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IPM or Integrated Pest Management is a process we gardeners can use to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. IPM focuses on how to reduce the use of pesticides through leveraging nature. We’ll focus on improving the health of our gardens using the three key components of IPM: Prevention, Management, and Control. To learn more about this important gardening strategy we will welcomed Patricia Dray, Horticulturalist and UCONN Master Gardener for very informative presentation. Pat is a former President of The Garden Club of Orange and the author of “The Garden Spot” column published in the Milford Orange Times.

The Garden Club was happy to announce that that installed a new garden at the Brookfield Library. With the help of a grant from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut and some other private donations, the club was able to plant a new pollinator garden this summer and will be adding it to our portfolio of civic gardens. It joins three other spots we maintain at the library, as well as the Museum Garden, the Flagpole Triangle Garden, the Williams Park Memorial gardens spots, and the Welcome to Brookfield sign. On Tuesday, August 4, proud club members were joined by Library Director Caroline Ford, Assistant Director Debbie Brooks, First Selectman Steve Dunn and Selectmen Bob Belden and Karl Hinger. Do stop by and take a look – and let us know if you spot any butterfly activity!

From pollination, to pollen, to honey, to beeswax – we benefit from those busy bees around us. This month we welcomed Paula Wolf, CT State Apiary Inspector and President of the Back Yard Beekeepers Association to help us learn all about bees, their habitats and habits. 

The Garden Club was once again an honored recipient of a $500 award from the Economic Development Committee for the work we do in maintaining the civic gardens in town. Thanks go out to the town of Brookfield for supporting us!

Club members took some time off from Garden Club business to gather with family members to enjoy an evening of talk, fun, food and laughter — plus we got to enjoy a great fireworks display. Happy Birthday America!

Step by step we walk through our gardens and green spaces, but have you ever thought about that world at your feet? Gregory Bugbee, Associate Scientist at the CAES Department of Environmental Science and Forestry visited our club and helped us better experience that hidden world. 

National Garden Clubs has established June 7 through June 13 as National Garden Week and is urging garden clubs across the country to celebrate the week in our communities.

In Brookfield we are fortunate to have not only our own backyard gardens, but a wonderful bounty of public gardens, parks, trails and preserves. We hope you’ll take advantage of them.

We celebrated the start of the week with our annual booth at the Town Block Party on Sunday June 7. Folks stopped by, chatted with our members, and learned more about our activities, programs and presentations.

Show and Tell at the Garden Club meeting today. Members designed American Traditional arrangements, explained our choice of flowers and vases and our approach. It was followed by gentle critiquing and comments from everyone present. What a fun morning.

Our cheerful Garden Club members are getting ready to say ‘hello’ to visitors to our table at the Brookfield town-wide tag sale today. It is a great way to support our work.

It was time for our club to get the Museum Garden ready for spring! What a lovely weather day, too!