Flower Show, "The Sound and The Flora of Stony Creek," held in Oct. 2018. The award was accepted by co-chairs Doreen Larson Oboyski and Eunice Lasala together with BGC 2016-2018 club president and event staging coordinator Paula Inglese. BGC's current president is Pat Sanders.
FGCCT's Arboreal Award, a silver tray, was presented to BGC and the Branford Town Green Committee for events in 2018-19 which included planting a Black Hills white spruce next to Town Hall to celebrate Arbor Day as well as sponsoring a Tree Walk on the Town Green as part of Branford's 375th anniversary celebration.
Another silver tray was earned by BGC in the FGCCT's Garden Therapy category, for developing a new program, "Fun with Flowers" a small floral design class for seniors held at Canoe Brook Senior Center.
A third silver tray awarding the club for Excellence in Horticulture was bestowed for the tri-fold display created by the club as an educational piece shared at club meetings and public events, including the Branford Festival. The tri-fold covers four topics including horticulture found in the great outdoors/great indoors; food waste, composting and gardening resources.
The club earned an award of excellence from FGCCT for its annual spring cleanup event collaboration with Quinnipiac University students who helped spruce up Branford's one-acre Rosenthal Gardens, a public garden maintained by the club.
BGC also earned a Club Certificate of Achievement for collaborating with Bring Your Own Branford in 2018-19 to help bring out Branford's new plastic bag ban ordinance. The club also was recognized for organizing a "Dangers of Balloons" public information session on impact the loose balloons cause to wildlife, especially sea turtles.
Club member Maryann Babcock received FGCCT's Gardening Consultants' Council 2019 "Penny Jarvis Love-ly Garden Award' for a garden she designed and planted.
In addition, BGC took the opportunity to present, through the FGCCT annual awards event, Good Deed Citations to club members Sheri Peterson and Ann Freeman.