10th Annual Town & Country

Garden Club Plant Sale

Will Be This Weekend, Rain or Shine

The Town and Country Garden Club of Newtown will hold its Tenth Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 12, from 9 am to 2 pm, in front of The Inn at Newtown, 19 Main Street. 

Ten years ago, the members of the garden club were looking for a fundraiser and heard that a garden club in Westport had held a plant sale that was very successful, so they decided to try it as well. One has been held at the site of the inn since that memorable decision.

The first plant sale, however, truly tested the fortitude of the members because it poured. Nevertheless, their inventory sold out and a tradition began. Club members chose the weekend of Mother’s Day because it would be a lovely time of the year to get people thinking about spring and plants as gifts.

Early in March all club members are urged to select member grown perennials to contribute to the sale. The club distributes pots and plant identification sticks that inform the buyer of the name of the plant, the color, and the size. On the day of the sale, club members are requested to wear their signature garden club, vibrant green aprons decorated with the club logo, a jack in the pulpit.

There are several master gardeners in the club who will be available all day to answer any questions customers might have about their purchases.

Arline Shanley is this year’s plant sale chairperson, and she stated: “The plant sale is a wonderful activity for the club. It encourages a special camaraderie with everyone working together to achieve a common goal. There’s also a lot of laughter and sharing of plant stories.”

In addition to the member-grown perennials, the sale regularly offers shrubs, small trees, ornamental grasses, and interesting vines such as unique specimens of clematis. Last year, the club decided to sell the Newtown Rose in connection with the Tercentennial Celebration and there will be some available this year as well.

A new idea this year is called “Garden Treasures” and members will contribute decorative garden pieces such as ornate flower pots, artistic ornaments, and some other surprises.

Some of the money that is raised will be donated to the Federated Garden Club of Connecticut, which awards a substantial scholarship to a high school graduate who will be majoring in a field connected with gardening such as horticulture. The money will also support programs throughout the year such as maintaining several of the traffic islands around town.

For additional information call club member Liz Arneth at 426-5359.