Norfolk-Colebrook Garden Club

By Rosanna Trestman
There was a time when the words “garden club” evoked images of flower arrangements being fussed over by ladies of a certain age. But times have changed, and the Norfolk-Colebrook Garden Club emphasizes how things grow, rather than how they look on a table. Still, certain traditions persist. Despite its earthy bent, membership is still all ladies.
“An exclusively women’s club is hardly our mission,” explains co-president Libby Borden. “In fact, we are trying to get out the word that the club is open to everyone and we are looking for new members, including men.”
With their impressive roster of activities one would think they’d be batting applicants away. The offerings, which stretch from early spring to late fall, demonstrate an awareness that today’s gardeners want to be educated, not only in the characteristics of soil, but in the wider natural world such as it applies to plant life.
Invited lecturers address such topics as seed propagation, climate change or eradicating exotic introductions such as the dreaded garlic mustard weed. These talks are interspersed with field trips to destinations such as Chubby Bunny Farm where organic farming is practiced and, for the aesthetically cultivated, the traditional tour of notable formal gardens is still on the roster.
The program committee needn’t look outside of Norfolk and Colebrook to find specialists in pertinent fields. Last season, Shelley Harms demonstrated how to hive a package of bees. “The bees come in a package of about 3000, with a queen in a smaller separate cage.” Harms describes, “Then you have to transfer them into their new home. Everyone was a good sport with bees flying around their heads. Nobody got stung.”
Twenty-five dollars gets you into the club. The dues and money raised from the Spring Basket Auction not only goes to operating expenses, but are also directed to outreach projects. Margaret O’Malley, member since 2000, enthusiastically describes some ways they make a difference in the wider community. “For the annual pot luck supper at Meadowbrook, members make a feast of homemade soup and salad and dessert and put it all together at Meadowbrook for the residents. It’s just a nice way to connect.”
Additionally, O’Malley is pleased with a potting workshop they held at a local nursing home. “We want to bring some of the joy of gardening to the homebound. The African Violets do more than provide color,” she says “It gives them something to water every day.”
Anyone interested in more information about the Norfolk-Colebrook Garden Club should e-mail Libby Borden at Libbygp@aol.com.

Photo By Linda Pizzica