Author: GCBWebManager

Welcome to Day 6 of National Garden Week.  Let’s stop by Heron Park and the Still River Greenway today.

In June of 2023, Brookfield created a small pocket park in front of the Dunkin Plaza at 756 Federal Road. Trees were planted including native dogwood, serviceberry, fringe tree and sweet gumtree along with winterberry shrubs. A perennial bed was also added and includes plants such yellow yarrow, purple baptisia and ilex glabra.. The baptisia, yarrow and fringe tree are all currently in bloom at the park. In July of 2024, two bronze herons were installed at the park which was officially named Heron Park. The name was recommended by the Brookfield Arts Commission and approved by the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Arts Commission hired Jordan Rose of the Randolf Rose Collection to create the sculptures. They are a permanent installation in this small park. One heron is 9 feet tall, the other is 7 feet tall and each one weighs about 100 pounds. This small space is a wonderful place to enjoy a coffee with friends, read a book or spend some self-reflection time.

And after you’ve had time to sit and enjoy the park, you can head across the street to the Still River Greenway, a two-mile multi-use pedestrian and bicycle trail managed and supported by Brookfield’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Still River Greenway Ad-hoc Committee. 

Maple, oak, tulip, pine, and even a native American Hophornbeam line the trail which features a ten-foot wide paved surface and a 170-foot pre-fabricated bridge over the Still River. It’s a haven in any season. Wildflowers and fern patches poke out in spring and summer. The understory is home to a bevy of four-footed creatures. Birds chirp and sing in the trees and the Still River glistens and babbles.  Need a rest? Sit down at one of its benches or stop at the covered gazebo.

The trail is considered an easy route and takes an average of one hour to walk.  Each day, at all times of the day, the trail is in use by residents of all ages who walk, run, bicycle, and rollerblade.  So, get out there and join them! 

Happy National Garden Week!

Welcome to Day 5 of National Garden Week and our visit to the Brookfield Library.

The garden at the entrance to the Brookfield Library community room was designed and planted by UCONN Master Gardener and long-time garden club member Ellen, who continues to maintain it.  Her son Mark installed the wooden staircase as his Eagle scout project. Fellow member, Ursula does a fabulous job with the two planters at the library entry, changing them multiple times of year with seasonal arrangements.  And member Dianne embellishes an educational display inside the library with Garden Club materials as well as free seeds, perennial and annual plants, and fresh floral arrangement. At Christmas, a wreath is delivered for display at the entry. The Garden Club is proud of its efforts to keep the library spaces blooming with color.

Happy National Garden Week!

Welcome to Day 4 of National Garden Week. Let’s stop by the Giving Garden today.

The Giving Garden, established in 2010, is an all-volunteer food pantry garden that grows over 1,000 pounds of fresh organic produce annually to help the area needy.  The garden is located at the Eriksen Farm Open Space, 8 Nabby Road Brookfield and is overseen by the Brookfield Conservation Commission. The garden effort is a joint project sponsored by the Kiwanis Foundation of Greater Danbury and the UConn Extension Master Gardeners.

In addition to distributing organic produce to help our neighbors in need, the garden also acts as a resource to educate the public on sustainable gardening practices.

In 2022, The Conservation Commission sponsored a Native Pollinator Garden next to the Giving Garden.  It is a joint project with volunteers from the Garden Club of Brookfield, UConn Extension Master Gardeners and the Brookfield Pollinator Pathway, with additional support from the CT Master Gardener Alumni Association (CMGA). The project added native milkweed, honeysuckle, asters, grasses, baptisia, black eyed Susan, liatris, and many more.

This Eriksen property was once part of the many Brookfield farms and is now preserved for the enjoyment of Brookfield residents, carrying on the tradition of drawing sustenance from the land and at the same time supporting our local environment.  All are welcome to visit and/or volunteer, no experience necessary!

Happy National Garden Week!

Welcome to Day 3 of National Garden Week. Today we would like to tell you about the Memorial Garden and the Blue Star Memorial at Williams Park.

These two small gardens are managed by the Garden Club. Both gardens honor the fallen members of the Armed Forces from Brookfield. Every year in May the Memorial Day Parade stops here so club members make sure the garden is neat and tidy for the event.  The club adds red, white and blue annuals in May, just in time for the parade.  Each year more perennials are added to try and reduce the costs, and the amount of watering needed. There are sage plants, Siberian iris, balloon flowers, hardy geraniums, black-eyed Susan, yarrow, and alyssum. The Blue Star has concrete benches and there is a wooden bench, too, where you can sit and remember loved ones or just sit and for some quiet contemplation. Then head down to Williams Park where there are tennis courts and lots of walking trails with plenty of seats where you can admire the views. You can take your dog for a walk there too. And the colors are great in the fall, both of the park and the surrounding hills.

Happy National Garden Week!