May 2017 Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS

Hanging Baskets Workshop

Thursday

May 18, 2017

9:30 am

453 Carter Street

June

Meeting & Program: Annual Meeting and Fun Cooking and Healthy Eating with Tracey Medeiros

Wednesday

June 7, 2017

9:30 am coffee

10:00 am program

New Canaan Nature Center

A Letter From Our Presidents

Welcome Happy, Busy Spring!

Beautification League members have been as busy as bees with spring clean-up on triangles, Vine Cottage, the railroad station, the Town Hall wall, and Lee Garden. Our program chairmen, Carol Seldin, Margit Mills, and Gerda Smith, have given us one fantastic program after another - our April 5 program on Untermyer Garden with Stephen Bryns and the May 3 program with Adam Manjuck of Flowers & Flowers in Darien.

Shirley Stancik and Susan Bergen once again gave their Flower Arranging 101 course to enthusiastic members. A dozen of our members visited Colorblends in April to see the gorgeous tulips. Our own tulips are coming up, and daffodils and ephemerals are blooming all over town - the Thrift Shop triangle, Welcome Sign triangles on South Avenue and Route 123, Center Bell etc.

Hats off to Margery Gardner and her Nominating Committee. They have been doing an outstanding job, and very soon you will receive the slate of proposed officers for next year's board. The voting will take place at our annual meeting on June 7.

The response to our Annual Appeal has been growing, each year more successful than the last. Peggy Jay, Judy Johnson, and Karen Hanson's efforts have been well rewarded. We have been well covered in the news, making the front page of The New Canaan Advertiser with our Chief Ponus story. Our membership has risen to 160 members.

Come and take a walk through Lee Garden during our Open Garden from 1 - 4 PM on Sunday, May 21. The garden should be in full bloom with the riotous colors and picturesque views of the azaleas and rhododendrons. Sign up with Bianca Romano to make flower arrangements for Waveny Care Center on one of the four Mondays in June. Two people can do it in less than 2 hours. Then watch the smiles on the faces of the residents when they see the flowers you have arranged for them. There is no better reward than that.

The Hanging Basket Workshop will be at 9:30 AM on Thursday, May 18 at Libby Butterworth's house. A week later, on Thursday, May 25, we will be planting flowers in six planters for the Pop Up Park. These are great opportunities for new members to join in and get to know other Beautification members. Grab your gardening gear, and let's make New Canaan beautiful!

HANGING BASKETS DAY!

PLEASE NOTE! CHANGE IN DATE FOR

HANGING BASKETS

Our new date is Thursday, May 18

The prettiest hanging baskets in the town of New Canaan will be the ones YOU helped put together! Get ready to accept the compliments!

Please join us on Thursday, May 18 at 9:30 am at Libby Butterworth's house, 453 Carter Street.

Bring wire cutters, pliers, gloves, and a smile. Park on one side of Carter Street only or on nearby Long Lots Road.

There will be coffee, goodies, and a great opportunity for both old and new NCBL members to get to know, and help one another.

We will be transferring, a RECORD 217 BASKETS, into our wire baskets!

So, come when you can, leave when you must, and many thanks!

Hanging Basket Chairs:

Eileen Boehme

Libby Butterworth

Sara Hunt

Left to right: Jimmy Peck and Walt Jaykus from Public Works with Sara Hunt, Libby Butterworth, and Eileen Boehme, co-chairs of Hanging Baskets.

Let's fill the planters for the Pop Up Park with flowers!

Thursday, May 25 at 9:30 am

Meet at Morse Court on South Avenue. NCBL will provide the flowers and plants for planting the planters. You just need to bring gloves and trowels.

Public Works men Walk Jaykus and Jimmy Peck pitch in to help NCBL volunteers Libby Butterworth, Joan Hayenga, Eileen Boehme, Linda Foscato,and Ann Brookshire.

Please contact Libby Butterworth 203-801-0862, Eileen Boehme 203-966-0458, or Sara Hunt [email protected] to sign up.

Welcome Our New Members!

Gay Clarke

and honorary member:

Todd Bruno

a nd new to our Advisory Board this year:

Tucker Murphy

Chris Schipper

Thank you! Our Annual Appeal process is in good shape thanks to our many volunteers! Special thanks to Judy Johnson, Karen Hanson, and Peggy Jay!

Volunteers Needed for Waveny Care Center Flower Arranging

This is a fun way to get involved! We have four open dates for volunteers to arrange the dining room flowers for Waveny Care Center. It's fun! You will have access to the "flower room" at WCC and will be able to create arrangements to your hearts content. You can read the specifics of this wonderful opportunity HERE .

Please contact Bianca Romano (203-570-9048) to sign up for one of these dates. Grab a friend and do it together!

June 5

June 12

June 19

June 26

Lee Garden Azalea Festival!

The azaleas will be bursting at our annual Lee Garden Azalea Festival! Come by May 21 and stroll the enchanting 3-acre woodland. The extensive collection of show-stealing azaleas and rhododendrons should be at peak bloom. Members will be on hand from 1pm to 4pm to answer questions.

Bring friends, family, and a camera!

Please park in the Lee Garden parking lot. If the lot is full, kindly park on Toquam Road or Wascussue Court. Please do not park on Chichester Road.

SPOTTED!

NCBL Tulips Spotted Around Town!

What a stunning color combination! Our Town Hall planter tulips did not disappoint!

Planted by NCBL, the Town Hall wall has delicate purple tulips.

There are two areas of purple tulips at Lee Garden. The deer fencing must be working!

The Center Bell Triangle is displaying this lovely combination this spring.

NCBL member Bianca Romano was gifted these bulbs from her daughter Danielle. Danielle picked them up in the Amsterdam airport and was told they are the most popular tulip variety in the Netherlands.

ALSO SPOTTED!

or should we say STRIPED ...

NCBL members Libby Butterworth and Sara Hunt were spotted around town in similar striped shirts. One Town Hall employee was heard to ask, "Is this the new Beautification League uniform?"

APRIL HAPPENINGS

Field Trip to Colorblends House & Spring Garden

A dozen NCBL members drove to the Colorblends House & Spring Garden last week despite the early morning rain. The forecast called for clearing later in the morning and that is exactly what happened! The tulips were touched with rain drops, making the scene even lovelier.

We were able to tour the Colorblends house, a glorious example of Colonial Revival architecture. Displays of local artists' work are found throughout the over one-hundred year old home.

To see our Flickr album of the visit, click HERE.

Visit the Colorblends website HERE.

Did you miss Stephen Byrns, President of Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, at our April program? What a wonderful presentation and history lesson for us all. If you missed the program, don't worry. NCTV79 taped the program for us. You can see it online HERE.

Want to watch it on channel 79 on your television? It will start airing Friday, May 12.

Visit the garden's website HERE.

What is that beautiful pink tree?

NCBL members were questioned twice this week in regards to two beautiful spring, pink blooming trees we maintain.

This tree on the Clapboard Hill triangle was admired and members were asked what type of tree it was.

This is a closeup of the tree, a Japanese crabapple hybrid.

The tall pink tree in the background is visible from the Lee Garden parking lot and a Lee Garden visitor inquired about it.

This tree is a native redbud. There is also a weeping redbud in Joan's garden by the Lee shed.