April Meeting Program

The Rowayton Gardeners invite members and non-members to an upcoming program by Kim Eierman called “Gardening Strategies for the Climate Crisis” on Thursday, April 4 at 10:30 am in the Moose Room at the Rowayton Community Center. The event is free. Kim Eierman is a noted ecological landscape designer and environmental horticulturist. She is …

Connecticut Native Perennial, Tree & Shrub Availability List

The UConn Extension & Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division has published a Connecticut Native Perennial, Tree and Shrub Availability List online with links to resources including: Participating Nurseries Map, CT Native Tree and Shrub List, CT Native Perennial List, Nursery Address and Contact List, Native Trees, …

Breakfast Food Drive 2024

THANKS TO ALL who donated food and funds to buy more breakfast goodies for Person to Person plus the hardworking Rowayton Gardeners who planned and staffed the event. Pictured here left to right: first row Cathy Konstantin, Bridget Bennett, Julie Griffiths, Amy Tyson, Lisa Lauhaussois, and in back Carol Giunta, …

March Meeting Recap

Advanced Master Gardener Lorraine Ballato’s wealth of knowledge and love of teaching was on display at the Rowayton Gardeners general meeting on Thursday, March 7. An expert on horticulture and hydrangeas, Lorraine delivered an information-packed talk on “Success with Hydrangeas” to over 50 attendees! She is pictured here (at left) …

February Meeting Recap

It was a full house as members and non-members enjoyed a program by Sefra Alexandra called “The Ecotype Project: Putting the Right Plant in the Right Place” at the Rowayton Community Center. Sefra Alexandra, an internationally known ethnobotanist who is also known as ‘The Seed Huntress,’ is on a hunt …

January Meeting Recap

The January New Year’s Kick-off Brunch is one of the RGs favorite meetings. Homemade baked goods and savory dishes were contributed by our talented home cooks. Member John Nestro, who is a certified arborist for Davey Tree Company, presented an interesting and informative program on “Tree Preservation.” John is a …

November Meeting Recap

Forty members and guests attended this month’s general meeting and program at the Rowayton Community Center. The presentation by Jan Johnsen, principal of Johnsen’s Landscapes and Pools, “Learning from Before and After” was highly informative and inspiring. Jan Johnsen has been a principal in Johnsen Landscapes and Pools, a landscape …

Leave the Leaves Campaign

Leaving leaves in your planting beds enriches your soil and gives shelter to overwintering insect larvae essential to birds arriving in Spring. More info found in this article from Treehugger.com sourced by RG Margot Epprecht at the link below.  So, “Leaf a Leaf, Plz!” Read the article at the link …

Want to Help Out?

Rowayton Gardeners – Are you looking for a way to get involved and help out? To connect with those in charge and join in, visit our Current Volunteer Opportunities for Members page! Our work goes on year round so garden-related activities and events is a great way to meet fellow …

Dividing Plants in Summer

Garden Gate Magazine has a wonderful article about what perennials to divide in summer – and how. “While spring and fall are traditionally the best time to divide, there are plenty of reasons you may need to divide a plant in the summer. Whether you’re moving or just haven’t had …

Perennial Flowers for Shade

Thanks to Garden Gate magazine for some excellent suggestions that will bring perennial color to those shady spots in your garden:  “Struggling to find flowers for those shady spots? Not to worry. Shade offers the opportunity to grow wonderful plants that not only tolerate a lack of sun but actually …

Recycling Tip

Recycling can be confusing. To that end Skip the Plastic Norwalk is posting weekly recycling tips to help clear up some of the confusion. This week: OOPS! Plastic toys are not recyclable. Sharing this weekly recycling tip from Skip the Plastic Norwalk: Plastic toys (hard plastic) are not recyclable regardless of …

Build a Fairy House

Fairy Land at the Potting Shed is open (strictly to one family at a time) for children and their parents! Join in the family fun of creating a home or two for the fairies who are sure to arrive with the flowers this spring. We’ll provide some materials and a …

COVID-19 in Rowayton

The Sixth Taxing District (Rowayton), the City of Norwalk and the Norwalk Health Department remind residents that social gatherings of any size are strongly discouraged until community transmission of COVID-19 has run its course. COVID-19 is a highly contagious new virus which can and is being transmitted here in Rowayton, even …

Coronavirus

For the past two and a half months, news of the Coronavirus spread and repercussions has stunned us with the rapidly accelerating impact of the virus. We have followed the lead of our District Commissioners and canceled all of our scheduled spring activities, including meetings, speakers and workshops.  In addition, …

Eco-Friendly Gardens

Horticulture Magazine has a nice piece on “eco-friendly gardens” that  begins,”When people think of solutions to climate change, solar panels, electric vehicles and shuttered coal plants are often the images that come to mind. But these all have to do with reducing emissions. The other side of the climate-change equation …

Gardening for Wildlife

Would you like to know how to create a sustainable garden that helps wildlife find food, water, shelter and a safe place to raise their young?  May is designated by National Wildlife Federation as “Gardening for Wildlife” month and a new section of  their website will provide all the pointers …

Berries for Year Round Color!

Garden Design Magazine has a lovely article on trees and shrubs with colorful berries.  They say, “A garden really can have something lovely to look at in every season. Just remember the four F’s—flowers, foliage, form and fruit. The last one, fruit, is often the most overlooked and underutilized as …

Fall Garden Checklist

Garden Gate Magazine just published a nifty illustrated list of fall gardening chores for us.  They say,” Taking care of your fall garden makes your garden healthy and gorgeous next year, too. Here’s a fall garden checklist that will help you know what to do now.”  Check it out! (click here)

Pesticide-Free Rowayton

As you may have read in The Hour, The Rowayton Gardeners have launched an environmental initiative for our community! Spearheaded by Priscilla Feral, the objective of the drive is to let Rowayton homeowners know how important (and easy!) it is to “go organic” when feeding and treating our lawns and …

Hort Report: Boxwood Pruning

[Thanks to Horticulture Chair, Kevin Tepas, for this informative report!]  Boxwood is a popular hedge material because it is an evergreen with a dense growth habit. Hedges of boxwood (e.g. Boxus microphylla japonica ‘Green Beauty’) can provide walls around a lawn and divide the yard into different garden “rooms”.  When other plants die back …

Christmas Market Success!

By all accounts, the 2017 Christmas Market was a great success!  Good weather, the delayed construction schedule at the Rowayton Community Center, generous sponsors and donors, excellent publicity, hard work by our Gardener “elves” and a wonderful selection of items (wreaths, gifts, silent auction offerings, plum pudding, tabletop trees, table …

Sammis Street Spruce Up

Our work areas around town are particularly gorgeous at this time of year.  Petrea Poler and Frani Taylor just sent in photos from the May-June Sammis Street Triangle.  Have a look next time you are in the area, but click below for a small gallery of pictures.

McKinley Triangle Revamp

Work was done recently to preserve the plantings (and a precious nest) at the McKinley Street Triangle while the path through the area was widened and brought up to code. Thanks to great communication and collaboration, the Triangle is looking better than ever. Have a look at some photos of …

Memorial Day Parade Photos

Gardeners and Gardeners-to-be marched to honor our veterans in Rowayton’s Memorial Day Parade. Farmer Woody (and his sidekick) led off in Woodruff’s beautiful red tractor and were followed by a host of others with signs about our worksites and the lovingly bedecked Poler garden cart. More photos are welcomed if …

Fight Climate Change

Member Priscilla Feral has put together a straightforward guide to Ten Things You Can Do Right Now to Fight Climate Change.  Learn how to get involved, cutback on your waste, change the way you travel, make every drop of water count, switch to “green power,” think about what you plant, make …

Potting Shed Zen Retreat

This event has been canceled. Please join us for our 2nd annual Potting Shed Zen Retreat on Saturday June 3rd (8 am to 5 pm). It is a day-long affair that is certain to refresh the body and soul. This peaceful experience will treat you to a wide variety of hands-on activities, demonstrations …

Christmas Market Photos

Our 2016 Christmas Market was blessed with sunny skies, though the stiff winds and cold temperatures reminded us that winter is almost here.The RCC Courtyard was unveiled just in time and the crowds were steady throughout the morning after the usual 10 am surge. Want a visual?

Grapevine Wreaths Rock!

The Potting Shed recently hosted a terrific winter wreath workshop that Erin Combs and Amy Tyson led.  Fantastic materials – some purchased and some gathered locally – were one ingredient of the creative morning.  Just the right amount of instruction and a great deal of fun were two more essentials. …

Awards “R” Us!

At a recent meeting of the Federated Garden Clubs of CT, our Club received a lot of accolades!  Congratulations to all: FGCCT Silver Tray Arboreal Award – Planting of a Tree; FGCCT Certificate of Achievement – A small standard Flower Show – Celebrating Historical Rowayton; FGCCT Citation – Horticulture – A small …

Backyard Birds

Priscilla Feral, chair of our Environment Committee, recently distributed an article she has written on “The Joy of Backyard Birds.” It is fascinating reading for those among us devoted to our feathered friends, and the article is based on a new book (October 2016) by Stan Tekiela entitled “Backyard Birds: …

Carve-A-Thon 2016 Photos

More than 100 young and creative pumpkin carvers took part in our 2016 Carve-A-Thon event.  Thanks to volunteers and parents – and in spite of the less than perfect weather, the two days of carving and the Pumpkin Stroll that followed were clearly a big success.  Take a look at …

Winter Wreath Making

It is drawing near to that time of year where we find ourselves huddled up inside dreaming of green leaves and warmer temps.  As Gardeners, we love to surround ourselves with those “gorgeous garden fresh memories” so as to remind us that all seasons have inspirational green features. These reminders help to …

Ladybug Alert!

Horticulture notes, “In the fall, ladybugs often enter homes, looking for shelter and warmth. To help keep these insects outdoors, caulk around your windows and add weather-striping to your doors. While they are nuisances, these bugs will not harm people, pets or homes. You can vacuum up any that do get …

Fall is Upon Us

Take a look at the following sites for tips about fall gardening:  TopTips for Great Fall Gardens (Mother Earth News), Fall Lawn Care (Organic Life) and the host of articles and videos on fall planting and care from gardenguides.com. Let us know if you have some favorite fall gardening resources to share …

Soccer Saturdays Are Back

Soccer Saturdays at the Potting Shed are designed for soccer players AND their families and run from September 10th to October 29 from 9:30 to 11:30 am.  There is no fee, but all are welcome, as are their donations.  Check out our super-fun lineup of programs for 2016 and stop …

Gardeners Marched!

The Rowayton Memorial Day Parade had the good sense to occur on sunny Sunday, May 29th, and the crowds were treated to their first look at the Gardeners’ shiny new friend – Tory & Sam Woodruff’s red tractor.  Our cart of plants, signs and marchers all promoted environmentally sound and …

Check the Labels!

As you are purchasing your spring plants, remember to check the labels or ask before you buy.  This photo was taken at a retail chain recently.  As we know, we should not buy plants treated with neoniconoids. Bees take the pollen back to the hive and feed it to the brood …

Flower Show Photos

The 2016 Flower Show was a success due to hard work and participation by many of our members. Saturday and Sunday afternoons, March 12th and 13th, the Pinkney House was transformed into a springtime burst of blooms and creativity. Have a look at some of the photos…

Mother-Son Dirt Fest

Our registration is full for this event.  Please contact Tory Woodruff if you would like to be put on a waitlist.  This is the rowdy evening mothers and sons (ages 6-12) have been dying for. Come get dirty with us at the Potting Shed on Friday, April 22nd from 3:30 to …

March Hort Report

Patience!! The weather is certainly ahead of last year, but we still have at least a month to go before we can really get back into outdoor gardening. While you are waiting, and to fend off spring fever, here are a few tasks to do while waiting for the ground to …

Our Favorite Sources

This is the time of year when gardeners look forward to the flood of seed and plant catalogs that arrive along with tax forms and other harbingers of the new year. We’ve collected a sampling of links to all sorts of garden-related information, including the section on “Sources” and it’s catalogs. …

November Hort Report

Our Horticulture Chair, Carol Giunta, has the following gardening tips for November:  Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation! Does this sound like a repeat of last month? It is! After researching good task ideas, you will do your yard the biggest favor by staying on top of leaf raking chores. Not only do diseases and …

October Hort Report

Tips from our Horticulture Chair, Carol Giunta: October’s Theme is Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation! Make next year’s garden healthier by giving it special care now!  Even though we’re expected to get above average rainfall the first week in October, remember to continue watering plants until we have a hard frost as plants need …

Terrain @ the Potting Shed

Tuesday night, October 13th, from 6 to 8:30 pm, we will spend an inspired evening with Terrian’s fabulous designer, Deb Herbertson! Many of you may remember the trip we took to see her create table decorations and terrariums a couple of years ago at the Westport Terrain store & restaurant.  Both charming and …

Fairy World at the Potting Shed

Fairy World is the ultimate free-play space at The Potting Shed.  There is nothing better than watching families step back and simply observe their children creating small shelters, teepees, kingdoms, etc… for our rarely-seen resident Rowayton fairy community.  Each week the “building materials” are replenished and changed to suit the …

Heavenly Hydrangeas

Take a look at this lovely Dirt Simple blog post on hydrangeas from landscape designer Deborah Silver!  It’s timely and full of information about planting and caring for these gorgeous blooms.  Thanks to Carol Giunta for passing it along. We are all reveling the blossoms that simply didn’t appear last …

Bayley Beach Weedfest

A hearty group of Gardeners heeded the call of Bayley Beach Chair Lilly Langotsky and descended upon the berms at Bayley to “coax” their vegetation back into order. In just over an hour the area was spiffed up and all the weeds and cuttings were spirited out of sight by …

Bad Summer Bugs

We all love to be outside in the summer – gardening, golfing, hiking, even just entertaining in our own back yards. WebMD has published a nifty bad bug slideshow that can be truly helpful in identifying what has bitten you and how to treat (or avoid) that bite. Click here …

Four Facts About our Native Bees

Concern about native bee colony collapse has brought attention to the critical pollination role of all bees and their plight, and also spotlighted what people can do to help, says David Mizejewski, a naturalist with the National Wildlife Federation. To create a yard that’s safe and attractive to native bees, it’s important to understand them …

Gardening Hacks: 10 Simple Tips

Growing your own food successfully is a constant process of learning which techniques work best for you and your plants. Often simple bits of advice from other gardeners can help provide shortcuts to achieving success in your garden.  Take a look at this wonderful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u31l960Ggx0&feature=youtu.be  

For All of Us…

For all of us, becoming indigenous to a place means living as if your children’s future mattered, to take care of the land as if our lives, both material and spiritual, depended on it. –Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous        Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of …

Planting for Pollinators

As you pour over the seed catalogs this winter, keep pollinators in mind. Thanks to our Horticulture Chair Carol Giunta for letting us know about a nifty online guide specifically for our area entitled, Selecting Plants for Pollinators.  For farmers, land managers and gardeners, the 24-page guide is most complete, …

Monarch Butterflies and Milkweed

Monarchs cannot survive without milkweed; their caterpillars only eat milkweed plants and monarch butterflies needs milkweed to lay their eggs.  With shifting land management practices, we have lost much milkweed from the landscape and our monarch population is in decline.    Please consider planting milkweed – November is the best …

We Won!!!

On Wednesday afternoon, at the Annual Awards Meeting of the FGC of Connecticut, our very own Rowayton Gardeners won several important awards and citations!  This formal recognition of our efforts was applauded by almost 400 garden club members from around Connecticut (a thrill for attending Gardeners June Klopfer, Carol Hooper …

Hill Top Gardeners Greet Fall

The Hilltop Gardeners have requested a name change for their periodic work with the Rowayton Gardeners (formerly called “garden therapy”).  This lively group enjoyed a recent work session overseen by our Club members Ellen Bieber, Rilla Neafsey, June Foster, Ann Purcell, Bev Hennessey and Susanne Miller using pumpkin containers to create …

Fall Lawn Care

Pesticide Free New Canaan has some great tips to get our lawns into good shape for next year.  A SOIL TEST will take the guesswork out of fertilizing.  See link.  AERATE & SEED – now is the time!  MOW your grass a little shorter, to about 2″, to promote growth. …

Pot Luck Family Supper

Our Pot Luck Harvest Supper was a tremendous hit on September 21st.  Families celebrated the opening of the Potting Shed Patch with  scarecrow making, pumpkin & gourd bedazzling, a kids’ garden puppet theatre, a worm feeding session, and a “fun with compost” talk. Check out some photos by Club Photographer, Petrea …

Hello Gardeners!

Please try to resist tidying away the hollow plant stems in your garden in the autumn and instead wait until the following year.  They may have tiny bees hibernating inside!  For more information, check out the Buzz About Bees website.

Questions for Your Nursery

Thanks to our Environmental Awareness Chair, Mary Verel, for a thought-provoking article from the Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens website. When you’re shopping for native plants there are a few very important questions to ask your local nursery before buying anything. This article lists them and makes the point that there are many …

Summer Camp Bug Fun

Artist and Gardener Lynn Massey led an enthusiastic group of campers in some bug fun at the Potting Shed.  Part of a collaborative series run by the Rowayton Library and Rowayton Gardeners on Thursdays this month and next, the session was a huge success. Another featured “camp counselor” was Nick …

Pinkney Picking

Thanks to Petrea and Michael Poler for these beautiful photos of the herb garden at Pinkney Park!  What a glorious setting.  The herbs have been cut and are now hung in the Potting Shed to dry – nature’s bounty will provide sweet aromas and flavors in the future.

Library Courtyard Renewal!

Thanks to Gardeners Lilly Langotsky and Phyllis Padro and with a healthy dose of inspiration from Erin Coombs, the Rowayton Library Courtyard has undergone a transformation.  New planters and gorgeous plants in old and new places now provide a backdrop for the bistro tables and chairs that welcome visitors.  Thanks …

The Latest Bee News

The Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station have published an article “Protecting Bees from Pesticides” which includes advice to homeowners on insecticide use.  Note that some common trademark names of pesticides containing neonicotinoids, which pose a special hazard to pollinators, are:  Bayer Advanced 12 Month Tree and Shrub, Bayer Advanced 3 in 1 Insect, Disease, and …

Help the Monarchs

Please join us in signing a petition that will be delivered to Gina McCarthy( EPA Administrator) urging the EPA to adopt new herbicide restrictions to save monarchs.  The National Resources Defense Council explain the need for action:  As Big Ag has dramatically increased its use of genetically modified crops resistant to …

Native Plant Champions

Want to add beauty and wildlife value to your yard? Consider these native plant champions suggested by editors of the National Wildlife Federation website.   To identify North American species worthy of “gold medals,” they turned to gardeners across the country for their recommendations.  The article contains a beautiful picture and description …

Deer Deterrent

If deer are munching on your shrubs, try this organic solution recommended by speaker Colleen Plimpton and vetted by Gardeners Michael & Petrea Poler:  In a blender, mix 2 eggs, 1/4 cup wilt proof , 1/4 cup extra, extra hot sauce, one cup water. Mix thoroughly and add mix to …