By Sharon Challenger
In a recent video Haddam’s First Selectman Bob McGarry thanked all the volunteers in our community by saying, “Without volunteers, we would not have the quality of life in this town that we do.”
Whether they serve on commissions, committees, or various community clubs, their efforts to improve our town are truly remarkable.
While browsing through the numerous town Facebook pages, I came across some interesting posts about one of our volunteer organizations, the Haddam Garden Club.
Throughout the year they participate in a number of different activities. You can find them busy at the following locations: the Higganum Farmers Market, the Haddam Neck Fair, Brainerd Memorial Library gardens, Town Transfer Station gardens, the “Welcome to Haddam” site gardens, and the Higganum and Haddam Town Green gardens.
Their eight Civic Gardens can be found throughout Haddam. Each area is designed, installed and maintained by a team of club members. Their tasks include watering, weeding and maintaining the plants at each site.
The club was responsible for creating gardens around the “Welcome to Haddam” signs throughout the town. The beautiful signs were hand-carved by Dennis DeCarli. They depict themes of Haddam’s history, such as the American Shad, the Higganum Gazebo, and a hoe and rake which are symbols of the Scovil Hoe Co.
They also designed two gardens at the Haddam Town Hall located at 30 Field Park Drive off Route 154 in Haddam. The upper level garden highlights warm-colored flowers and lower level garden highlights cooler-colored flowers. Both gardens run along the building entrance walkways and are maintained by the club members.
On the grounds of Brainerd Memorial Library you can see the club’s labor of love in two beautiful gardens. Along the entrance ramp and stairways you will see a garden filled with a variety of annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs.
On the opposite side of the building there is a butterfly garden, which has a variety of plants known to attract Connecticut butterflies. These include bee balm, catmint, verbena, sedum, coreopsis, milkweed, asters, and many more.
During the December club meeting, members gather to make festive arrangements for the municipal buildings in town. Members are asked to bring holiday containers, decorations and ribbons as well as fresh-cut greens from their yards. This is a fabulously festive meeting which includes lunch, and often a Christmas carol serenade by a ukulele-playing elf!
Following their January 10, 2024 meeting, John Root, enthusiast, naturalist, and educator will present a lecture titled, “Crop Circles: Majestic, Magical and Mysterious.” Location: Haddam Fire House, 1:00 p.m. Open to the public, $10 advance purchase. Enjoy delicious baked goods prepared by HGC chefs. RSVP llcooper13@comcast.net
The Haddam Garden Club typically meets on the second Wednesdays monthly at 10:00 a.m. from September through June. Exceptions are the months of November, when they hold their annual meeting and luncheon for members and applicants at 11:00 a.m., and December when they meet the first Wednesday to make holiday arrangements. Meetings are held at the Higganum Community Center 7 Candlewood Hill Road, Higganum, CT 06441.
For more information click here: https://www.haddamgardenclub.org/
Photos courtesy of the Haddam Garden Club
