Branford Garden Club
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut held their annual Awards Meeting virtually on October 28, 2020. The Club was well represented both in terms of attendance at the meeting and with numerous national, regional, and state awards recognizing the accomplishments of our Club members over the past year. Below is a summary of the awards along with a brief description of each award as presented in individual Committee annual reports or in the Awards’ program.
CONNECTICUT TRIBUTE AWARDS
May be awarded to a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, who have made outstanding contributions in the following categories: Civic Development, Communication, Conservation, Design, Garden Therapy, Horticulture, Landscape Design, Photography and Youth. A Tribute Award for All-Around Excellence is also offered.
Conservation
Michalah Bracken, Branford Garden Club
The town of Branford Public Works Department approached the Branford Garden Club to redesign a neglected garden near Branford Point, a popular sightseeing area. As chair of the Environmental Concerns and Conservation Committee, Michalah assumed leadership of the project. With a team of approximately eight volunteers, Michalah removed all the invasive plants that had taken over the area and replaced them with native shrubs. The Public Works Department installed a plaque acknowledging the efforts of the Branford Garden Club in planting and maintaining the garden. During the first heat wave in July of 2019, the garden was invaded by aphids. Michalah and her crew removed the pests by hand to avoid using any chemicals that might leach into the nearby harbor. This level of care and conservation is one of Michalah’s hallmarks. She is not only a believer, but also a doer, ensuring that our environment is not only conserved but is pesticide free.
AWARD OF HONOR
Established in 1959, the Award of Honor may be conferred on a gardenclub, which over a period of five years has maintained a record of exceptional achievement in upholding the aims and purposes of The Federation. A club does not apply for this award. The clubs’ various achievements are points scored by the Chair of the FGCCT Advisory Council. No club shall receive this award in two consecutive years. Awards are presented in each of the four club sizes.
Extra Large Club (100 and over) Branford Garden Club
CIVIC DEVELOPMENT
PRESIDENTS’ AWARD
Established in 1985 to honor all former State Federation Presidents by former Federation President Sally Shumway (1983-1985), this award may be presented to a club for an outstanding community project.
Branford Garden Club is recognized for their joint project with the Branford Arts and Cultural Council in the creation of the Joseph Trapasso Community House Garden and Sculpture. A competition among Branford’s middle school students for a sculptural design produced the winning design - a metal ‘tree’ - that was fabricated by a local artist and set on the north side of the Community House. The sculpture is complimented by a garden designed by Bonnie McKirdy and planted by club members. The garden includes native pollinator friendly plants, shrubs and a memorial bench. The Club’s other new projects are the Branford Pollinator Pathway connecting to the Connecticut Pollinator Pathway Project and Branford Point Native Garden adjacent to the Town Beach and Branford harbor.
Certificate Of Individual Achievement
Bonnie McKirdy, of the Branford Garden Club, and Frank Carrano, also of the Branford Garden Club and of the Branford Arts and Cultural Council, partnered to develop a commemorative sculpture garden at the Joseph Trapasso Community House. The sculpture design was created by a middle school student, fabricated by a local artist and funded by a Regional Initiative grant. Thanks to Bonnie and Frank’s collaborative skills, the sculpture and native plants, shrubs and pollinator plants complete the club’s worthy project.
CONNECTICUT ARBOREAL AWARDS
Established in 1984, this award may be presented for an outstanding Arbor Day or tree-planting project.
Extra-Large Club (Membership 100+)
Branford Garden Club celebrated Arbor Day by planting an Eastern Redbud on the Town Green. This was noted on the updated tree map, which along with the club sponsored ‘Tree Walk’, helps to educate the public about the nature and history of the trees and gardens on the Town Green. Branford has been designated as a National Arbor Day Tree City USA since 2009.
GARDEN THERAPY
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Extra Large Club (Membership 100+)
Branford Garden Club continued their work with the community dining rooms at Artis Senior Living and Orchard House Medical Adult Day Care. They added Branford Canoe Brook Senior Center where they conducted a small floral design class ‘Fun with Flowers for Seniors’, which was enjoyed by all.
HISTORIC, MEMORIAL AND PUBLIC GARDENS
Club Certificate of Achievement
Branford Garden Club, in memory of Alta Newton, updated the garden at the historic Nathaniel Harrison House built in 1724 by rimming the herb garden with Stony Creek granite and adding plantings to the fine herb garden. Under the direction of Doreen Larson-Oboyski, the garden was cleaned with the assistance of the Quinnipiac University Students Service Club, and pollinator and native plants were added to the walled perennial garden.
PUBLIC RELATIONS and COMMUNICATIONS
Newsletters
Extra Large Club 1st Branford Garden Club
YOUTH AWARDS
Certificate of Individual Achievement
Lynne Dow of the Branford Garden Club is the new youth chair. She has enthusiastically reinvigorated their youth garden club. Lynne has met with the Director of the Branford Early Learning Center and the Director of Special Education to undertake numerous projects: mug- arrangements for Mother’s Day were created with 60 early learning center children; a pollinator garden at the Early Learning Center was used to attract monarchs and other butterflies. The children cleaned, weeded and replanted the pollinator garden, and searched for butterfly eggs, which turned to larvae, chrysalis and adult butterflies, culminating in a bee and butterfly count in conjunction with the High School Science class. The High School students maintained the Pollinator Garden.
COMMUNITY GARDEN RECOGNITION & AWARDS
In the spring of 2019, Sandy Kraus and Maureen O’Brien began their search for Branford gardens that best fit within the guidelines of “outstanding horticultural and/or landscaping design” with the help of Nancy Childs & Pat Conselmo. Our search led us to the following gardens.
Residential: AN AMERICAN GARDEN: ELIZABETH GALLACHER.
When you drive by Betty's house on Toole Drive, you immediately notice the well-tended yard, gardens and the American flag in front of the house. The Hydrangeas, Hostas and Black-eyed Susans adorn Betty's house were popular choices during the growth of post war suburbia when American pride was unmatched.
Residential: A RIBBON OF COLOR: WINSOME SMITH.
The long garden that separates Winsome's garden from her neighbor's yard truly looks like a ribbon of color. The Roses, Iris and Peonies a lovely view for everyone driving down her street.
Garden Club Member: A GARDEN WHERE EAST MEETS WEST: MARYANN BABCOCK.
The crushed stone driveway that leads to Maryann's house winds through gardens adorned with sculptures that transform you to Far East, or perhaps California. The flowers are perfectly placed to grow as accents for the natural rock formations, stone carvings, and metal sculptures.
Civic Award: A MEMBER ON A MISSION: MARSHA BRUCE.
Marsha hails from the south and is one of our member's whose quest is to keep Branford as beautiful as possible. You can often see Marsha around town ensuring that common spaces are clean, weeded and free of litter.
Business: A CAFE IN A GARDEN - G-ZEN RESTAURANT: MARK SHADLE AND AMI BEACH SHADLE.
The triangular shaped garden in front of G-Zen Cafe is one of the most colorful spots in the center of Branford. Each season, the garden bursts forth to provide a kaleidoscope of color for motorists waiting at the traffic light. The seasonal window boxes, daffodils, hot pink hibiscus. and lilies all thrive on a relatively small patch of land.