The power of flowers: With the Wethersfield Village Improvement Association

by Sarah Barr

Staff Writer

Flowers are the gift that keeps on giving. So, it’s only natural for an employee of the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation (formerly the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving) to find a volunteer outlet in hopes of doing the same.

Meher Schulman is a longtime resident of Old Wethersfield. Back in 2017 she was looking for a new way to connect with her community.

Carol Adil with her grandsons Spencer (with pitchfork) and Austin circa 2000. (submitted)

“I’ve always done some sort of volunteer work. With this particular thing I saw an ad in the paper that said the Wethersfield Village Improvement Association was looking for volunteers. ‘No gardening experience necessary’ caught my eye. I don’t think of myself as a gardener and what a great way to give back to the town,” she said.

Schulman is originally from India. She fell in love with Old Wethersfield at first sight, calling it charming. That love bloomed when she joined WVIA, an all-volunteer grassroots organization that partners with the Wethersfield Beautification Trust in managing 48 flower containers and six flower beds throughout Connecticut’s most ancient town.

“I just thought what a great way to contribute to the town in a way that doesn’t require a lot of effort but has a big payoff,” she said of the watering and weeding involved.

“I have two containers on Main Street on the corner near Lucky Lou’s. It’s a prominent corner. So many people go by there with all the events, residents and people from other communities. Lots of people can appreciate and enjoy [the flowers] as they stroll through Old Wethersfield.”

Stroll they do – three seasons in bloom but technically year-round – because Old Wethersfield is such a tourist destination. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people needed to be outside more than ever. Schulman said that it was nice to see the containers bring joy at a time when it was sorely needed.

The Adil family and friends on the bench at the First Church of Christ in Wethersfield. The bench was dedicated to Carol and Sey Adil. (submitted)

"Beautifying the town is important for residents and visitors. It’s pleasant for people to enjoy. It’s also part of the economic development of the town. People want to enjoy the view,” she added.

But beauty is hard work. As the saying goes, “it takes many hands to make light work.” Here’s how it works in Wethersfield.

Every year, the WVIA and WBT rely on local sponsor organizations to support the purchase of plants, flowers, soil, mulch and fertilizer. A.H. Hutchinson Landscaping did this for many years and Three Daughters Farm now provides a large number of plants for containers in places like the Broad Street Green, Town Hall, the Wethersfield Historical Society and First Church of Christ in Wethersfield.

Volunteers adopt a container for one year and make sure the flowers are watered, weeded and loved throughout the growing season. This year planting day was May 3.

It’s a process and a labor of love that dates from 1883 for the WVIA. Its first projects were gas-burning street lamps – erecting, lighting and extinguishing while refilling the gas. It also created wooden “walkways” so petticoats wouldn’t get muddy.

Meher Schulman shows her civic pride at her adopted planter in the center of Old Wethersfield. (submitted)

Its flower power continues to inspire today as it works hard to grow partnerships as well as plants while providing garden tours and keeping the town on the Tree City USA list.

“We’ve been celebrating Arbor Day since 1953,” Joella Thombs of WVIA said.

“Fourth-graders create drawings and poetry about Arbor Day and we plant a tree on school property. WVIA is currently working with the town to erect a grove of elm trees called Founder’s Grove this year.”

The WBT came along in 1996 led by Andy Adil whose parents Carol and Sey founded the organization.

This planter bears flowers in full bloom. (submitted)

"They were inspired by the public gardens they saw during their travels in Europe,” Adil said.

Aside from generous funding, the secret to the success of these organizations is simple – even more generous volunteers. WVIA has about 30 but needs more because many rotate off. Adil’s pitch is that it helps foster civic pride. Schulman calls the process therapeutic.

“I get a lot of satisfaction. It’s visible and tangible and gratifying to plant something, to see it grow in such a public way, and see it bring joy to me and bring joy to others,” she said. WL

For more information on the history of these organizations, how to volunteer, and which containers are available to adopt, look for the Wethersfield Village Improvement Association on Facebook, go to wethvia.wixsite.com/wvia or email wethvia@gmail.com.