More often than not these days, the members of the Suffield Garden Club need some youthful energy and enthusiasm for some of their bigger projects. Last fall and this spring they got both, when Lorin Charanian brought her students and job coaches from the East Windsor Transition Program. Lorin heads up the program, which has a focus on developing students’ life skills.
In the fall the kids helped Garden Club members clean up all the fallen leaves at the Phelps Hatheway historic garden, and mulch dogwoods on Main Street. On a cool and cloudy day in early May, they helped dig up, pot and label over one hundred perennials. The plants were donated last fall by Garden Club members Judy Edwards, Sue Mayne, Christine Ahrens, Kathleen Horrigan and the Phelps Hatheway historic garden. Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Farm at Hilltop, “winter garden” plots were established for this new project. The plants were sold at the 44th Annual May Market on Saturday, May 14, 2022. They included Coreopsis, Coral Bells, Lady’s Mantle, Astilbe, Siberian and Bearded Iris and more.
Special thanks go to Judy Edwards, a Garden Club member who saw the students working in Enfield last year and made the connection with Lorin. At Judy’s suggestion, Sue Mayne, long time Garden Club member and former president of the Club, contacted Lorin and coordinated the projects. Participating members included Connie Murray, Garden Club president, and Marie Gauthier, vice president. Everyone enjoyed some fresh air, exercise and working with terrific, enthusiastic and hard-working young people.
Three young folks from a transition program in East Windsor help Suffield Garden Club members prepare seedling pots to sell at May Market. From the left: Lorin Charanian (Transition Coordinator) Corinne Bliss, Noelani Byrdsong, Grant Slicer, Marie Gauthier (Suffield Garden Club VP).