Spring will be “bustin’ out all over” at the Garden Club of America Flower Show being held by the Middletown Garden Club May 25 and 26, 2022, at the Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown. Members of the public are invited to view the colorful and artistic floral arrangements and horticultural and photographic exhibits free of charge on Thursday, May 26 between 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The theme of the show, chaired by Maria Madsen Holzberg, is “The Enduring Inspiration of Trees.” The various classes of floral design have titles including “The Songs of Trees,” “The Hidden Life of Trees,” and “Under the Banyan Tree.” The arrangements in the classes will be designed to reflect each entrant’s interpretation of the class’s title. The horticulture exhibits will include flowering branches, perennials, flowers from bulbs and tubers, and a crowd favorite, peonies. The photography classes also are tree-themed. The flower show will include an exhibit about the Long Hill Estate’s “Notable Trees” trail with a new map tied to QR-enabled tree tags that enhance the experience of hikers.
The show will also feature a talk at 11:00 a.m. on May 26 by Nancy DuBrule-Clemente entitled “Trees, Shrubs, & Perennials and The Pollinators That Love Them.” DuBrule-Clemente, a graduate of the University of Connecticut/Ratcliffe Hicks School, is a past president of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association/CT and is on the Connecticut Nurserymen’s Foundation Board. She will talk about the trees, shrubs and perennials that can turn your yard into a pollinator haven.
“After having to postpone the show for several years due to the pandemic, our floral designers are excited to put their creative talents on display. Trees are a big element in the fight against global warming so we hope that the people who come to our show will be truly inspired,” Holzberg said. The Wadsworth Mansion is handicapped-accessible and current City of Middletown pandemic protocols will be observed. For more information contact Holzberg at 860-346-8070.
