The Haddam Garden Club, Inc.
Haddam Garden Club Meetings
The Haddam Garden Club typically meets at 10:00 a.m. on the Second Wednesday of the month from September through June at the Haddam Community Center. Exceptions to this are in November for our annual meeting which begins at 11:00 a.m., December when we meet on the first Wednesday to make holiday arrangements, and for field trips which sometimes can't be scheduled on our regular meeting day. Some meetings may be open to the public. A small donation is greatly appreciated. We do not meet in July and August.
2022 Meeting Program
Please note that we are proceeding with our program schedule with post-pandemic socializing cautions in mind and we are not opening our meetings to the general public at this time. We are also requiring that participants in all indoor activities must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
We've made this printable copy of the 2022 program available for your files.
January 2022 Program/Topic: Sustainability Committee & Food Residuals Recycling
Wednesday
January 12, 2022
10:00 am
Haddam Community Center
7 Candlewood Hill Road, Higganum
Guest Speaker: Linda Talbott, Haddam Sustainability Committee
As Haddam rolls-out their new food scrap recycling program, Linda will discuss the latest ideas on recycling food waste, including the use of an Anaerobic Digester which can take food residuals and turn them into energy. She will discuss Haddam's role in this new program and how it can help reduce the cost of managing the town's solid waste.
Hostesses: Marijean Conrad, Rogene Gillmor, Lynne Cooper,
Celeste Benoit
February 2022 Program/Topic: Development of an Artist
Wednesday
February 9, 2022
10:00 am
Haddam Community Center
7 Candlewood Hill Road, Higganum
Guest Speaker and Garden Club Member: Dodie Ruimerman
Dodie will discuss her personal history and development as an artist as well as illustrate techniques she uses to produce her much admired work.
Hostesses: Sister Doretta, Barbara Smith, Lori Munson, Donna Vaccaro
March 2022 Program/Topic: Weather Myths & Mysteries
Wednesday
March 9, 2022
10:00 am
Haddam Community Center
7 Candlewood Hill Road, Higganum
Guest Speaker: Art Horn, Meteorologist
Art Horn has worked as a meteorologist for television stations in Maine, Boston, Florida and most recently Connecticut. He teaches meteorology at Tunxis Community College and serves as an expert witness in weather related litigation. He received an Emmy nomination in 2007 for a PBS documentary” Hurricane Direct Hit”.
Hostesses: Linda Rigano, Cindy Tillson, Lynne Cooper, Dodi Ruimerman
April 2022 Program/Topic: Bonsai Plantings – Ballek’s Garden Center
Wednesday
April 13, 2022
10:00 am
Ballek's Garden Center
90 Maple Ave. in East Haddam
Guest Speaker: Nancy Ballek McKinnon, Ballek's Garden Center
Nancy Ballek will discuss the art of Bonsai at a meeting to be held at Ballek’s Garden Center. She will provide plants and containers and show us how to begin our own bonsai garden. A small fee will be charged to cover materials for those who want to participate.
Hostesses: Gail Christie, Donna Brinkerhoff, Marge DeBold
May 2022 Program/Topic: Civic Project Day
Wednesday
May 11, 2022
Time TBD by Team Captains
Haddam Community Center
This is our major work-day dedicated to the maintenance and enhancement of our town’s welcome signs and civic gardens. Members should be in contact with their team captains for start time and assignments. Lunch will be provided at the Community Center after gardening.
Hostesses: Pat Gill, Terry Twigg, Susan Rutty, Lori Chadwick
June 2022 Program/Topic: Annual Pot-Luck Lunch and Plant Auction
Wednesday
June 8, 2022
10:00 am
Sacred Heart on the Lake
529 Brainard Hill Rd.
Higganum, CT
This meeting is our annual pot-luck lunch and plant auction where members are asked to divide their garden plants or start seedlings which will be auctioned-off as a fund raiser.
Hostesses: Kate Hull, Trish Jarrell
August 2022 Program/Topic: Tour of Haddam Historical Society Gardens and
Thankful Arnold House
Wednesday
August 10, 2022
10:00 am
14 Hayden Hill Rd, Haddam, CT
Thankful Arnold House has a beautiful and well documented historic garden. One of the volunteer gardeners will discuss the various plants and their historic uses. A tour of the house will follow for those interested.
Hostesses: No hostesses will be required for this meeting.
September 2022 Program/Topic: Tour of St. Edmund's Retreat on Enders Island
Wednesday
September 14, 2022
10:00 am
St. Edmund's Retreat
1 Enders Island,
Mystic, CT 06355
St. Edmund's Retreat sits on an 11 acre island in Mystic, CT. It has breathtaking ocean views and beautiful gardens. It is well known for the spectacular dahlia beds with over 200 types of dahlias. We will tour the gardens followed by lunch at a local restaurant (optional).
Hostesses: Since this is a field trip, no hostesses will be required for this meeting.
October 2022 Program/Topic: Putting Gardens to Bed
Wednesday
October 12, 2022
10:00 am
Haddam Community Center
7 Candlewood Hill Road, Higganum
Guest Speaker: TBD
Specialists from Town and Country Nursery will give insight into the most recent thinking on how to best prepare our flower beds for winter. They will welcome questions on specific concerns.
Hostesses: Myra Aronow, Lorraine Riess, Marge Supple, Rogene Gillmor
November 2022 Program/Topic: Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Wednesday
November 9, 2022
11:00 am
Location TBD
This is our annual meeting and luncheon. Typically, this meeting celebrates our achievements throughout the year. We take time to recognize special members and elect new officers for the following year as we enjoy lunch among members at a local restaurant.
Hostesses: Since we are dining off-site, no hostesses will be required for this meeting.
December 2022 Program/Topic: Making Civic Holiday Arrangements
Wednesday
December 7, 2022
10:00 am
Haddam Community Center
7 Candlewood Hill Road, Higganum
At this meeting we will be making holiday arrangements for municipal buildings throughout town. Members are asked to bring any holiday decorations, ribbons, and containers that are suitable for using in arrangements, as well as any fresh-cut greens from their yards. They will all be shared among us as we make our creations.
Hostesses: Kate Renwick, Lynda Birch, KC Alexander, Margaret Adams.
Directions & Map to the Haddam Community Center
Street Address: 7 Candlewood Hill Road, Higganum, CT 06441
Link to Google Map (or click on the map below)
Take the Interstate Highways to CT Route 9. From I-95, Route 9 North is Exit #69 in Old Saybrook. From I-91, Route 9 South is Exit #22 in Cromwell.
From Route 9 North, take Exit #9 (Rt. 81/Killingworth Road). Make a left at the end of the ramp onto Route 81 North. Go 1.9 miles to the first traffic light and turn left onto Rt. 154 North. Take an immediate left onto Candlewood Hill Road. The Community Center will be the 4th building on your left set-back off the road. It is red with a cupola.
From Route 9 South, take Exit #10 (Aircraft Road). Make a right at the end of the ramp onto Route 154 South. Go 3.5 miles. Just BEFORE the traffic light, make a hairpin right-turn onto Candlewood Hill Road. The Community Center will be the 4th building on your left set-back off the road. It is red and white with a cupola.
