Plans are underway for “Garden FEST” at the New Canaan Nature Center on Saturday, May 5. Planned by the Nature Center’s preschool families and benefiting the New Canaan Nature Center Preschool, the event will feature a plant sale, garden market, gardening workshops and children’s activities.
Attendees at this free event, which is open to the public, will have the chance to purchase a variety of plants (herbs, vegetables and flowers) grown from seed in the Nature Center greenhouse as well as perennials divided from local gardens, flowering containers, hanging baskets and more. The locally grown plants include a variety of heirloom tomatoes, vegetables such as eggplant, red onion, sweet and jabanẽro peppers, broccoli and more. In addition, herbs include basil, rosemary, sage, thyme and cilantro as well as flowers such as lobelia, sunflowers, dianthus, foxgloves, sweet william and a variety of dahlias.
Garden related workshops on topics such as composting, pruning and shrub care will take place throughout the event. There will also be children’s activities such as planting a sunflower circle in the Nature Center’s Children’s Play Garden, bird house making and mother’s day card making. Volunteers will offer guided tours of the Nature Center’s extensive herb garden.
In addition to the plants, gardening accessories and books will be for sale and lunch will be available from Farmer’s Market vendors for those who wish to picnic. Space is available for a limited number of horticulture vendors to showcase and sell their garden related products and services (please call 203-966-9577 x19 for information).
Gardeners of all levels are encouraged to participate in the perennial plant drive. Those donating plants can bring them (potted or with roots wrapped in damp newspaper) to the “Lath House” in front of the Nature Center Greenhouse. Those interested in volunteering or who have questions about the perennial drive should contact Amy Sorensen at ac_sorensen@yahoo.com.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the New Canaan Nature Center Preschool program for children ages 2-5.
