September / October 2025 NEWSLETTER
NEWS YOU CAN USE - IF YOU CHOOSE
(any text in GREEN below has a link)
NEWS YOU CAN USE - IF YOU CHOOSE
(any text in GREEN below has a link)
GARDEN CLUB NEWS
IF YOU MISSED THE ANNUAL MEETING AND LUNCHEON scroll down to the end
and be sure to check the Photo Gallery page of the website.
But First: OCTOBER NEWS TO KNOW NOW!!!
The OCTOBER BUSINESS MEETING to take place on Monday, October 6th will be held at
The Essex Yacht Club NOT Town Hall.
A HORTICULTURAL FIELD TRIP TO ENDERS ISLAND | see their fabulous dahlia collection!
Wednesday, October 8th; rain date October 9th.
Please sign up in VSP – Registration deadline is October 3rd; $10 Registration limited to the first 23 people.
EGC Contact: Sheila Gleason.
FALL PopUp SALE | Saturday, October 11th (Noon - 3 pm) An EGC Fall tradition!
Come to Town Park to see (and buy!) the spectacular fall wreaths, dried flower arrangements and whimsical items created by Dagmar and her team of artisans! Tell your friends, too! This is a great fund raiser for our club!
Behind the scenes pictures of the preparations for the Fall PopUp Sale are uploaded to the Photo Gallery page of the website where you can get a sneak peak at what will be for sale.
FALL CLEAN UP ACTIVITY | Wednesday, October 22th with a rain date of Thursday, October 23rd.
(Active Members Required Activity; Sustaining Members and Past Presidents Always Welcome!)
Check on VSP after October 1 st for assignments. Help make our public spaces beautiful!
SAVE THE DATES FOR NOVEMBER:
The OCTOBER BUSINESS MEETING to take place on Monday, October 6th will be held at
The Essex Yacht Club NOT Town Hall.
- Horticulture Spotlight: Arrangements with Flowers that Attract Bees
- Topic: Flower Show Planning – Tips for Success
- Speaker: Trish Manfredi
A HORTICULTURAL FIELD TRIP TO ENDERS ISLAND | see their fabulous dahlia collection!
Wednesday, October 8th; rain date October 9th.
Please sign up in VSP – Registration deadline is October 3rd; $10 Registration limited to the first 23 people.
EGC Contact: Sheila Gleason.
FALL PopUp SALE | Saturday, October 11th (Noon - 3 pm) An EGC Fall tradition!
Come to Town Park to see (and buy!) the spectacular fall wreaths, dried flower arrangements and whimsical items created by Dagmar and her team of artisans! Tell your friends, too! This is a great fund raiser for our club!
Behind the scenes pictures of the preparations for the Fall PopUp Sale are uploaded to the Photo Gallery page of the website where you can get a sneak peak at what will be for sale.
FALL CLEAN UP ACTIVITY | Wednesday, October 22th with a rain date of Thursday, October 23rd.
(Active Members Required Activity; Sustaining Members and Past Presidents Always Welcome!)
Check on VSP after October 1 st for assignments. Help make our public spaces beautiful!
SAVE THE DATES FOR NOVEMBER:
- Business Meeting at Town Hall: Wednesday, November 5th NOT MONDAY
- Holiday Decorating of the Town: Wednesday, November 12th
(the date is early this year at the request of the Board or Trade; more details to follow) - Horticulture Workshop: Long and Low, Wednesday, November 19th
- Holiday PopUp Sale Dates: Saturday and Sunday, November 29th & 30th
OTHER GOOD THINGS TO KNOW
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
EGC Member Ann Kloter is a dedicated volunteer at the Common Good Garden in Old Saybrook. Ann sent out a request to EGC members seeking volunteers to help the garden complete a weekly harvest on short notice the week before Labor Day. Five volunteers responded and helped bring in hundreds of pounds of fresh green beans for families in need. Well done! Learn more about the garden, check out this visit from WFSB TV.
IF YOU ARE BUYING BULBS
If you are planning on purchasing fall planted bulbs, remember Brent n’ Becky’s fundraising program for
non-profits. Here is the website to use. Essex Garden Club, Inc is registered and Bloomin’ Bucks offers 25% of all sales back to EGC. It’s a WIN-WIN!!!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST...
IF YOU MISSED THE ANNUAL MEETING AND LUNCHEON, READ HERE
More than 50 Club Members attended the Annual Meeting and Luncheon on Tuesday, September 9th.
We received $22,530 in donations, thanks to a very generous grant from the Kitchings Family Foundation and additional grants from The Essex Savings Bank and the Essex Financial. With those donations and revenues from May Market, Garlic Salt and PopUps, EGC was again able to spend $39,172 on scholarships and camperships. May Market continues to be our major fundraiser (profits without garlic salt were over $25,000), but sales of Garlic Salt had profits of $9700 and Fall and Holiday PopUps generated over $9,000 of profits. With our funds,
the Club provided gifts to the Essex Library, the Ivoryton Library, the Essex Tree Town Committee and donations to the Essex Land Trust for the use of the corral and barn.
Funding was also used for flowers for the town areas we maintain; programs and workshops for our members, and civic improvement and town beautification.
The winner of the President’s Award this year was our departing President, Dagmar Miller, given in recognition of her participation and service to Horticulture and the Club in general.
Dagmar was also thanked for her service as President for 3 years, and the changes she facilitated during those: PopUp’s, VSP, QuickBooks, and water in Dickinson Park (a miracle!).
Attendees at The Annual Meeting congratulated 9 EGC members with 25 or more years of service.
Pictures from the Annual Meeting can be seen on the PHOTO GALLERY page of the website.
The Annual Meeting introduced our theme for 2025 – 2026: Preparation for the 75th Anniversary to take place in 2026 – 2027. Please check links to our website for the following:
Check out our Website; Updates are happening daily!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
EGC Member Ann Kloter is a dedicated volunteer at the Common Good Garden in Old Saybrook. Ann sent out a request to EGC members seeking volunteers to help the garden complete a weekly harvest on short notice the week before Labor Day. Five volunteers responded and helped bring in hundreds of pounds of fresh green beans for families in need. Well done! Learn more about the garden, check out this visit from WFSB TV.
IF YOU ARE BUYING BULBS
If you are planning on purchasing fall planted bulbs, remember Brent n’ Becky’s fundraising program for
non-profits. Here is the website to use. Essex Garden Club, Inc is registered and Bloomin’ Bucks offers 25% of all sales back to EGC. It’s a WIN-WIN!!!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST...
IF YOU MISSED THE ANNUAL MEETING AND LUNCHEON, READ HERE
More than 50 Club Members attended the Annual Meeting and Luncheon on Tuesday, September 9th.
We received $22,530 in donations, thanks to a very generous grant from the Kitchings Family Foundation and additional grants from The Essex Savings Bank and the Essex Financial. With those donations and revenues from May Market, Garlic Salt and PopUps, EGC was again able to spend $39,172 on scholarships and camperships. May Market continues to be our major fundraiser (profits without garlic salt were over $25,000), but sales of Garlic Salt had profits of $9700 and Fall and Holiday PopUps generated over $9,000 of profits. With our funds,
the Club provided gifts to the Essex Library, the Ivoryton Library, the Essex Tree Town Committee and donations to the Essex Land Trust for the use of the corral and barn.
Funding was also used for flowers for the town areas we maintain; programs and workshops for our members, and civic improvement and town beautification.
The winner of the President’s Award this year was our departing President, Dagmar Miller, given in recognition of her participation and service to Horticulture and the Club in general.
Dagmar was also thanked for her service as President for 3 years, and the changes she facilitated during those: PopUp’s, VSP, QuickBooks, and water in Dickinson Park (a miracle!).
Attendees at The Annual Meeting congratulated 9 EGC members with 25 or more years of service.
- 40+ Years | Jane Dickinson (1978) and Sheila Gleason (1978)
- 30+ Years | Barbara Ullstein (1991) and Joan Behrendt (1993)
- 25+ Years | Daphne Nielsen (1996) and George Ann Bardenheier (1999)
- 25 Years | DeeDee Charnok, Phyllis Greenberg, and Coral Rawn (all 2000)
Pictures from the Annual Meeting can be seen on the PHOTO GALLERY page of the website.
The Annual Meeting introduced our theme for 2025 – 2026: Preparation for the 75th Anniversary to take place in 2026 – 2027. Please check links to our website for the following:
- List of 2025 – 2026 Board Members, Activity Chairs and Leads, CoLeads, and Adjuncts to the Board
- Program Topics for EGC Business Meetings
- 75th Anniversary Goals
Check out our Website; Updates are happening daily!