It’s finally time to plant in the northwest corner. Historically, Memorial Day Weekend marks the last chance for a frost. That’s been true this year.
Memorial Day Weekend, 2022, was not the meteorological beginning of summer, nor was it quite the Summer Solstice. It was a time we expected to be able to meet and greet each other at parades and picnics, and, for two of our communities to dedicate one Blue Star Memorial and Connecticut’s first Gold Star Marker.
These markers began as a way to recognize those who fought in World War II. Too soon, they recognized those who fought in Korea. In 2022, they honor all who served, serve now, and will serve. There are those who would prefer these dedications occur in November, for Veteran’s Day, as Memorial Day honors those who lost their lives. They are solemn events, whenever they occur.
In the last few years, we relearned lessons our parents taught us about gratitude, the importance of saying and showing it, and recognized how important it is to reinforce the connections that mesh our communities together.
When a garden club decides to pursue the installation of a Blue Star Marker, it chooses a project which will necessitate the development of partnerships with all local veterans’ groups, local service organizations, perhaps nonprofit organizations, elected officials and Public Works Departments. The dedication of the marker occurs often on or around Memorial Day, when as many as possible of those who contributed their time and talents may attend.
This year, Milford dedicated the state’s first Gold Star Marker (in recognition of all Gold Star Service Members) on May 29. Bristol dedicated a Blue Star Memorial May 30. Morris Cove’s dedication on June 26 will raise the total number of Blue Star installations in Connecticut to 22.
Memorial Day and Thanksgiving are roughly six months apart. Folks used to say, plant one for the rabbits, and one for yourself. This year, plant one for the rabbits, and one for yourself. Consider adding a third for your local food pantry. Please. It’ll pay off long before Thanksgiving.
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“Play Outside” in your back forty, in your raised and perennial beds, in your containers, on your windowsills.
Polly Brooks
President
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SAVE THE DATE!
NEGC Annual Meeting October 18-19 in Nashua, NH
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The New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs is hosting the New England Garden Clubs, Inc., 6th Annual Meeting on October 18 – 19, 2022 (Tuesday and Wednesday) in Nashua at the Event Center/
Courtyard Marriott. We have two excellent presenters lined up to both entertain and educate you, Arabella Dane will be coordinating a fabulous photography exhibit, and we will all have the opportunity to reconnect with some of our garden club friends throughout New England that we have been missing. Come enjoy a few days in Southern NH amid the beautiful October foliage and take in all that the area has to offer. We hope to see many NEGC members attending. More details will follow soon.
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Help Wanted ~ Join Our Team!
The Federation’s Website Chair, Shelley Hedberg, has announced plans to retire from her position at the end of 2022. The Website Chair is an integral part of the Media Team, which includes the Public Relations and Social Media Chairs and the CFNews Manager.
Shelley is eager to train someone who has the willingness and the talent to learn. To keep the website upbeat and current, it is important that we locate someone quickly.
If this is of interest or if you have questions about the requirements of this position, please contact FGCCT Nominating Chair Arlene Field at nominating@ctgardenclubs.org
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Housatonic Valley Association receives Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs, Inc.
The members of National Garden Clubs, Inc. (NGC) recently honored The Housatonic Valley Association with their prestigious Award of Excellence, the highest award presented by NGC to a non-member.
The Award of Excellence honors an individual, organization or institution that has made a significant contribution toward the advancement of goals and purposes of National Garden Clubs, Inc.
The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) was founded in 1941 in Cornwall Bridge Connecticut. Lynn Werner, Executive Director, heads this water, land and recreation conservation nonprofit organization. Its mission is to protect the natural character, environmental health, and economies of the Housatonic River Valley watershed for present and future generations. The Housatonic River Valley boasts world-class fishing, biking, hiking, paddling, history and sightseeing. The source of the watershed starts in the Berkshire Mountains and stretches 149-miles across Connecticut, culminating in the tidal marshes of Long Island Sound. It includes mountain waterfalls, rolling hills, covered bridges and a section of the Appalachian Trail. The HVA is one of the oldest watershed conservation organizations in the nation!
** Editor's Note **
This is the third time that the award has been presented to a Connecticut nominee. In 1956, Dr. Paul B. Sears, an ecologist and writer who established the Conservation graduate program at Yale, was honored. and in 2010 Sydney Eddison, a writer, gardener, and lecturer received the award.
The Federation presented Lynn Werner and the Housatonic Valley Association with our highest Award, The Bronze Medal, in October of 2021.
Polly Brooks, Vonice Carr and Jane Waugh were thrilled to be present when HVA received this national recognition for their dedication to clean water in the Housatonic watershed, land conservation in the Northwest Hills, and recreational opportunities on the streams and rivers in the Housatonic Valley.
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FGCCT 93rd Annual Meeting a Huge Success
The 93rd Annual Meeting on April 13, 2022 was held on a beautiful spring day at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville. Everyone was excited to be back together again in person.
Those who attended could purchase raffle tickets and walk around the periphery of the room to view the wares of all the vendors. There were spring plants, garden shovels, hypertufa pots, beautiful pottery, hand-knitted shawls, garden books, jewelry, and much more.
Pam Atkins, Meetings Chair, opened the meeting and introduced FGCCT President Polly Brooks. Polly commented on how thrilled she was to see a room full of garden club members. Polly gave out Presidential Citations to members who, as volunteers, provided outstanding service during the pandemic.
Then Kathy Lindroth, FGCCT Tours Coordinator, was introduced. She presented a program of upcoming tours that will be available this year and next year.
Leslie Martino was the keynote speaker. In celebration of the bicentennial of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of American landscape architecture, Leslie explored his life and reviewed his landscape projects from his early years until his retirement. Born in Connecticut, he was interested in English landscape design. In 1857 he was awarded the commission to design Central Park. He is also known for designing North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate; a city park system in Buffalo, NY; Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY; and Elm Park in Worcester, MA.
Following the luncheon, there was a raffle drawing and many winners went home with prizes.
— Linda Kaplan, FGCCT Public Relations Chair.
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Also coming up in 2022 (check the website for more information on these tours, including full brochures and current status) :
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Alaska: Land of the Midnight Sun (June 19-28) Note: one spot left.
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Long Island Getaway (July 26-29) Note: This trip is sold out.
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Hidden Treasures of Le Marche (October 5-13): Wait list only.
In the works for 2023:
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April: Charleston
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April 24-May 2: Madeira Flower Festival
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July: Hudson Valley Getaway
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September: Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island
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Late October/Early November: South Africa Garden Tour with Safari Extension
Several of our more expensive tours were pushed into 2023 as a result of the pandemic. Even our shorter bus trips have seen a sharp price increase. The Tours Committee is working to provide a balance of tours for all our members at various price points; please feel free to contact me with suggestions for future ideas or how to make our tours better.
— Kathy Lindroth, FGCCT Tours Coordinator
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Is it greenish-yellow or yellowish-green? However you see it, the color chartreuse certainly vibrates with the energy of both colors. It has that fresh, verdant appeal of green and the bright cheerfulness of yellow. It is lively, cheeky, and hard to miss. Even the name evokes a je ne sais quoi feeling. Combine that color with a plant and there is no stopping the allure for me.
Do you have a partly sunny or shady spot that is boring? Oh just tuck a little chartreuse hosta in and bam!
Who needs flowers? Drowning in green shrubs past their bloom time? Chartreuse elderberry or sumac might solve that. From herbaceous perennials to shrubs, shade to sun, the design options are endless … but there is one catch. Chartreuse plants need just the right light to shine and you need to figure out what that is. Some will tolerate full sun, others will fry in it. Some will go greener in the sun or shade, others will bleach. Alright, so they are a little fussy BUT land the right spot and they will shine.
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I adore Hosta 'Sum and Substance.' Jurassic Park-size growth alone gives it attitude as it approaches three feet tall and five feet wide. The very large, heart-shaped leaves are glossy and have deep texture.As a bonus it has fragrant bell-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer on very tall stalks.It needs some sun to bring out its best color but too much and it will scorch. Something smaller perhaps?‘ Sun Mouse’ squeaks in at six inches tall and a foot wide and will fit into any shady nook. |
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Too many deer in your garden for hostas to survive? There are any number of chartreuse coral bells to the rescue. Try Heuchera 'Citronelle' which grows to 10 inches high and 14 inches wide with small white blooms in the summer. It is known for its vigor and heat tolerance and looks amazing in a container.
How about Tradescantia 'Sweet Kate'? This spiderwort with spiky foliage and blue flowers prefers a partly shady site to prevent leaf burn. Happily it is not as aggressive as its green kin.
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Switching leaf and texture, nothing beats Japanese forest grass, Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' for shade. It tends to be more chartreuse in heavy shade and gets a bit goldy in sun. Hakone spreads slowly by rhizomes so plan on putting in a few if you want immediate oomph. Or how about a sedge? Carex oshimensis 'Everillo' grows in clumps up to two feet wide and can tolerate more sun but will keep its chartreuse color better in a shadier spot.
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Closing out the herbaceous perennials, is Golden Japanese Spikenard, Aralia cordata 'Sun King.' In the right condition it will reach five to six feet tall and four feet wide. There is much to admire — compound leaves, white flower spikes in late summer, then purplish black berries in fall. I have not seen deer browse it yet.
In the woody shrub space there is Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes', a compact staghorn sumac with graceful cut foliage that likes full sun. It might sucker just a tad but with the added bonus of an orange/red fall show, it is worth the six feet of space it will take up. Very similar in texture is Sambucus racemosa ‘Lemony Lace’. This red elderberry has lacy foliage with white flowers in early spring and berries for wildlife in the fall and will easily reach five feet tall.
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I allow only one spirea in my garden, Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’. It starts with tiny white flowers on arching branches early in the spring. Then the foliage arrives, going through shades of yellow and green until finishing in a flourish of pinkish-orange in the fall.
Now these are just my favorites. There are many more chartreuse beauties out there for you to explore, acquire, and plant! Then as June slides into the heat of summer, you can admire the glowing foliage while sipping a chartreuse cocktail aptly named “Verdant Lady.” Shake together 3 tablespoons gin, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon green Chartreuse, 1 ½ teaspoons simple syrup and 4 large mint leaves. Pour over ice, put your feet up, sip and sigh “shär-troo͞z”. Perfect.
— Renee Marsh, FGCCT Horticulture Chair
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Spotlight on Our FGCCT Affiliates:
Hollister House Garden
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Hollister House Garden, located in Washington, Connecticut, is an old-fashioned garden in the manner of such classic English gardens as Sissinghurst, Great Dixter and Hidcote, formal in its structure but informal and rather wild in its style of planting. Begun in 1979 by George Schoellkopf, the garden has evolved into a uniquely American synthesis of the formal and the natural. Eight-to-ten-foot walls and hedges, with dramatic changes in level, define the progression of garden spaces – “rooms” as the English like to say – and create an architectural framework for the romantic abundance of the plantings.
During the summer months the garden is open to the public on Wednesdays and Fridays from 1-4 pm, Thursdays from 5-7 pm and Saturdays 10 am-4 pm. On Thursday evenings visitors are welcome to picnic on the main lawn. Plein air artists and photographers are invited to be inspired by the beauty of the garden during special Wednesday morning openings.
As the light fades and day turns to evening, our friends and neighbors are invited to enjoy a glass of wine and savor the beauty of the garden on the first Friday of June, July, and August. Admission is $10 per person and includes a glass of rosé wine.
Throughout the season, Hollister House offers a full program of lectures and workshops designed to enhance the skills, knowledge and pleasure of gardeners and garden lovers. Please consult our website for a complete list of programs including our Garden Study Weekend symposium “American Garden Perspectives.” Held on September 10, this event features inspiring talks by landscape designer Deborah Nevins, designer and passionate gardener Bunny Williams, horticulturalist Rebecca McMackin and grower of specialty plants Helen O’Donnell. A plant sale follows the symposium and on Sunday there is a rare opportunity to tour the gardens at Manor House and have a private lunch with their creator, Bunny Williams. Visit hollisterhousegarden.org to register for events.
Hollister House Garden, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the garden and buildings for the education and enjoyment of the public.
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The vista into the Walled Garden |
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View into the Gray Garden from Gerald’s Parterre |
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Plein air artists in the garden |
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The Federation Welcomes our Newest Affiliate Member:
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"Club Corner" is a feature of the CFNews designed to be a place where clubs or individual club members can showcase club achievements and activities. Visit " Club Corner" on the FGCCT website for latest news from—and tips for—our member clubs!
Send photos, along with a very brief writeup or detailed photo captions that describe your event or activity, to CFNewsManager@ctgardenclubs.org to be considered for inclusion.
Check out more photos from this issue's Featured Club, the Quiet Corner Garden Club, on our website! |
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FEATURED CLUB: In the Quiet Corner, this busy club is growing by leaps and bounds! |
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The Quiet Corner Garden Club has grown. In the past two years we added 21 new members. In 2017, we had 28 members. We now have over 90 who come from more than 15 towns in our area. We have 15 Master Gardeners or Certified Naturalists in the club.
We met the challenge of the pandemic in many ways. We met by Zoom for online meetings, videotaped our small in-person lectures, and used our online newsletter to reach our members during those long months at home.
We had a very successful annual spring plant sale Mother’s Day weekend. Despite the weather, hundreds of customers showed up. We are fortunate that our plant sale is held indoors in the huge Agriculture Building at the Woodstock Fairgrounds.
We worked on many civic projects over the past few years. We renovated a courtyard garden in a senior housing community in Danielson. We rebuilt planting tables for a nursing home’s outdoor garden therapy program, and planted shrubs in the front yard of a local sober house for women, both in Putnam. We donated plant tables and tools to the Mary Fisher Elementary School and helped develop a community garden in Thompson. We donated a red maple to the Pomfret Library.
In Woodstock, we built window boxes for the North Woodstock Library, planted an apple tree for Arbor Day and created a children’s garden at Roseland Park with the help of some Boy Scouts, created a permanent garden display at the Woodstock Fairgrounds, and continued work on a three-year project to create a memorial garden at the Woodstock Middle School.
This year we will donate new perennials to the Killingly Community Garden and have other civic projects in the planning stage, including the renovation of the beds at the Eastford Town Hall, maintenance at the Palmer Arboretum, to plant annuals at Roseland Cottage on Memorial Day weekend in Woodstock, and, in Putnam, to donate shrubs to Rotary Park and to create container gardens downtown.
Our club has several floral workshops each year. We like to go on trips to visit a variety of beautiful gardens in New England. We hope to have photography workshops soon. Twice a year, we have pot-luck dinners, and often have informal breakfasts and lunches. We stage two plant swaps each year.
This July we will host a self-guided garden tour: Gardens and Art in the Country, featuring eight lovely and diverse home gardens in Woodstock, Pomfret, and Putnam. Each garden will have entertainment: artists painting landscapes; musicians; craftsmen. There will also be a huge Arts & Crafts Fair next to the Registration Booth on the Woodstock Fairgrounds.
There‘s always something going on in the Quiet Corner Garden Club! Visit their website to learn more.
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Pollinator Garden/Permanent Display at the Woodstock Fairgrounds |
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Donated plant tables and tools at Mary Fisher Elementary School, Thompson |
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Spring 2022: Phase 2 of the Memorial Garden at Woodstock Middle School.
White and pink dogwoods and azaleas, a panicle hydrangea, and hyacinths were planted so children would see blooms at the start and end of the year.
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National Pollinator Week is June 20-26, 2002
National Pollinator Week falls on the last week of June annually. The Pollinator Partnership first observed the week in 2017 in response to the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations.
Rising temperatures due to climate change threaten extinction of about 40% of invertebrate pollinator species, especially bees and butterflies. Without pollinators, our food sources are dramatically threatened. During this week, garden clubs need to highlight the importance of pollinators and ways to protect them.
Encourage your communities to protect the ecosystems that sustain pollinators. Garden clubs are more important than ever in promoting this important issue.
—Linda Kaplan, FGCCT Public Relations Chair
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National Garden Week
Sharpen your pruners and grab your gloves! June 5 – 11, 2022 is National Garden Week, sponsored by National Garden Clubs.
Join NGC clubs to celebrate National Garden Week. Our mission is to raise awareness of the numerous benefits gardens and gardening bring to people, as we encourage a new generation of gardeners to join us.
Join with garden clubs across the country to celebrate National Garden Week with a wide variety of garden-related events. Encourage community pride. Work with other organizations in your area on community beautification and environmental projects. Intrigue potential members who share our passion to nurture the beauty and resources of the earth. Explore the importance of gardening and the numerous contributions of gardeners.
Ideas to Consider (From NGC):
- Offer an educational program and/or workshop at your local library, public garden or garden center.
- Sponsor a hands-on "How Do You Select Flowers/Shrubs for Your Garden" workshop at an area nursery.
- Plan a garden tour. This is a great time to share your knowledge.
- Beautify a manageable blighted area or enhance an existing garden. This would be a good opportunity to engage with other groups.
- Plan an activity with a youth group or school students.
- Place a plant or flower arrangement at public facilities, along with one of the beautiful National Garden Week posters.
Get involved! Get your neighbors engaged! Have fun!
—Linda Kaplan, FGCCT Public Relations Chair
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Donations by Garden Clubs to our Scholarship, Garden Therapy and World Gardening Funds |
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We thank the following Garden Clubs for their recent donations to the FGCCT Scholarship Fund.* For almost 40 years, the Federation has awarded scholarships to college and university students who major in Agronomy, Botany, City Planning, Conservation, Environmental Studies, Floriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Land Management, Landscape Design, Plant Pathology, or allied subjects. We welcome donations of any size. Our appeal is ongoing to give all of our clubs the opportunity to make a contribution in the amount of their choosing.
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Scholarship Donations as of April 27, 2022 |
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Town and Country Garden Club
Wilton Garden Club
Greens Farms Garden Club
Leete’s Island Garden Club
Garden Club of Madison
Riverside Garden Club
Glastonbury Garden Club
Evergreen Country Gardeners
Long Hill Garden Club
Morris Cove Garden Club
Danbury Garden Club
Wallingford Garden Club
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$250.00
$100.00
$100.00
$100.00
$1,000.00
$100.00
$500.00
$100.00
$300.00
$50.00
$100.00
$200.00
$2,900.00
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Garden Therapy Donations as of April 27, 2022 |
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World Gardening Donations as of April 27, 2022 |
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Please send all Scholarship Fund donation checks to the appropriate chair (see below). Make checks out to "FGCCT" with the appropriate Fund listed on the memo line.
*Please note that due to the deadline for articles and information for the CFNews, some donations may not be received and deposited in time to be included in the bi-monthly donation acknowledgement, but will be included in the next issue of our newsletter.
PLEASE MAIL CHECKS TO:
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For World Gardening & Garden Therapy:
Peggy Lajoie
12 Eastview Rd
Southington, CT 06489
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For FGCCT Scholarship Fund:
Deborah Osborne
25 Zoar Rd
Sandy Hook, CT 06482
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Tips to use online calendar and submitting a calendar event - click buttons below. |
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Don't Forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
FGCCT is on Facebook and Instagram and we love to post your news and photos! Please send upcoming events, club activities, civic projects, milestones, and hort tips. Include photos and a brief writeup of the news your club would like to share. The best format is text in an email with jpg photos attached. Take active photos showing members at work or showcasing beautiful gardens, flowers, and plants (please name the flower if it is a hort only photo). Let’s follow each other! Send submissions to social@ctgardenclubs.org
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URGENT NOTICE
ALL FGCCT CLUBS MUST FILE WITH THE IRS!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CLUB PRESIDENTS AND TREASURERS
To maintain your garden club's Tax Exemption status, your club MUST file with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) EVERY YEAR. You must file a form 990, 990-EZ, or 990N (the e-postcard).
Clubs that fail to file an annual 990-series return or notice, for three consecutive years, will AUTOMATICALLY lose their tax-exempt status.
or Go To
www.irs.gov, then click link for "Charities & Non-Profits."
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Important Reminder for ALL clubs! |
FGCCT now uses Constant Contact to distribute ALL information — from updates on upcoming tours, to school registration details, to news for (and from) member Clubs and Affiliates.
Clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of ANY Constant Contact message from FGCCT, including this newsletter, will automatically unsubscribe you from ALL future messages.
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Deadline to submit articles/photos, ads and calendar events for the June/July 2022 issue of The Connecticut Federation News is July 10, 2022. Please submit to:
ARTICLES/PHOTOS
Marty Sherman
ADVERTISING
Barbara Romblad
PO Box 854, Branford, CT 06405
203.488.5528
CALENDAR
Ellie Tessmer
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Reminder from NGC: The National Gardener is now ONLINE (and free!)
The official publication of the National Garden Clubs, The National Gardener appears quarterly, and highlights articles of interest to environmentalists, gardeners, landscapers, floral designers, educators as well as nature photographers. Feature columns offer leadership advice, seasonal recipes and garden club lore. Enjoy this and more by viewing and downloading the latest issue here. Subscribe here.
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State, Regional &
National Events
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