Westport Garden Club: 100 Years Of Gorgeous Growth

This is a big year for Westport civic centennials.

Last month, the Rotary Club celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding.

This month, it’s the Westport Garden Club’s turn.

April marks one full century since 10 Westporters — 8 women and 2 men — met, at the suggestion of Nevada Hitchcock and Amelia Cutler, to form a garden club.

Two months later, in June, 19 more women were recommended for membership. They included names that are still familiar: Wakeman, Coley, Bradley and Staples.

Sara Crawford, Connecticut’s first female Secretary of the State, was an early member too.

Garden Club founders Nevada Hitchcock and Amelia Cutler.

The club’s first project was the installation of a memory garden at Christ & Holy Trinity Church.

Since then, the Westport Garden Club has been deeply involved in the community, and environmental concerns around the state.

Projects include:

• Establishment of the Connecticut College Arboretum
• Founding of the Connecticut State Federation of Garden Clubs (which now numbers 114 clubs and 6,000 members)
• Tree and shrub plantings along the Merritt Parkway
• The first-ever “Clean-up Westport” day, in 1962
• Creation of Grace K. Salmon Park on Imperial Avenue, site of a former dump
• Projects at Town Hall, the Westport Library, Earthplace and the Westport Museum for History & Culture.

Longtime Westport Garden Club member Winnie Balboni, at Grace Salmon Park.

The passion and mission of the 60 Westport Garden Club members in 2024 remains the same as the founders’ in 1924: to further interest in and knowledge of gardening, horticulture, landscaping and floral design; participate in civic beautification, and promote conservation and environmental education.

The anniversary month kicks off with an open meeting today (Thursday, April 4, 1:30 p.m., St. Luke Church). In observance of a recent project — the Westport Pollinator Pathway, launched in 2019 with Earthplace and the Wakeman Town Farm — Geordie Elkins will discuss “The Essential Role of Native Plants in our Landscape.” Attendees should RSVP: westportctgardenclub@gmail.com.

Westport Garden Club members beautify downtown …

The Westport Garden Club celebrates Earth Day and National Poetry Month at the Westport Library on April 28 (2 p.m.). Winners of the club’s Youth Poetry Contest will read and participate in a workshop with town poet laureate Jessica Noyes McEntee inspired by the theme “I Spy with My Little Eye… Something Green.”

The annual plant sale is Saturday, May 11 (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Jesup Green) It features over 1,000 homegrown perennial plants from members’ own gardens, with a special section of Connective native plants, tomatoes and herbs. Special this year: a collection of unique peonies.

There is also a selection of decorative container gardens, gifts for Mother’s Day and more.

… and clean up Grace Salmon Park.

As always, the club will mark in the Memorial Day parade.

Save the date for the Garden Club’s 100^th anniversary flower show, “Westport’s Town Treasures.” It’s September 28, at Saugatuck Congregational Church.

All year long, when you’re at the entrance to Compo Beach, or pass the Nevada Hitchcock Garden (corner of Cross Highway and Weston Road) or Cam’s Garden in Old Hill on Winding Lane, you can see the club’s work.

The Westport Garden Club always welcomes new members. The only requirement is an interest in gardening and community.

(For more information on the Westport Garden Club, click here. For a history of the club’s first 90 years, click here.)