News

Join the Rowayton Civic Association (RCA) at Pinkney Park to help with this year’s River Ramble, our coastal town fair for all ages! It’s the RCA’s biggest event of the summer – a 50+ year tradition with tons to offer residents and it takes a village to bring it to life.

Sign up for the event via SignUpGenius at the link here. Thanks for continuing to offer volunteer hours at so many of our town events!

There was a good turnout for the Rowayton Gardeners annual meeting and end of year luncheon. Members brought a dish-to-pass and newly elected officers were installed while outgoing officers were celebrated. Last photo below of the President’s gavel shows a miniature arrangement made by member Amy Tyson, in honor of members who have recently passed away.

SUMMER TABLETOP PLANTER WORKSHOP
Tuesday, June 10 from 6:30-8:00pm

Summer has begun and what better way to enjoy your outdoor dining or lounging space than with a beautiful handmade living arrangement!

Our workshop presenter, Lauren Mirabile of Lauren’s Gardens, will guide us through creating beautiful, organically inspired arrangements. Each creation will be planted in a neutral and elegant low profile concrete bowl to suit any décor. Lauren will show us the steps of creating an individual arrangement that will be tailored to your home’s light, environment and style.

You will be guided in arranging a curated selection of plants suited for your sun or shade location. Options will include ferns, lush foliage, flowering annuals and other seasonal favorites. The designs will be finished with natural elements such as stones, wood and moss adding a unique and personalized touch to each arrangement. The final design will be appropriate for an outdoor dining spot, small table or anywhere you are looking for a pop of summer foliage.

Lauren Mirabile began her journey by studying at the New York Botanical Gardens, eventually pursuing a career in landscape design. Lauren joined the design team at Terrain in Westport, CT and quickly rose to become Head of Design Services. In this role, she led innovative garden and floral projects for a wide range of clients.

In 2022, Lauren left Terrain to launch her own business Lauren’s Garden, specializing in seasonal planters, bespoke floral arrangements and indoor plant creations. A passionate educator, she loves guiding groups through hands-on design projects, always encouraging individual creativity and a shared love of plants and flowers. Find her on Instagram @laurensgardenct

Attendees are asked to please indicate if your arrangement will be in a sunny or shady location, so Lauren can provide the appropriate plants for your success!

Fees/Registration:    
Cost is $60/pp for members; $75/pp non-members.
Class size is limited to 18 attendees. Registration begins Tuesday, May 20. Non-members may register starting Monday, June 2.      

Click HERE to register online.

You must register AND pay to reserve your place in the workshop. There will be no refunds unless your spot can be filled from our waiting list. Further details will be sent to paid registrants prior to the program.

Questions or need further info? Contact: Mariann Covello (mcovello@me.com)

The Rowayton Gardeners were proud to be a part of this Memorial Day tradition along with the Rowayton Arts Center, Rowayton Fire Department, Historic Rowayton, Norwalk Land Trust and more as as organized by the Rowayton Civic Association! Sunday, May 25

You are invited to join the Rowayton Gardeners for a truly special private visit to the historic Greens Ledge Lighthouse, an iconic symbol of Rowayton and surrounding communities.

The Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society (GLLP Society) is a nonprofit, all volunteer organization which acquired the Lighthouse in 2016 to spearhead restoration efforts. Their mission and current efforts are to endow the long-term preservation of the Lighthouse by bringing learning to life along our shores while connecting us with the history, ecology and environmental concerns of our area.

The GLLP Society has granted us this special opportunity with private transportation to and from the Lighthouse where we will marvel at the views from the dock and promenade plus visit interior spaces: the Research and Education Center, the Galley and Main Deck, The Quarters, and the Lantern Room. After our enlightening guided tour, we’ll enjoy lunch provided by Brendan’s 101.

Here are the details of this inspiring and memorable outing!

Date and Time:  Thursday, June 5, 2025
Meet at the RCC Lower Lot at 10:15 am to walk to the Community Dock (61 Rowayton Avenue, corner of Cook Street) for 11:00 am departure
Tour: 11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Lunch: Provided by Brendan’s 101 *Select lunch choice when you register
Return: Arrive back to Rowayton Community Dock around 1:30pm
Registration: Starts May 6 for members; non-members may register beginning May 15 (last day to register is May 29)
Cost is $120/member; $140/non-member
Space for this trip is limited to 24 attendees
Fee is non-refundable.

Click HERE to register online.

Questions or need further info? Contact: Amy Tyson (ajtyson@me.com)

WHAT A DAY! The sun came out for everyone at our Spring Market sale Saturday, May 10 – thanks to all who came and shopped at our annual fundraiser. Also a special thanks to our sponsor drbank and supporting sponsor Davey Tree Expert Company for their support!

The Spotted Lantern Flies eggs are hatching into nymphs in late April, so it’s getting to be too late to control them by scraping eggs off trees.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has posted information here. A QR code on the first page takes you to the form that you can use to report your sightings to CAES, as they are still interested in receiving reports even though Southwest Connecticut is flooded with bugs. The question is whether the population is getting bigger or smaller!

Join us at the Potting Shed at the Rowayton Community Center where, guided by teachers, children will explore nature’s wonders and expand their love of science.

Our spring series will include four programs:

• April 23 – The Wonders of Soil
• April 30 – The Majesty of Trees
• May 14 – The Beauty and Bounty of Flowers
• May 21 – The Ingenuity of Pollinators

Each program will be held after school Wednesdays from 4:00–5:00 pm.

• The programs will be offered as a series (4 classes) or as individual classes.
• Individual classes cost $35 with a discounted fee of $120 for the full series.
• Scholarships to support students are available upon request.

We can only accommodate 15 children (7-10 year olds), so please register as soon as possible. Hope to see you there!

Register and pay online. There are no refunds for classes missed by the students. Should a class be cancelled by the Rowayton Gardeners, there will be a make-up class or refund offered.

Click HERE to sign up!

Questions or need further info? Contact: Elizabeth Harleman (eharleman@gmail.com)

“Top Five Garden Problems and How to Solve Them” by Karla Dalley

The Rowayton Gardeners and guests turned out on a cold and damp April morning for speaker Karla Dalley’s presentation “Top Five Garden Problems and How to Solve Them” on Thursday, April 3. Karla shared tips and her expertise on a variety of topics with the appreciative audience. Her informative talk was followed by a Q and A session, so everyone could benefit from her experience.

Karla Dalley has been gardening since she was a youngster. A former lawyer, Karla is an avid gardener, lecturer, garden columnist and author of a popular gardening blog, Gardendaze.

THANKS TO ALL who donated food and funds to buy more breakfast goodies for Person to Person, plus all the hardworking Rowayton Gardeners who planned and staffed the event. Here’s the Person to Person van filled with donations – top photo is RG President Bridget Bennett (left) with Food Drive Chair Julie Griffiths and bottom photo (left to right) is Ellen Bobka, Ellen Duggins, Mariann Covello, Bridget Bennett, Julie Griffiths, Sarah Boles and Lisa Lahaussois.

Huge thanks to all of our amazing members that volunteered and donated to this year’s event!

The turnout was fantastic and we collected :
1173 lbs of food
$700 in grocery gift cards
$2200 in donations

Everyone can still give at this link here to make a donation. Please join in this effort to provide nourishing meals for individuals and families who are food insecure in lower Fairfield County!