Books on Heirloom Seeds at the EH Public Library

Visit the East Hampton Public Library blog to see what inspiration they have on heirloom seeds and growing your own food.  Another great winter activity for gardeners--reading books and catalogs and planning (or dreaming about) your garden. Sue Berescik, Director of the East Hampton Public Library congratulated us on our garden club blog award and directed us to the library blog for gardening books ideas, especially this recent posting.

CT Horticultural Society Symposium Feb. 3

The CT Horticultural Society presents "Spring into the Garden" Saturday, February 4, 2012.  The event is held at Portland High School. Registration starts at 8:15 a.m. The keynote speaker begins at 9 a.m. and the last speaker ends at 3:20 p.m.  A full day of sessions, garden vendors, book sales, a bistro lunch and coffee breaks.  Peggy and Dianne plan to attend.

If you missed registration for this symposium, the UCONN Garden Conference is coming up March 16, 2012.  This conference will focus on native plants, eating the garden, herbs, and change in your garden. Take a look at these speakers and their topics--and think spring!

Photos from January 2012 meeting

Nancy Ballek Mackinnon of Ballek's Garden Center spoke on "Herbs for Year Round Pleasure."

Karen Gallmon, President, and Bonnie Desaulnier, Vice-President, chat with guest, Lisa.

JoAnn Hewett, Treasurer, has guest, Diane, draw for the raffle prize, a primrose donated by Gloria, the previous raffle winner.  Dianne won the raffle and will provide the raffle prize next month.

Sue Hewes, Projects Chair, turns over the keeping of the scrapbook/archives to Adriana while Gloria listens. Guest, Barbara, is in background.

Karen talks with Hollye, Lori, and Donna (back to camera).

Lori Wilcox, Secretary, talks with her guest, Julie.

We hope to see our guests --and YOU--next meeting!

January 23, 2012 Meeting

Even though there was thick fog, we had a good turnout at the January meeting of the Belltown Garden Club. Eight members and four guests enjoyed the sights and smells of Nancy Ballek Mackinnon's herbs. Nancy brought some of her top ten herbs with her. As she spoke about the potted herbs and handed them around the audience, the earthy smell of dirt and the scent of the herbs make everyone long to garden again. Many of the herbs were healing herbs including yarrow, echinacea, eucalyptus (not the preserved type!), calendula, and catnip.  Many herbs act as bio-accumulators which heal the land (or bee hives) for other uses:  sorrel and thyme.  Ballek's Garden Center will be presenting a series of films on sustainability.  We will post on this blog the dates and times when we know them.  Nancy will also send a list of her favorite cookbooks with recipes for using herbs.  Look for this list on the blog soon.  Nancy also announced a 350th anniversary of the family farm in East Haddam the weekend after the Foruth of July.  We'll have more information here about that event also.  Nancy said the family is now part of the sustainability movement and the global grassroots movement to solve climate change.  More information on this organization is available at www.350.org.  It was an informative presentation infused with the smell of earth and herbs.  We were reminded to get back to nature--and take care of it.

Karen Gallmon, President, called the meeting to order after a short refreshment break.  Karen distributed a flyer on the Standard Flower Show presented by the Federated Garden Clubs of CT, Inc. The Fabulous Fifties is the theme for the show at the Convention Center in Hartford February 23-26, 2012.  More information at www.ctflowershow.com and the Federated Garden Clubs site.

Karen also invited anyone who might want to go to the Boston Garden Show March 17th to email her soon at kegallmon@hotmail.com. Friendship Tours is sponsoring a trip to Boston and to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for the cherry blossoms April 29th. The cost for each trip is $68. Karen needs to hear from you soon if you are interested in going with her.

Next month's meeting will be a Wine & Cheese event.  Attendees should bring a cheese to sample with wine provided by the club. Each attendee should bring a horticultural exhibit including some live material in a floral design and the article, book, art or web site which inspired their creation.  Karen encouraged everyone to think "funky" and use just a few blooms (less expensive that way) and some clever, creative props like we see displayed at the standard flower shows.  We  donated a great book to the public library last year on floral displays, Flower Arranging the American Way by Nancy D'Oench, a local author. 

The East Hampton Public Library has many other books on floral design and flower arranging.  More details about the February meeting will be posted later on this blog and sent by email.  Photos from the meeting will be coming later. I'm having trouble getting them to stay horizontal again!

Belltown Garden Club Blog Wins a Publication Award

From the President, Karen Gallmon, in an email before Christmas:

So here is the wonderful news that I cannot wait to share !!!  I received in the mail a 'Publication Award" from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut for a Certificate of Merit for a small club website (I have scanned and attached) !!!

Heartfelt thanks to Dianne and Joann for their hardwork and dedication to our club, not to mention their technology talents that I am so in awe of !!! 

Our membership has grown over the last few years and it is due to the energy and enthusiasm that each of you brings to the group..

Thank-you all. 

I wish you all and those you hold near and dear..a Merry Christmas and healthy, happy New Year.

Karen Gallmon

More information on the Federated Garden Clubs of CT 2011 Awards.
Particulars on the Publication Award from the Awards Manual, page 9, Websites (and blogs).

Belltown Garden Club meets Monday, January 23

Nancy Ballek Mackinnon is the speaker for the January meeting at the East Hampton Public Library Community Room at 7 p.m. Monday, January 23rd.  Her topic is "Herbs for Year 'Round Pleasure." Nancy's family owns Ballek's Garden Center in East Haddam, CT.  The family has farmed the site of the garden center since 1662.  Nancy has a degree in environmental horticulture and landscape design from the University of Connecticut.  She is the author of The Gardener's Book of Charts, Tables & Lists: A Complete Gardening Guide.  This book can make it easier for the gardener to select the right plant for the right place.  Nancy's talk at the January meeting will focus on herbs in the garden and on the windowsill for use and pleasure throughout the year.
Hostesses for this meeting are: Sue and Kim, paper goods; Sue, beverage; and Peggy and Donna M, baking.
Please call Peggy at 860-365-0533 for more information.
This program is open to the public. Please forward this notice to anyone who might be interested in attending.