Our Website is now at www.MysticGardenClub.org

We have a new location for our website - it is at www.mysticgardenclub.org Be sure to visit often.

Hawaiian Flowers

We have been coming to Hawaii for the past 5 winters. I am always so impressed with the flora and fauna here. There are several botanical gardens "up country" which means part way up the side of the volcano. The elevation assures more moisture and a slightly cooler climate than at sea level. I am always struck by the very vivid colors of the plants here. By comparison our flowers seem soft and pastel while here in Hawaii everything is large and bright and vivid.
The first year we visited the Enchanting Floral Gardens they were full of abundant blooms. There were little signs identifying the hundreds and hundreds of varieties of plants. It was obviously the life's work of someone very dedicated. Unfortunately it was somewhat over grown but still very charming and lush. Each year we have visited it has become more and more overgrown and some things have been sheared back without any real thought to the pruning. As a result our visit this year was very disappointing. Things are overgrown but no longer blooming profusely. They look tired and strangled.

Most hotels and condos have wonderfully manicured lawns and plantings in Hawaii. There are gardeners working constantly to keep things under control. Hibiscus and bougainvillea grow as profuse hedges. Orchids grow in large pots in lobbies everywhere.








I've taken some of my favorite flower photos from our visits here and put them in a slide show. I hope you enjoy it. You will recognize many flowers we use as annuals and plants that we use as house plants.

Bluebird Workshop with the Bluebird Lady

Bluebird Workshop with the Bluebird Lady

The Denison Pequotsepos Nature

Sunday, February 24, 3 - 5 p.m.

Led by Bet Zimmerman

Members $8 Non-Members $10

Ever wonder how to get Bluebirds to come to your backyard? Come to this wonderful bluebird workshop to find out from the Bluebird Lady!

Bet Zimmerman knows bluebirds. During this slide presentation, learn what to do and what NOT to do to attract bluebirds and help them survive and flourish from someone who has studied their behaviors and nesting habits for over 20 years. During mid-late winter, bluebirds are staking out their homes for the coming spring, so this is the ideal time to develop a plan for bringing bluebirds into your yard and garden.

Call 536-1216 for more information and to sign up. Click here for more info

The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center is a non-profit environmental education center and museum located at 109 Pequotsepos Rd. in Mystic.

DPNC and its adjacent properties comprise over 300 acres of preserved woodlands, wetlands, and hiking trails.

For more information, call 860-536-1216 or visit http://www.dpnc.org/

SECT Garden Club Meeting

Arija and Betty O’Donnell attended the SECT Garden Club Meeting
at the Waterford Public Library and found it to be worthwhile.

Topics of Interest:

• The Spring Symposium of the Hardy Plant Society, to be held March 1st at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 371 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield. 10 am. Exciting ornamentals for the New Season especially suitable to Connecticut gardens is a topic.
• Most clubs support F.R.E.S.H., and Habitat for Humanity. The latter needs gardening tools. If members of the club, or another source has implements for donation, contact: Wendy Kelleher 572-0441.
• Bar codes in grocery stores include a scan number. #8 indicates a product has been genetically engineered. #9 indicates a product has been organically grown.

Upcoming Event - Chelsea Garden Foundation

Chelsea Gardens Foundation has extended an invitation to the Mystic Garden Club members to attend a gardening lecture by Educator and Author Rosemary Alexander Monday February 25 at 7pm. The event will be in Slater Hall on the campus of Norwich Free Academy.

To learn more about the Chelsea Gardens Foundation visit their website at http://www.chelseagardens.org/

You can contact them at

Street Address:
Chelsea Gardens
100 Broadway
Norwich, CT 06360

Mailing Address:
Chelsea Gardens
P.O. Box 810Norwich, CT 06360
Phone - (860) 889-6642

Email - info@chelseagardens.org

Upcoming Event: Landscape Design Study Program

The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc. offers many educational programs. Currently on their website they feature
Flower Show Schools
Gardening Study Schools
and
Landscape Design Study Programs
If you are interested in any of these educational programs you should visit the educational portion of their website at http://www.ctgardenclubs.org/schools.html

Or contact them:
The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc.
Landscape Design Study Program
March 25, 26 & 27
More information? Contact Margery Winters at margerywinter@comcast.net or 860-658-5416

Desert Plants in Winter

Happy New Year!

We just returned from a vacation in Arizona and I thought I'd share
with the club some of the pictures we took of the desert plants in
winter. It's quite beautiful.

Best wishes,

Shinny

Click here to see more photos on Shutterfly

More Upcoming Local Events

The Ledyard Garden Club invites the members of the Mystic Garden Club to "Designing with Silvers", presented by photographer, author and speaker, Karen Bussolini, on Feb.4 at the Ledyard Senior Center, at 7pm. For more information phone Sue Anderson at 464-6878.

The Mystic Garden Club will be having a "Daffodil Exhibit", on April 22nd.

Fine Art & Flowers Garden Tour, Wadsworth Antheneum Museum of Fine Art, April 24-27. For more information phone 860-838-4141

Art in Bloom, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, April 26-29.

The New London Garden Club, presents "Fresh Impressions", a GCA Flower Show, May 15, 16 & 17, at the Florence Griswold Museum. For more information phone Betty Pinson 860-486-0627 or email bettypinson@sbcglobal.net

The Mystic Garden Club Plant Sale, Saturday, June 7th, at the Mystic Noank Library

The Newport Flower Show, "Explore Botanical", June 27, 28 & 29. The Preservation Society of Newport, a GCA Flower Show.

The Fifth Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium

Announcement About Upcoming April 2008 Gardening Symposium
Fifth Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium
April 4 & 5, 2008 at the Equinox Resort in Manchester, VT

From: Kerry Mendez email: pyours@nycap.rr.com
Greetings! My name is Kerry Ann Mendez and I am a garden writer, speaker, teacher, and designer from Upstate New York. I hope your New Year is off to a great start. Would you kindly share the below information about the Fifth Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium with your group and other gardeners? For more information, please visit the
www.pyours.com/Symposium2008.html.

This event sold out two months ahead of time in 2007 so those interested should reserve their spot early! If you have questions, please call me at (518) 885-3471.

Fifth Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium
April 4 & 5, 2008 at the world-class Equinox Resort in Manchester, VT

Sponsored by Bradfield Organics, Coast of Maine Organic Products, Davey Hecht Woodworking, Dutch Gardens, Equinox Valley Nursery, Gardener's Supply Company, Messenger, People, Places & Plants, Proven Winners, SafeLawns, TerraCycle, The Vermont Association of Professional Horticulturists & Garden Arts Custom Landscapes

Friday 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Enjoy six dynamic lectures by renowned professionals in their fields. Last year the symposium sold out two months prior to the event. Guest speakers are Tara Dillard, a national award winning author, designer, speaker and former TV host on CBS from Atlanta, Georgia; Shepherd Ogden, a renowned speaker, author, teacher, horticulturist, and founder of The Cooks Garden (a pioneering organic seed
company); Mardell Steinkamp from Sunny Border Nurseries, one of the largest wholesalers of perennials and new introductions in the northeast; Kerry Mendez, a popular speaker, teacher, writer, consultant and former TV show host; and Kelly Sweeney, master designer, landscaper and head gardener for the 700 acre Basin Harbor Club in Vermont (one of the Historic Hotels of
America). Topics include The Art of Garden Design, New Perennials for 2008, Creating Focal Points In The Garden, Sensational Flowering Shrubs, Step-by-Step Organic Vegetable and Flower Gardening, and All About Annuals.
Package price for one night's accommodations at a four diamond resort, welcome reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres and cash bar, full breakfast, midmorning refreshments, gourmet luncheon buffet, six garden lectures with handouts, a garden gift, chance to win great door prizes, and all taxes and gratuities is only $276.97 single or $406.79 double ($203.40 per person).
Two night packages available. For package reservations, call the Equinox Resort (http://www.equinoxresort.com/) at (800) 362-4747. For more information about the agenda and topics, visit www.pyours.com/Symposium2008.html or call (518) 885-3471.

Upcoming Events 2008

Avalonia Land Conservancy Bald Eagle Survey, the DEP Wildlife Division is currently seeking volunteers to help with the 2008 Mid-winter Bald Eagle Survey, in January 2008. For additional information email davidbainbridge@sbcglobal.net or 536-2921
January 27th at 1pm, Hike the Nature Conservancy's Poquetanuck Cove Preserve, Ledyard. For more information phone 464-8101

The Federated Garden Clubs of CT. Presents a Standard Flower Show, "Once Upon A Time", February 21 - 24. Hartford Convention Center

Rhode Island Spring Flower Show, "Date Night in the Gardens", February 21 - 24.
Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, RI

Philadelphia Flower Show, "Jazz It Up", Celebrating the birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans, March 2 - 9. Philadelphia, PA

New England Flower Show, "Rhapsody in Green", the cutting edge of responsible gardening, March 8 -16. Bayside Expo Center, Boston, MA

NatureScapes is sponsoring a bus trip March 2nd & 3rd 2008 to the American Museum of Natural History and the Philadelphia Flower Show. For additional information call Sylvia Carreia at 464-9995

2008 Conference for the Home gardener. University of Connecticut, Storrs, Ct.
An all day conference for the home gardener, from the casual gardener to the Master Gardener. For more information contact Richard McAvoy at 860-486-0627 or email richard.mcavoy@uconn.edu

Stonington Garden Club will be holding its garden tour, "Gardens by the Sea", on Friday, June 20 and Saturday , June 21

Connecticut College Arboretum Winter Spring 2008 Programs

for further information phone: 439-5020 or website at http://arboretum.conncoll.edu or email arbor@conncoll.edu

Feburary

• 5, 12 & 19 Age of Dinosaurs in Connecticut Valley

March

• 6 & 13 The Omnivore's Delima: A book discussion
• 8 The Art of Bonsai: A worksop
• 22 Finding your way with map & compass
• 29 Spring Prunning

April

• 12 Mamacoke Mystries: A spring hike
• 19 Earth Day / Community Day Celebration
• 29 Spring Pruning

May

• 9 & 10 A spring plant sale