Garden Club Plants its Mark in Weston

The Weston Garden Club may be smaller than the clubs in other area towns, but the work it does to beautify Weston is no small matter. Tending to historic gardens at the Coley house and planting barrels full of flowers all over town, the club's work makes Weston more colorful, one petal at a time. And with 20 regular members, it's looking to grow—pun completely intended.

The club, which was founded in the 1950s and boasts one its original members, hosts monthly meetings featuring speakers from the gardening world. Orchid experts, flower arrangement gurus and members of the Aspetuck Land Trust are among those they invite, two-year member Jennifer Barron said.

Barron's love for gardening started at a young age. "I grew up with parents that gardened, and we all helped," she said of her family, which had an orchard and vegetable garden in California. "My mother always had lots of flowers. My grandmother had a fabulous garden; in my mind's eye, that's what a garden should look like—it was just wonderful."

Twelve-year member Shirley Schneider said she and her husband, Fred, garden at their home. "It's in your blood when you grow up with it," said Schneider, who grew up on a farm.

And the ladies are proud of their hard work. "We create lots of beauty for one thing, and we all have an interest in what we're doing, so it's educational for us. And we are a resource for other people in the town if they are interested and looking for information," said Barron.

The group picks up new members at the Memorial Day Fair every year, but it is always looking for more —all ages welcome.

"For a long time we didn't have any young people," said Schneider. "It's been nice having a mix now."

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