Get Active by Gardening

DERBY -  The Community Health Resource Center at Griffin Hospital will host a free talk about getting active through gardening on Tues., March 20 at 6 p.m. at the hospital, 130 Division Street, Derby.

 

Experienced horticulturalist Francine Vallillo will present “Constant Color in the Garden,” providing tips for planning and planting a perennial flower garden that will bloom from spring to fall.

 

The talk will include a list of perennials with the color, time of bloom, growth habits, unique foliage, and uses for each species, design elements for short to tall flowers and balancing the space, and a complete list of the plants suitable to take with you when purchasing plants.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gardening is a moderate-intensity level activity, which the CDC recommends two and a half hours of each week to help prevent chronic health conditions.

 

This program is part of a series of free, educational forums hosted by the Community Health Resource Center in an effort to help improve the health of the community.

 

To register or for more information, call Kerry or Deborah at 203-732-7399.

 

The Community Health Resource Center at Griffin Hospital is a traditional library that provides an array of medical and health information, including a large collection of easy to read health and lifestyle related materials. The Center is open to the public to educate themselves on ways to enhance

their well-being, prevent illness and play an active role in decisions about their health.

Ansonia students learn to start a garden

John G. Prendergast Elementary School sixth graders in Ansonia, Janel Xayarath, left, and Makayla Godfrey start work Thursday on a vegetable garden behind the school. They were being directed by FoodCorps representative Eileen Garcia of New Haven, who has been working with students at the school.


The story is posted here.

Ansonia 6th graders, school principal have fun in dirt

ANSONIA - John G. Prendergast School Principal Joseph Apicella Thursday helps sixth graders prepare ground for a vegetable garden. Stay tuned for a story in the New Haven Register.

Garden author to speak at Derby Public Library

DERBY - The Derby Public Library welcomes back popular garden author, lecturer, instructor, and coach Colleen Plimpton at 6:30 p.m. April 21.

The topic of the evening will be Hello My Garden.
This is a show ‘n tell presentation with visuals of tools, and equipment used to start things up in your garden this spring. 

Pruning, mulching, fertilizing, planning for succession of bloom, annuals, and more will be discussed.  

Plimpton's award winning, one-acre ornamental garden has been on numerous tours and serves as a living classroom laboratory where she teaches composition, color, composting, and other how-tos of gardening. 

She runs a garden coaching business, teaches gardening at the New York Botanical Garden, and works with many local garden clubs and non-profit groups. 

Plimpton is also the author of Mentors in the Garden of Life.   

Registration is requested. 
For more information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St., call 203-736-1418 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org. 

This is a press release from Cathy Williams, Director, Derby Public Library.

New Haven Land Trust to hold benefit

Bus tour, happy hour on tap
NEW HAVEN - The New Haven Land Trust is offering a fun and festive benefit bus tour Oct. 6 to celebrate the beauty and bounty of its community gardens and nature preserves.

Culminating in a party at Westville’s new farm-to-table dining hotspot, this spirited event will support land conservation, community gardening, and environmental education programs.

The event is called Habitat, Harvest, and Happy Hour.
The bus tour departs at 4:30 p.m. from the Stone Hearth restaurant, 838 Whalley Ave., with a party to follow at the restaurant.

The event features a ride in a coach bus with stops at Land Trust community gardens and nature preserves. 
Guests will see hidden New Haven environmental gems -- from marshes and woods at the edges of the city to expansive gardens within urban neighborhoods. A guide at each stop will share the location's story—its history, the people involved and other tidbits that make it special.

Capping off the evening is a cocktail party at Stone Hearth, a new Westville restaurant popular with the sustainable food crowd for its creative preparations of locally-grown food. 
Party-goers will enjoy beer and wine and a variety of fresh seasonal appetizers, including some made with produce from Land Trust gardens. 
To showcase the harvest, Stone Hearth will also have live cooking demonstrations.

The New Haven Land Trust will also honor outdoor outfitters Trailblazer with the Environmental Business Award. 
This award recognizes the locally-owned store's longstanding commitment to preserving and protecting the environment, including its support of osprey nesting platforms at the Land Trust’s preserves.

Tickets may be purchased online at NHLT-HappyHour.Eventbrite.com for $50 per person, $85 per couple. 
Admission includes the tour, party, and food and drink. Money raised will go directly into Land Trust programs that protect open spaces and fragile ecosystems, offer educational events on environmental topics, and make it possible for thousands of people in New Haven to reap the benefits of community gardening. They include access to affordable, nutrient-rich food, connecting with neighbors, increased safety, and physical activity.

Habitat, Harvest, and Happy Hour is made possible by supporting sponsors The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Trailblazer, and event sponsors Grillo Services, NewAlliance Foundation, Suzio-York Hill, United Way of Greater New Haven, Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Yale University.

For information, contact Catherine Bradshaw at Catherine.Bradshaw@NewHavenLandTrust.org.


This post is taken from a press release from New Haven Land Trust. 
 

Garden author to speak at Derby library

DERBY - The Derby Public Library welcomes back Colleen Plimpton, a popular garden author, lecturer, instructor and coach, at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16.  

             The topic of the evening will be Good Night My Garden.
            This is a show ‘n tell presentation with visuals of tools, and equipment used to put our gardens to bed.
            Bulb planting, what to leave up and what to cut down, composting, lawn care, bird feeding, and much more will be discussed.
            Plimpton's award winning one-acre ornamental garden has been on numerous tours and serves as a living classroom laboratory where she teaches composition, color, composting, and other how-tos of gardening.
           She runs a garden coaching business, teaches gardening at the New York Botanical Garden, and works with many local garden clubs and non-profit groups.
          Plimpton is also the author of Mentors in the Garden of Life. 
          Registration is requested.
          For information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St., call 203-736-1418 or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.


This is a press release from Derby Public Library.

Calling all gardeners: Derby library has a program for you

DERBY - The Derby Public Library will host "All Season Color in the Garden" at 6:30 p.m. April 16.

           Presenter Colleen Plimpton was trained at the New York Botanical Gardens and has appeared on several television and radio programs, including Good Morning America.

         She writes a prize-winning newspaper column for Hearst Media Group as well as for publications such as GreenPrints and Connecticut Gardener.

        Her presentation will include easy, colorful plants which bloom from March until November.  
       Along with handouts, Plimpton will bring her recipe for her never-failed homemade deer repellent.    

       Participants will be invited to visit her Bethel garden on its Open Afternoons.

       

      Registration is requested. This is one of the many programs scheduled April 16, Snapshot Day, during National Library Week at the Derby Public Library. 

      For information, stop by the Library at 313 Elizabeth St.. call 203-736-1482, or visit www.derbypubliclibrary.org.