The 2024 CMGA Annual Meeting and Speaker Event will be held virtually on Saturday, November 16, 2024. A business meeting to approve officers, directors, the 2025 budget and meeting minutes will begin at 9:00 AM. All current 2024 CMGA Members are eligible to vote at the meeting.

The meeting will be followed at 10:00 AM by a presentation by Sheryll Durant who will give a one-hour lecture entitled the Kelly Street Garden, followed by a 10-15 minute Q & A period.

Sheryll Durrant is an urban farmer, educator, and food justice advocate. She has been the Resident Garden Manager at Kelly Street Garden since 2016, and is the Food and Nutrition Coordinator for New Roots Community Farm, managed by International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Located in the South Bronx, New York, Kelly Street Garden’s focus is to use food as the entry point to healing a community. The garden functions as a vehicle for addressing generational trauma which has caused many health disparities resulting from systemic racism.

The meeting is free to all 2024 CMGA members. Guests and the public are welcome to join us for the meeting and presentation for a fee of $10 and must register separately.

The presentation will be recorded and available for a limited time to all those who have registered.

Join us for a Members Only tour of the historic gardens at Enders Island. 

One of the highlights of the Enders’ Island gardens are Dahlias. Dahlias come in all shapes, sizes, and colors – and you’ll find over 300 varieties of prize-winning Dahlias throughout the Island. The Enders Island Dahlias have been recognized as one of the largest collections of Dahlias in all of New England.

Registration Required (limit 25)

The tour is free for 2024 CMGA members and interns.

There is no rain date.

“The Beauty of Ornamental Grasses”
Renée Marsh

Business Meeting: 9:15 am - 10:00 am
Speaker Presentation: 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Renée Marsh is a garden designer, an advanced master gardener and a horticulturist. She is the owner of a gardening design business, A Simpler Place, and believes our gardens should be a healthy ecosystem where people, plants, animals and insects are in balance. Doing it right means less chemicals, less maintenance and more enjoyment. Renée teaches gardening classes for the New York Botanical Garden and adult education programs, speaks to many community groups including garden clubs and writes on gardening topics for local publications. In her spare time she works on her 1803 homestead in Shelton, Connecticut.

Registration required. Free to CMGA members and current interns. $10 fee for Non-CMGA members.

No Recording of presentation is available

You will receive an email with a zoom link and passcode prior to the meeting.

Hidden Gem Orchard was established in 2017 on land that was formerly part of the Southbury Training School farm. It currently consists of 3,600 apple trees grown on 6 acres. Presently, 31 apple varieties are grown with more being added each year. Some are “common” varieties that consumers are generally aware of such as Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Gala, Cortland and Fuji. Others are either uncommon or antique (varieties dating back to the 16th and 18th centuries) apples that are not readily available. Examples include varieties such as Esopus Spitzenburg, which was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple grown at Monticello and a 16th century French variety, Calville Blanc.

There is a steep hill on the property and the orchard owner informed us he now has a wagon to bring attendees who may have a mobility issue up the incline.

Free and open to all - Registration Required

Initially created as butterfly and pond gardens, the Meigs Point Gardens credit UConn Master Gardeners for their expansion to 10 themed gardens that are open to tour by  CMGA members and friends.   Registration is limited to 24 attendees, CMGA Members and Interns.

Hammonasset Beach State Park  

 1228 Boston Post Rd, Madison CT

REGISTER HERE

McCue Gardens, wholesale nursery in historic Old Wethersfield, will open for CMGA members and guests for our annual CMGA Nursery Day.  McCue donates 20% of proceeds to CMGA.  They have a great selection of perennials and natives. We hope you will join us, rain or shine!, at McCue Nursery, 47 Hartford Ave, Wethersfield.  No registration required. 

Tour the Nancy Moss Fine Native Azalea Garden's nearly 200 shrubs representing 15 different species and 3 natural hybrids at the Connecticut College Arboretum, 830 Williams Street, New London.  Guided by Maggie Redfern, the tour begins at the Native Plant Collection - Gate 1 E/1 F.  Free for CMGA Members and Interns.  Registration Required.

REGISTER HERE.   Rain Date: May 25 

This the third year for the exciting CSC MakeFest/Make It Grow event, in conjunction with their Family Gardening Day in Hartford.  With the backdrop of a 50,000 square foot roof top garden that overlooks the Connecticut River, it's the perfect setting to highlight the importance of growing healthy, green and local through engaging on-site and virtual demonstrations, displays and family activities.  

The Plant Sale offers you the opportunity to buy plants, herbs and veggies  donated by Master Gardeners and “extras” from the over 10,000 native and sustainable plantings in the Center’s green roof systems.  

Proceeds  benefit both organizations.  Everyone's welcome and parking is available onsite. No registration required.  Don’t miss it!

We hope you will do one or both of these things:

DONATE PLANTS
Donate plants or veggies in 4” pots, using a clean potting medium to avoid jumping worm contamination, have clear labels, and drop them off between May 8-11 at the CSC loading dock on Grove Street in Hartford.  Many plants will be potted up from the CSC gardens and donations. We want to offer:

• Native, Sustainable perennials

• Vegetables

• House plants

• Grasses

• House plants or patio plants for smaller spaces are also welcome.  

VOLUNTEER

There is also an opportunity for a few CMGA member volunteers to organize plants on Friday, May 12th at the CSC and for a team to help on Saturday, May 13th for morning or afternoon plant sales.  To volunteer, email events@ctmga.org

Friday, May 12th 12:30-2:30 pm - Potting up plants, organize, label, etc.

Day of – Saturday, May 13, 9:00 to 12:00 or 12:00 to 3:00 - work the plant sale and have fun!