Caring for a Living Christmas Tree

Jane von Trapp, CEO of the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, joins Tony Savino from WGCH Radio to talk Christmas trees. In this informative segment, you will learn how to care for a living Christmas tree in your home. Then after the holidays, how to plant the tree outdoors as a gift that gives for generations to come!

-    Why you should consider bringing in a living Christmas tree
-    Where to place the tree in the home
-    The importance of caring for the root ball
-    How long to keep a tree indoors
-    Replanting the tree outside after the holidays 

We wish you all a Happy Holiday and hope that you will consider a living tree this year.  Enjoy!

Girl Scouts Receive a Silver Award for Their Butterfly Garden Renovation Project at the Bartlett

Thank you to troop 50502!

From left to right: Maddie, Anusha, Caroline, Mayor Martin, Helena, Cece, Lilly, and Elizabeth

Congratulations to the Girl Scouts from Troop 50502 that were recently recognized with the Girl Scouts Silver Award for their fantastic work taking on the Bartlett Arboretum Butterfly Garden Project. 

The girls worked with Board member and Advanced Master Gardener Peter Russell to restore the Arboretum's Butterfly Garden as part of their Silver Award requirements. Working from May through September, the girls restored the garden to its original seven flower beds and pathways. Over the course of the project, the girls photographed plants as they came into bloom. They researched their scientific and common names, light and soil requirements, and whether they were deer resistant. To complete their project, the girls created a sign for the garden with images of the 11 different flower species they identified. They also created a brochure with information on each flower.  Brochures are located in a holder below the Butterfly Garden Sign and are available to all Bartlett Arboretum visitors. 

MORE Details on the Project:

The girls started the project on May 3 and finished on September 24. To receive this prestigious Girl Scout award they had to identify an issue that they cared about, build a team of members, pick a project, and then put a plan in place to get it done.

When they first started working in the Garden, it was very overgrown and neglected. All of the plants were overcrowded, and there were many weeds and wineberry canes starting to grow. Together with Peter Russell, they worked hard to clear pathways, weed, and mulch the garden. They also took on different leadership roles to get the project done.

Caroline Blum and Elizabeth Watkinson: Garden Rejuvenation
Lillian Gasser: Garden Signage and Brochure
Cecelia Coleman, Madeleine Martignoni, and Anusha Mathur: Pollinator Education Bins

While working in the garden, they identified and took pictures of all of the flowering plants. They then used the notes to make brochures and a sign that listed and described all of the flowers in the garden. There were many lessons learned, including learning about all of the flowers currently in the garden that help support pollinators and are attractive to lots of pollinators in our area like butterflies, moths, and bees. 

Thank you again to the the leadership team of Troop 50502 that created a new valuable education tool for the community. We hope you will visit the Butterfly Garden at the Bartlett Arboretum. It is located to the left of the Arboretum Greenhouse. 

UConn Extension Master Gardener Class of 2017

Congratulations to our newly Certified Master Gardeners. A graduation ceremony was held at the Silver Educational Center on Sunday, October 29th. 

The following certificates and recognition of volunteers were given:

2017 Certified Master Gardeners
Lisa Barton, Cheryl Cappiali, Karen DeWahl, Alice Ely, Linda Engel, Emily Fisher, Brigid Flannery, Wendy Ford, Kelly Forsberg, Nathalie Fonteyne, Marcy Goldstein, Susan Hawley, Rebecca Hoefer, Nancy Juarez, Ricky Mathieu, Sarah McKenna, Laurie Rivera, Colette Rogers, Annea Rosenberg, Nicoletta Salvi, Jamela Sullivan, Kevin Tepas, Barbara Vahsen.

Advanced Master Gardeners
Frances Bright, Cheryl Cappiali, Patricia Carroll, Barbara Eno Karp, Eva Klatt, Patty Morris, Jane Rinard, Cynthia Sherwin, Toni Simonetti, Diane A. Wilson

AMG Bronze       Dorene Grasso, Susan Skerrett

AMG Silver         Georgia Abbott

AMG Gold          Juliet Cassone

Ruby Silver       Beth Miller, Carrie Sears

Saphire Bronze   Lesley Gehr

 

Talking Honey Bees!

Cheryl Carter joins Tony Savino from WGCH Radio to talk bees! In this wonderful segment, you will learn all sorts of great facts about the role and importance of bees. A few highlights include:

• The types of bees in the Hive
• The role of the bee
• The importance of bees
• Why pesticides are dangerous to bees
• Using honey to heal wounds

Thank you for sharing. Enjoy!

Beer, BBQ and Botany Gala a Big Success!

Thank you to all the Bartlett friends that attended our annual gala. We had a fabulous time enjoying a delicious BBQ, dancing to country band Gunsmoke, honoring our beloved volunteers, especially Alice Smith, and coming together toward our common goal to "grow environmental stewards in every neighborhood." 

Special thanks to Fairfield County Look Magazine for capturing great photos of this very special event. Please click here to see all the pictures. 

Again, a big thank you to everyone involved! We could not achieve our tremendous success without the support of you -- our members, donors, sponsors, and volunteers. We are excited for 2018!

Come Search for "Secret Head" Sculptures at the Bartlett!

As seen in the Stamford Advocate this past weekend, the Bartlett Arboretum and Garden has "Secret Head" sculptures hidden throughout the property. Norweigen artist Christian Sunde a highly respected sculpture artist has carefully hidden heads throughout the Bartlett. There are currently eight of these amazing sculptures hidden around the Bartlett property. Ready to search in trees along different paths.  Can you spot them? 

For full story in the Stamford Advocate, please click here. 

Alice Smith Profiled in the Stamford Advocate

Alice Smith, our honoree at the Beer, BBQ & Botany gala on October 12th, was profiled in the Stamford Advocate. Alice has supported the Bartlett for 38 years, serving as volunteer and a board member. As Jane von Trapp, CEO of the Bartlett, was quoted, we are “indebted to Alice for her dedication, goodwill, and her seemingly infinite capacity to give back.”

Read the Stamford Advocates article about Alice here. 

Please join us for Beer, BBQ & Botany to honor Alice's contributions to the Bartlett and our community. 

First County Bank Grant

Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens is thrilled to receive a grant for our Stamford second grade programs from the First County Bank Foundation. We are very  grateful for their support!

From left to right:
Patricia Sweeney-FCB Commercial Lending portfolio manager, Andrea Chusid- BAG director of development, Jane von Trapp- BAG CEO, and Sara Tucker- FCB senior vice president and director of Business Banking.

ArborEarth Day Family Festival Release

The Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, Bartlett Tree Experts and La Rocca’s Country Market will host a free event for families in celebration of Arbor Day and Earth Day – The ArborEarth Day Family Festival. The Festival will be held on Saturday, April 22 (rain date: April 23) from 10:00 am-3:00 pm at the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens in Stamford. Children can enjoy touch a truck, storytelling, face painting, crafting, gardening and more. The entire family can tour our garden and green house, view our pruning and planting demonstrations, learn about nature, conservation and sustainability at our booths, get assistance with ailing plants at our plant clinic and enjoy the music and natural beauty at the Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens. Stamford Mayor David Martin will also join us at Noon for a tree planting ceremony to commemorate the event. Join us for an activity-filled day. Find the complete release PDF here.

View our event calendar here.