Long-time guardians of nature’s beauty present garden tour

WRITTEN BY Natalie K. Pollock           PHOTOS Submitted

For 95 years the West Hartford Garden Club has been actively involved in caring for and beautifying patches of nature’s art for the enjoyment of residents and visitors to the town. This spring the biennial garden tour program will not disappoint.

“We are a working garden club with active projects such as the restoration of planting at Spice Bush Swamp Park on Mountain Road which has a waterway with fishing. It’s a wild area with invasives. We are adding native plants and pollinators to attract birds and insects,” said Cecily Vasington, co-chair of this year’s garden tour.

The members look for overgrown and wild areas of greenery which would require the cutting of debris and often wetlands for projects to tackle. In particular, wetlands provide an opportunity to educate the public on appropriate versus unhealthy planting to support wildlife.

“Wetlands are important. They support a lot of life. We have lost a lot of them through development,” Vasington said.

Garden Club members at the Butler-McCook House & Garden from left to right: Barbara Pettijohn, Sue Bailey, Rosemary Semanski, Lorraine Bouchard and Linda Aldrich.

In early April, for example, the Club is offering a program at its membership meeting on the topic of wetlands and pollinators with a speaker from the Pollinator Pathway organization.

Susan Lindberg, Garden Club chair, added that the Audubon Society has given a $1500 grant to protect the Spice Bush Park bird sanctuary.

“Friendship Park (on the corner of Raymond and Park Roads) is a grassy area at exit 43 formerly with flowers where town trucks have parked. It was dedicated in memory of two girls that were killed in a car accident. We researched and worked with the town to plant bulbs, and there is a plaque. A neighbor said that they lit a tree there at Christmas, a blue spruce,” Lindberg said.

Vasington mentioned the new Whale’s Tail Park off Trout Brook Drive that was moved from the former Children’s Museum across the street. There is a garden surrounding the tail – all that’s left of the large, walk-in replica of a whale. The plantings simulate waves of color.

Two ongoing projects are the garden at the historic Noah Webster House, which the club committed to maintaining since 1966 with vegetables, herbs and flowers of the era, and the garden at the Butler McCook house museum built in 1782 and operated by Connecticut Landmarks. This garden includes a restored Victorian design created in 1865 and open to the public.

A Garden Club working group at the Noah Webster House kitchen garden from left to right: Maureen Gould, Susan Grew, Suzanne Miller and Kathy Janis.

Garden Club member Mary Sponzo, garden tour co-chair, pointed out that there is also ongoing work being done at senior housing and nursing facilities at Alfred E. Plant and Elm Grove Apartments and West Hartford Health & Rehabilitation, among others.

Most volunteers in the garden club are long-term members, and those who had careers usually wait until they retire to join. Vasington has been a member for six years after retiring from The Hartford; Susan Lindberg for 22 years. Susan Grew, the garden tour plant sale chair, has been a member for 15 years and has graduated from a master gardener program.

“It’s about the love of gardening. I became a member after my house was on the garden tour in 2021. Meetings are during the day so that’s easier when you’re retired,” Vasington said.

Grew added, “We get a great sense of accomplishment for making West Hartford a more beautiful place. Ours is one of the largest clubs in Connecticut with 130 members and 10 working committees and specific projects.”

Long-time members and officers of the West Hartford Garden Club enjoy working together to beautify the town. They are (front from left to right) Susan Grew, Plant sale chair; Susan Lindberg, Club chair; (back from left to right) Mary Sponzo, tour co-chair and Cecily Vasington, tour co-chair. Photo by Natalie K. Pollock

The year’s Garden Tour and Plant Sale event is themed “The Voice of the Garden” and offers six private gardens for public touring on Saturday, May 30, from 10am to 4pm.  According to their brochure, it explores “how every plant, pollinator and path contributes to the garden’s gentle symphony.” The event with its plant sale is the garden club’s fundraiser.

“This event supports all of our work in the community. Last time some properties had over 700 people and all the tickets sold out. All the members volunteer for the tour and the plant sale. The theme ties into the Federated Garden Club of Connecticut’s (stance) on pollinators and wildlife. Our club is a member,” Vasington said.

Tickets went online and on sale April 15. After May 25, tickets will be $25.

Plant sale members bring plants they have grown in their gardens. Grew grows dahlias that she contributes. The last plant sale raised $500 representing 50 plants at $10 each. Club members also sell seeds for 56 plants and seven varieties, including heirloom tomatoes. Last time they distributed 11,000 seed packets at the main library that were free to the public and included vegetables, flowers and herbs.

“Our main base on the day of the tour is at St. James Episcopal Church for plants and tickets. Last time we sold 11,000 tickets,” Vasington said.

A garden in its full glory from a past garden tour on Walbridge.

 The club also gets involved with the Wadsworth Atheneum Festival of Trees and their Fine Art & Flowers event, and they care for a plot of roses at Elizabeth Park.

Anyone interested can attend meetings for $10 as a guest of a member, but members are obligated to attend four meetings during the year, as well as buy tour tickets and volunteer. They can also pick which ongoing projects they would like to help with. There are opportunities to work with young people of all ages in schools and programs and in after-school programs. Annual dues are $60.

“It’s a lot more fun to do projects when we do them together,” Vasington said.

Over the years the town departments have been generous in their support. For example, they helped to plant 11 trees at elementary schools recently.

“We are much more focused on the environment now, and we collaborate with other clubs on these projects. It’s a timely and popular topic. For example, Doug Tallamy, [a well-known entomologist, ecologist and conservationist from the University of Delaware], spoke in March on how individuals can support the environment,” Vasington said. Hundreds of people came to the presentation and hundreds more watched it live via the local cable station. WHL

To buy tickets online visit https://bit.ly/WHGCtourtickets or in person at Moscarillo’s, 2600 Albany Avenue, West Hartford. On the day of the tour go to St. James Episcopal Church at 1018 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford.