Middletown Garden Club

10/26/2026

Over 60 people attended the recent showing of the film “The Extraordinary Caterpillar.” This event was co-hosted with the Durham Garden Club and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and provided attendees with a chance to learn how to help support biodiversity in their landscaping practices.

10/19/2026

Club members recently made a visit to the Syme Family Farm in Broadbrook. They learned from owner Jen Syme the ins and outs of a family owned nursery business: to have a diverse product mix, sell only what you grow, know when to pivot, develop strong customer relationships, and practice succession planting. Club members agreed it was a wonderful way to showcase autumn in New England.

10/11/2026

Club members Stephan Allison (pictured), Jane Harris, (pictured) and Kim Wuestefeld served as docents at this weekend’s grand opening of the new Community Health Center greenhouse on Main Street. The greenhouse has been built to combat local food insecurity, provide fresh fruits and vegetables to families and school nutrition programs, and serve as an educational hub for agricultural and student management training. Going forward, club members have volunteered to serve as docents during the greenhouse’s open hours.

10/07/2026

White oaks are in the news, partly because their population is shrinking. This is the newest addition to the Wadsworth/Kerste deBoer Arboretum in Middletown, a white oak planted in honor of the nation's semiquincentennial by the Middletown Garden Club. With thanks to the Middletown Urban Forestry Commission and Gabe Russo!

09/28/2026

The Garden Club is excited to be part of this effort! Come celebrate the restoration of a discarded parcel into a place of natural beauty!

09/18/2026

🌱 GARDENING TIP - DEALING WITH INVASIVE PLANTS

September is an ideal time to inspect your garden for invasive plants. As berries, seeds, and seedpods develop—and some invasives remain green longer than surrounding plants—they may be easier to identify before they spread.

Familiar examples include Bradford pear, Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese and Japanese wisteria, multiflora rose, privet, burning bush, Japanese barberry, English ivy, and butterfly bush. A plant’s invasive status can vary by region, so always consult local guidance.

If you suspect invasive plants are growing in your yard:
Confirm their identity and invasive status in your state.
Ask your local County Extension office about the appropriate removal method.
Remove plants before berries and seeds spread.
Do not compost seeds, berries, or other reproductive material.
Monitor the area for regrowth.
Replace removed plants with regionally appropriate natives.

Removing invasive plants does more than prevent their spread—it creates space for native plants and helps restore the food web, one garden at a time.

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Photographer - Ouida Drinkwater, Garden Club of Jackson, Jackson, MS

09/15/2026

As summer was winding down, a small group of garden club members recently made a visit to Hollister House Garden in Washington, CT. Visiting gardens is an activity that inspires and educates us. These field trips are also lots of fun! More trips are being planned as our club regroups this month.

08/10/2026

Please avoid chemicals in your garden

🌿 GARDENING TIP: FIGHT MOSQUITOES NATURALLY

The Garden Club of America Horticulture Committee recommends that before reaching for chemical sprays, work with nature.

Broad-spectrum mosquito fogging doesn't just kill mosquitoes—it also harms beneficial insects, including dragonflies, bees, butterflies, and fireflies, disrupting your garden's natural balance.
Dragonflies are among nature's most effective mosquito hunters. Both adults and their aquatic larvae feed on mosquitoes, helping reduce mosquito populations naturally.

Here are three simple ways to keep mosquitoes in check while supporting a healthy garden:

- Eliminate standing water. Empty containers, saucers, buckets, and clogged gutters, as well as other places where water collects. Even a bottle cap of standing water can become a mosquito breeding site.

- Welcome beneficial insects. Plant a variety of native flowers and avoid broad-spectrum pesticides that kill dragonflies and other natural mosquito predators.

- Try a "Bucket of Doom." Fill a bucket halfway with water, add a Bti mosquito dunk (a naturally occurring bacterium that targets mosquito larvae), toss in a handful of dried grass or hay, and place a stick inside so beneficial wildlife can climb back out. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in the bucket, but the Bti, when used correctly, prevents the larvae from developing into biting adults—without harming pollinators, birds, pets, or people.

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Photographer - Karen Campbell McCormick, Magnolia Garden Club, Beaumont, TX

08/10/2026

Members of the Middletown Garden Club enjoyed an impromptu “propagation party” last week to learn the process for rooting woody cuttings from a rare and beautiful Franklinia tree growing in a member’s yard. These trees have not been seen in the wild since the early 1800s! All the Franklinia trees available to us today descend from trees found near the Alatamaha River in Georgia.

05/24/2026

At its annual meeting last week the Middletown Garden club recognized several community members for their support and volunteer efforts. Long time residents Steven Kronkite and Paul Brindamour were honored with a Civic Improvement Award for their outstanding efforts to increase and enhance the tree canopy in our community and beyond. Club member Rob Rickenback was recognized for his dedication to maintaining clear communication between the club and the national organization. And outgoing President Kim Wuestefeld was presented an award for her excellent leadership through a period of transition. Also during this meeting, club members voted to accept Kathy Meyering as incoming President and Lynne Garner as Vice President.
Many thanks to Leah Gastler at Kalmia Gardens for a beautiful setting for our meeting, and to Connecticut Flower Collective for its donation of dahlia tuber favors! (Photos by Sheryl Rutledge)