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PAST EVENTS

"Living and Learning in an Olmsted Garden"
Date: October 17, 2024
Speaker: Nola Anderson
Description: Nola discussed her book "Immersion: Living and Learning in an Olmsted Garden." Through slides and photographs as well as her own stunning narrative, she related the personal story of restoring a privately owned turn of the century garden overlooking the sea in Massachusetts designed by Olmsted's firm.
Date: October 17, 2024
Speaker: Nola Anderson
Description: Nola discussed her book "Immersion: Living and Learning in an Olmsted Garden." Through slides and photographs as well as her own stunning narrative, she related the personal story of restoring a privately owned turn of the century garden overlooking the sea in Massachusetts designed by Olmsted's firm.
Nola Anderson is a captivating speaker. She enthralls audiences with her fascinating, personal story of the restoration and renewal of an historic Frederick Law Olmsted seaside garden in Massachusetts. She recounted her inspirational journey from a naïve amateur and garden owner to a botanical Latin-slinging garden creator! Nola’s speech was illustrated with a slideshow presentation and photographs, including much horticultural information.
Horticulturies Trevor Smith
April 18, 2024
Litchfield Community Center
The presentation celebrated April as Native Plant Month! Trevor Smith, Design and Education Manager at Weston Nurseries in Massachusetts is an award-winning regenerative landscape designer, specializing in green infrastructure, native plant design, habitat creation, and implementation of ecological design principles. He is passionate about the natural world, inspiring his commitment to sustainable landscaping practices in an era of climate change. He holds several landscape certifications and is a past President and a current Trustee of the Ecological Landscape Alliance.
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ReWilding: Is an Introduction to Natives! Native plants and pollinators are all the buzz these days. What are natives? Why should we plant natives? How can we work them into our gardens and landscapes? This presentation will cover all this and more, providing you with all you need to know to make informed decisions for your landscape.
Kent Russell, The Garden Guru and Celebrity Gardner
March 21, 2024
Litchfield Community Center
March 21, 2024
Litchfield Community Center

On March 21, 2024, Kent Russell, The Garden Guru and Celebrity Gardener - presented his program on - “Sensational Spring Pots”
Kent is a nationally recognized celebrity gardener and shared his unique ideas for designing spring containers by using an array of plants to create appealing potted gardens. Early spring perennials, colorful and unusual hardy bulbs, and cold tolerant annuals were part of this demonstration. All plants were available for purchase following his presentation.
Below are some of Kent's potted plants.
Sarah Boynton
October 26, 2023
Litchfield Community Center
October 26, 2023
Litchfield Community Center

TECHNIQUES AND SECRETS OF BOTANICAL ARTS with Sarah Boynton. Members of the Litchfield Garden Club, the Washington Garden Club and their guests enjoyed a jointly sponsored workshop, "Techniques and Secrets of Botanical Arts" presented by Sarah Boynton. Everyone was in awe of the designs and the techniques employed to create them. Over 100 guests/members attended the LGC and the WGC presentation.
A Tapestry of Nature
A GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA FLOWER SHOW PRESENTED BY
LITCHFIELD GARDEN CLUB
June 16-17, 2023
LITCHFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER
READ MORE
A GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA FLOWER SHOW PRESENTED BY
LITCHFIELD GARDEN CLUB
June 16-17, 2023
LITCHFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER
READ MORE
tOVAH mARTIN
April 20, 2023
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Litchfield Community Center
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Litchfield Community Center
Tovah talked about her latest lecture: In Unison: Harmonious Combinations for Pollinators and you.
Tovah explained the best ways to create a haven where pollinators thrive, dine, and reproduce. This lecture shared ideas for a pollinator-pleasing place with colors and textures blossoming throughout the growing season. The lecture was an intimate chronicle of a community of plants and their interrelationships.
In her constant, undying pursuit of all things garden-related, Tovah gets her hands dirty both outside and indoors. She is a perennial, heirloom, vegetable and cottage gardener of fanatical proportions. For 25 years, Tovah photographed the Logee’s Greenhouse catalog. Tovah is also the author of many gardening books. Her most recent title, The Garden in Every Sense and Season received GardenComm's Gold Medal Media Award in 2019. As a freelance writer, her articles have appeared in publications throughout the country and the world. She is an honorary member of the Garden Club of America and the Litchfield Garden Club.
Tovah explained the best ways to create a haven where pollinators thrive, dine, and reproduce. This lecture shared ideas for a pollinator-pleasing place with colors and textures blossoming throughout the growing season. The lecture was an intimate chronicle of a community of plants and their interrelationships.
In her constant, undying pursuit of all things garden-related, Tovah gets her hands dirty both outside and indoors. She is a perennial, heirloom, vegetable and cottage gardener of fanatical proportions. For 25 years, Tovah photographed the Logee’s Greenhouse catalog. Tovah is also the author of many gardening books. Her most recent title, The Garden in Every Sense and Season received GardenComm's Gold Medal Media Award in 2019. As a freelance writer, her articles have appeared in publications throughout the country and the world. She is an honorary member of the Garden Club of America and the Litchfield Garden Club.
October 20, 2022 - open conservation meeting
Conservation speaker - Jamie Fischer, The science & beauty of IRIDESCENCE
10 AM
At the White memorial conversation center
In the Ceder Room

James Fischer received both his bachelors and masters at the State University of New York in Syracuse in Environmental Science and Forestry. He then worked in the Adorndacks and in Fire Island, New York, expanding on his thesis about the epidemology of Lyme Disease and on the density of white tailed deer. Fischer then worked at the University of Connecticut in their biology collections before working with the state doing surveys of water shrews and leaf shrews. Jamie is currently Research Director for White Memorial Conservation Center.
What is Iridescence? a lustrous rainbow-like play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes.
What is Iridescence? a lustrous rainbow-like play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes.
March 12, 2020 - Open Conservation Meeting
CONSERVATION SPEAKER - Dr. MEGAN PARKER, WORKING DOGS FOR CONSERVATION

The Litchfield Garden Club sponsored an Open Conservation Meeting on Thursday March 12, 2020 at 12:00 noon at the Litchfield Community Center. The speaker was Megan Parker, co-Founder and Director of Research for Working Dogs for Conservation, the world’s leading conservation detection dog organization. The title of the presentation was New Frontiers for Conservation Detection Dogs. The event was free and open to the public.
Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C) has traveled to five different continents to consult, collaborate, and build capacity to make conservation happen. WD4C’s trained dogs have found Chinese bush clover in Iowa, yellow star thistle in Colorado, rosy wolf snails in Hawaii, and brown tree snakes in Guam. Their dogs have become an invaluable tool for protecting pristine habitats and eradicating invasive species.
WD4C dogs can detect weeds before they break the surface, animals that live below ground, and aquatic organisms invisible to the human eye. The four WD4C co-founders were the first to train dogs to detect wide-ranging carnivores non-invasively, to uncover illegal snares in Africa, and to find invasive plants, insects, and fish.
Megan received a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.S. in raptor ecology from Boise State University. She returned to her home state of Montana to earn a PhD from the University of Montana in wildlife biology on the scent-marking behavior and territoriality of wild dogs in Botswana. She began pioneering training methods for conservation detection dogs in 1996.
Further details about WD4C can be found on their website.
Learn more about Megan and the Program. Watch Megan's Ted Talk
Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C) has traveled to five different continents to consult, collaborate, and build capacity to make conservation happen. WD4C’s trained dogs have found Chinese bush clover in Iowa, yellow star thistle in Colorado, rosy wolf snails in Hawaii, and brown tree snakes in Guam. Their dogs have become an invaluable tool for protecting pristine habitats and eradicating invasive species.
WD4C dogs can detect weeds before they break the surface, animals that live below ground, and aquatic organisms invisible to the human eye. The four WD4C co-founders were the first to train dogs to detect wide-ranging carnivores non-invasively, to uncover illegal snares in Africa, and to find invasive plants, insects, and fish.
Megan received a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.S. in raptor ecology from Boise State University. She returned to her home state of Montana to earn a PhD from the University of Montana in wildlife biology on the scent-marking behavior and territoriality of wild dogs in Botswana. She began pioneering training methods for conservation detection dogs in 1996.
Further details about WD4C can be found on their website.
Learn more about Megan and the Program. Watch Megan's Ted Talk
The Litchfield Garden Club Presents “Town Crier to Twitter” Flower Show
The Litchfield Garden Club (LGC) presented an in-club flower show, "Town Crier to Twitter" to celebrate the town's Tercentennial celebration on September 20-21, 2019. It was held at the White Memorial Foundation Carriage House and Shed on Whitehall Road in Litchfield.
There were four Divisions in the flower show: Floral Design, Horticulture, Photography and Conservation. Entry in designated classes in Floral Design, Horticulture and Photography was open to the public.
Floral Design classes featured designs that interpret people, places, and events through the centuries, such as "Colonial Quilt," "Melting of the Statue of King George III," "A Picnic by Bantam River" and "From Parchment to Pixels." Classes in the Horticulture Division included cut specimens, container-grown plants, vegetables and fruits. Entry in two classes in the Photography Division was open to the public and one class was open to Litchfield students in grades 5-12. The Conservation exhibit displayed 25 years of the LGC project, "Treescape for Litchfield."
The Flower Show was FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC from 10:00am-4:00pm on Saturday, September 21.
There were four Divisions in the flower show: Floral Design, Horticulture, Photography and Conservation. Entry in designated classes in Floral Design, Horticulture and Photography was open to the public.
Floral Design classes featured designs that interpret people, places, and events through the centuries, such as "Colonial Quilt," "Melting of the Statue of King George III," "A Picnic by Bantam River" and "From Parchment to Pixels." Classes in the Horticulture Division included cut specimens, container-grown plants, vegetables and fruits. Entry in two classes in the Photography Division was open to the public and one class was open to Litchfield students in grades 5-12. The Conservation exhibit displayed 25 years of the LGC project, "Treescape for Litchfield."
The Flower Show was FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC from 10:00am-4:00pm on Saturday, September 21.
April 18, 2019 - OPEN Conservation Meeting - Garden Revolution
How Our Garden Can be a Source of Environmental Change
Larry Weaner, Landscape designer, author

Founded in 1982, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates (LWLA) is nationally recognized for combining environmental science with the rich artistic traditions of landscape design. LWLA has designed and installed gardens and natural areas throughout the eastern US and has pioneered procedures that encourage the natural recruitment and proliferation of existing native vegetation.
A few of LWLA’s achievements for excellence and innovation include the Lady Bird Johnson Environmental Award, Place Maker Award and numerous Association of Professional Landscaper Designers (APLD) Awards.
LWLA’s designs have been profiled in national publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Garden Design, American Gardener, Wildflower Magazine and ASLA’s The Dirt blog. Visit Larry Weaner’s website.
The event is free and open to the public. The Litchfield Community Center is located at 421 Bantam Road (Rt. 202), Litchfield CT.
A few of LWLA’s achievements for excellence and innovation include the Lady Bird Johnson Environmental Award, Place Maker Award and numerous Association of Professional Landscaper Designers (APLD) Awards.
LWLA’s designs have been profiled in national publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Landscape Architecture Magazine, Garden Design, American Gardener, Wildflower Magazine and ASLA’s The Dirt blog. Visit Larry Weaner’s website.
The event is free and open to the public. The Litchfield Community Center is located at 421 Bantam Road (Rt. 202), Litchfield CT.
April 12, 2018 - open conservation meeting
"Native Shrubs in the Garden"
“Native Shrubs in the Garden,” an Open Conservation meeting hosted by The Litchfield Garden Club, was held on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at the Litchfield Community Center.
The presentation was given by Earth Tones Native Plants Nursery, LLC, named one of the Best New England Nurseries by Yankee Magazine. Located in Woodbury CT, Earth Tones is a native plant nursery that offers grasses, ferns, perennials, shrubs and trees that are native to New England. They provide landscape design, consulting, installation, maintenance and wetland mitigation services with a focus on environmentally sound practices. Earth Tones looks at each individual landscape as a part of a community. Visit their WEBSITE.
The presentation was given by Earth Tones Native Plants Nursery, LLC, named one of the Best New England Nurseries by Yankee Magazine. Located in Woodbury CT, Earth Tones is a native plant nursery that offers grasses, ferns, perennials, shrubs and trees that are native to New England. They provide landscape design, consulting, installation, maintenance and wetland mitigation services with a focus on environmentally sound practices. Earth Tones looks at each individual landscape as a part of a community. Visit their WEBSITE.
~ THe LGC was very pleased to present a GCA Flower show ~
Our National Parks
Saturday June 10, 10 am-4 pm

The purpose of a flower show is threefold: to set standards of artistic and horticultural excellence; to broaden knowledge of horticulture, floral design, conservation, photography and other related areas; and to share the beauty of a show with fellow club members and with the public. For the schedule, click HERE.
aPRIL 20, 2017 - OPEN MEETING
"recycle right"
Lecture by Susan Quincy, Coordinator of Project WET Foundation
Project WET’s mission is to reach children, parents, teachers and community members of the world with water education that promotes awareness of water and empowers community action to solve complex water issues. They achieve their mission by:
This public program will help support your efforts to increase recycling through better participation. There are many questions as to what goes in the bin, how single stream works and what is required. During this program adults and children will learn what the practice of recycling does to help save resources, where it fits in Connecticut's plan to reduce waste and increase resource efficiency and answer some of the confusion around doing it right. The program is hands on and open to questions so come and enjoy as you learn how to recycle right.
Susan Quincy is an education outreach representative for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection working out of the Kellogg Environmental Center located in Derby, CT. She provides professional development opportunities for educators across the state in a variety of environmental topics and areas. Her work with schools is focused on increasing environmental awareness through the curriculum and supports the Green LEAF program for schools to develop healthy and sustainable schools facilities for staff and students.
- Publishing water resource education materials that are appropriate for many different age groups and cultures and offer comprehensive coverage of the broad topic of water.
- Providing training workshops to educators at all levels, formal and non-formal, on diverse water topics so that those educators can reach children with objective, experiential, science-based water education.
- Organizing and inspiring community water events, including water festivals and ActionEducation™ projects.
- Building a worldwide network of educators, water resource professionals, NGO, water scientists and other experts to advocate for the role of water education in solving complex water issues.
This public program will help support your efforts to increase recycling through better participation. There are many questions as to what goes in the bin, how single stream works and what is required. During this program adults and children will learn what the practice of recycling does to help save resources, where it fits in Connecticut's plan to reduce waste and increase resource efficiency and answer some of the confusion around doing it right. The program is hands on and open to questions so come and enjoy as you learn how to recycle right.
Susan Quincy is an education outreach representative for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection working out of the Kellogg Environmental Center located in Derby, CT. She provides professional development opportunities for educators across the state in a variety of environmental topics and areas. Her work with schools is focused on increasing environmental awareness through the curriculum and supports the Green LEAF program for schools to develop healthy and sustainable schools facilities for staff and students.
June 16, 2016 Open Meeting
“The Civilized Jungle” Jorge Sanchez, Co-founder SMI Landscape
Architecture, Board of Directors Garden Conservancy
Landscape architect Jorge A. Sánchez was elected to the Garden Conservancy's Board of Directors on
September 18, 2014. He is a principal partner of SMI Landscape Architecture Inc., formerly known as
Sanchez & Maddux Inc., in Palm Beach, Florida. Jorge has been a friend of the Garden Conservancy over the years and helped plan Society of Fellows garden-study tour to Palm Beach/Hobe Sound in 2006. He is also well known professionally to several members of our Board of Directors; he designed Courtnay
Daniels' garden in Hobe Sound, Florida, and is designing a garden for Deborah Royce as well as the
Lenhardt Garden at the Gibbes Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.
SMI is a landscape architectural design firm specializing in estate master planning as well as residential, civic and commercial master planning. The scope of the firm encompasses public spaces such as botanical gardens, parks, campuses, museums and streetscapes as well as private spaces. Field of concentration often incorporates landscape preservation and restoration.
Founded in 1982, the philosophy incorporates a “botanical garden” approach fused with the historic and classical garden design framework, creating exotic and thoughtful design solutions.
September 18, 2014. He is a principal partner of SMI Landscape Architecture Inc., formerly known as
Sanchez & Maddux Inc., in Palm Beach, Florida. Jorge has been a friend of the Garden Conservancy over the years and helped plan Society of Fellows garden-study tour to Palm Beach/Hobe Sound in 2006. He is also well known professionally to several members of our Board of Directors; he designed Courtnay
Daniels' garden in Hobe Sound, Florida, and is designing a garden for Deborah Royce as well as the
Lenhardt Garden at the Gibbes Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.
SMI is a landscape architectural design firm specializing in estate master planning as well as residential, civic and commercial master planning. The scope of the firm encompasses public spaces such as botanical gardens, parks, campuses, museums and streetscapes as well as private spaces. Field of concentration often incorporates landscape preservation and restoration.
Founded in 1982, the philosophy incorporates a “botanical garden” approach fused with the historic and classical garden design framework, creating exotic and thoughtful design solutions.
March 17, 2016 Open Conservation Meeting
“Bees without Borders” Andrew Cote, fourth generation Connecticut beekeeper

In 2005, Andrew founded Bees Without Borders – a charity that brings resources and education to beekeepers in underdeveloped countries in hopes of using beekeeping to help alleviate poverty.
About Silvermine Apiary – home of Andrew’s Honey: the family has been keeping bees since the 1800’s. Not exclusively, and not enough to always eke out a living in of itself, but there have always at least been bees buzzing in the background for over 130 years. Currently, Andrew maintains beehives not only in Connecticut and New York states, but also in four of the five boroughs of New York City, including atop landmark buildings in Manhattan. Like any active beehives, Silvermine Apiary is a family affair today, with Andrew’s brother Mike and nephew Patrick helping with the hives, Andrew’s father Norm building equipment, working bees and selling at the markets, and Andrew’s mother Polly taking care of the books.
About Silvermine Apiary – home of Andrew’s Honey: the family has been keeping bees since the 1800’s. Not exclusively, and not enough to always eke out a living in of itself, but there have always at least been bees buzzing in the background for over 130 years. Currently, Andrew maintains beehives not only in Connecticut and New York states, but also in four of the five boroughs of New York City, including atop landmark buildings in Manhattan. Like any active beehives, Silvermine Apiary is a family affair today, with Andrew’s brother Mike and nephew Patrick helping with the hives, Andrew’s father Norm building equipment, working bees and selling at the markets, and Andrew’s mother Polly taking care of the books.
The Litchfield Garden Club, Inc. ~ PO Box 848 ~ Litchfield, CT 06759
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
Copyright © The Litchfield Garden Club, Inc, 2016 All rights reserved