The Bethel Garden Club is run by a fantastic group of people, and they offer our town so many fabulous opportunities. I had the pleasure of speaking with the club’s president, Krista Fiorini about all that the Bethel Garden Club does in our community.

Rows of plants at the annual Plant Sale Fundraiser. Photo courtesy of The Bethel Garden Club.

The Bethel Garden Club cares for over ten gardens throughout our town and about sixty flower boxes along Greenwood Avenue. Some gardens include the Shakespeare Garden at the Bethel Public Library, the Libby Kellogg Garden at the intersection of Main, School and Wooster Street, the Second Meetinghouse Gardens on Main Street, and many more. The club holds monthly meetings, usually on the first Friday of each month, under the pavilion at Meckauer Park. Of course, last year, that was not a possibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Krista says, “Our last meeting prior to the shutdown was in the beginning of March 2020.” It took an entire year before the Bethel Garden Club was able to run another meeting.

Garden club members speak with and help out members of the community. Photo courtesy of The Bethel Garden Club.

However, they were still able to maintain and keep our gardens looking beautiful. After COVID restrictions lifted with the incoming warmer weather last year, the Bethel Garden Club was able to begin their weekly “Weed & Walk” series. They meet at a garden once a week to weed for a half hour, and then they will take a walk throughout downtown Bethel. It is a nice event that keeps the feeling of community among the Garden Club members and participants. Since the majority of their events take place outdoors, they were able to safely distance and use masks to protect themselves.

Truckload of plants for the annual Plant Sale Fundraiser. Photo courtesy of The Bethel Garden Club.

Additionally, the Bethel Garden Club usually hosts a Gardening Series at the Bethel Public Library in the early Spring that is open to the community. Bethel Garden Club Vice President, Susan Anderson runs the three-part series at the library in which they bring in a special guest speaker to share their knowledge and expertise. They are hoping that next year they will be able to host the event again for all to enjoy.

Wrapping up the Plant Sale. Photo courtesy of The Bethel Garden Club.

This year, the Bethel Garden Club is back in action and ready to continue their hard work in keeping the gardens maintained. Their first meetings since the COVID hiatus were in the beginning of April and May, and their next meeting is scheduled for the first Friday in June. Since “re-opening,” they have made fifteen flower baskets for May Day which were all gifted to several departments at the Municipal Center, and they held their annual plant sale on Saturday, May 15th which was their best one yet! Usually, through the National Garden Conservancy, they will take day trips to visit and attend organized tours of other gardens . One of the last trips they went on in 2019 was to visit the Innisfree Garden in Millbrook, New York. Hopefully soon they will be able to continue their trips and events.

Garden Club members relaxing on the bench in the Shakespeare Garden at Bethel Public Library after some gardening. Photo courtesy of The Bethel Garden Club.

We are so lucky to have such a great group of people in our town that take the time to care for our beautiful gardens. If you have a chance, take a walk throughout town to look at the gardens and the work the Bethel Garden Club does. If you are interested in attending a Bethel Garden Club meeting, getting involved, or becoming a member, check out their Facebook page for the latest information.

May Day flower baskets for each department at the Municipal Center. Photo courtesy of The Bethel Garden Club.
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