The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut held its annual Awards Luncheon at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville on October 28. The Federation encompasses 128 Garden Clubs from around the state.

The Town and Country Garden Club of Newtown was proud to return home from the luncheon with four major awards.

Margareta Kotch, a longstanding member of the club, was awarded the prestigious Connecticut Tribute Award for All-Around Excellence. She received a beautiful enamel pin for 45 years of leadership and accomplishments both on the state and local level.

The Lillian M. Rathburn Award was given to Arline Shanley. This award is presented annually to one individual involved in all phases of garden club work. She was given a traveling sliver tray with her name engraved on it along with other past winners.

The Civic Creativity Award, a traveling pewter bowl, was presented to the club for the Labor Day Parade float project. It was accepted by Carol Smiley, who served as the float chairman.

A First Place Award was presented to the club for its 2014-2015 Yearbook, a project that had been chaired by Barbara McCann.  

The Town and Country Garden Club has celebrated 50 years of service to the Newtown community. The club’s objectives are to promote interest in horticulture, encourage the artistic use of plant material, further the conservation of national resources, and assist with civic projects, including the planting and maintenance of the three major traffic islands at Main Street and Glover Avenue, Queen Street and Glover, and Queen Street and Church Hill Road.

The Town & Country Garden Club is a member of The Federated Garden Clubs of CT, Inc., and New England Region, National Garden Clubs, Inc.

Activities throughout the past year have included pumpkin-floral arrangements for Newtown Lions Club’s Great Pumpkin Race, with profits donated to the Lions Club and Newtown Hook and Ladder; teapot arrangements made for Youth & Family Services, for help with their fundraising efforts at their Holiday Tea; spring planting and maintaining of the traffic islands; a Mother’s Day Plant Sale; June Standard Flower show; member garden tours, and a Nature Walk.

General meetings are held at Newtown Senior Center in Sandy Hook, on the second Wednesday of each month, with presentations and demonstrations from 7-8 pm, which are open to the public and free. The next meeting, on November 11, will cover “Holiday Decorations From Nature’s Bounty.”

For more information about the club or membership, contact Membership Chair Judy Beers, 203-426-2785.