Letter: Plant sale helps garden club beautify town

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To the editor,

The Naugatuck Garden Club was organized when six women gardeners met to discuss the possibility of forming a garden club in Naugatuck. With an announcement in the Naugatuck Daily News, an invitation was issued for those who would like to share their interest in gardening to attend a meeting in the Methodist Church hall. Expecting to attract perhaps a dozen or so people, 36 people were present. Serving as the first officers in 1993 were Mary O’Donnell, president, Lydia deHippolytis, vice president, Janice McCollum, secretary, and Steven Flaherty, treasurer.

Current officers are Mary Davis, president, Nancy McKernan, vice president, Ruth Flahive, corresponding secretary, Pat Baptist, recording secretary, and Suzanne Jokubaitis, treasurer.

The club became affiliated with the Connecticut state Federation of Garden Clubs. The membership peaked at 150 members in the mid 1990s. With many women now working full time, the membership now stands at 81.

The club has established and maintained many gardens in Naugatuck and currently is maintaining such areas as the Welcome to Naugatuck sign, the Civil War Memorial, the gazebo, the World War II/Korea/Vietnam garden on the Green. Also, the flower boxes on the Whittemore Bridge, the World War I monument on Meadow Street, the Children’s Garden at the Whittemore Library and several other spots in town.

The annual plant sale, which will be held May 19 in the parking lot of St. Michael’s parish on the Green from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., helps the club raise the funds to plant and maintain these gardens and to help beautify the town. Perennials from the gardens of club members as well as annual plants will be offered for sale, a tag sale of garden related items will be set up and new this year will feature a table staffed by garden club members who are master gardeners.

Janice McCollum

Publicity chair

Naugatuck Garden Club