The West Hartford Garden Club will hold its annual plant sale at the Noah Webster House on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

Members of the West Hartford Garden Club have been meeting weekly to remove invasive plants from Spicebush Swamp. Courtesy photo (we-ha.com file photo)

By Ronni Newton

Spring is never far from the minds of members of the West Hartford Garden Club, and they’re ready to share their plants and knowledge with members of the public at the annual Spring Plant Sale, which will be held on Saturday, May 17, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., at the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, 227 South Main Street.

Plants, which have been cultivated and donated by club members, include native varieties along with perennials that have proven to grow successfully in this area. An announcement indicates that houseplants, unusual vegetable and tomato seeds started by members, and dahlias will be included among the offerings.

“New this year, the sale will include plants from the Door Garden at the Noah Webster House, which the Club commissioned when the museum opened in 1967 and has maintained ever since,” Plant Sale Co-chair Maureen Gould said in an announcement of the event.

Members of the West Hartford Garden Club held a work day at the Door Garden at the Noah Webster House last month, and as they thinned out the beds, they potted some of the extra plans to offer at the sale, club member Kathye Cipes said.

Many of the members are certified through the Master Gardener program at UConn’s Extension branch, and will be on hand at the sale to provide advice to support new as well as experienced gardeners with their “knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm.”

Proceeds from the plant sale will benefit the West Hartford Garden Club efforts, which include many projects that support beautification efforts around the town, as well as the efforts to remove invasive plants.

At Spice Bush Swamp, bird- and pollinator-friendly native perennials are being installed to replace invasive species. Club members continue to meet weekly for the restoration efforts, “to remove invasive plant species, clearing the way for greater enjoyment of the park, including creating a pollinator pathway garden, a bird sanctuary and new, native trees and plants to replace invasives,” Cipes said.

The club was recognized last fall with the Federated Garden Clubs of CT’s highest award for this community project.

Other projects undertaken by the West Hartford Garden Club include the creation of Westmoor Park and Flagg Road Community Gardens, as well as more recently the installation of more than 200 native plants at the entrance to Wolcott Park and the creation and maintenance of a Free Seed Library at the West Hartford Public Library’s main branch in the Center, now in its third year. “Satellite” seed libraries have also been established at the Faxon and Bishops Corner library branches.

Another highly-visible project is also already in the works. “Our Conny the Whale Tail design proposal was accepted by the Town of West Hartford,” Cipes said. “The town will grade and landscape in preparation for our installation in September when the weather is cooler. Our plant selections are designed to evoke a feeling of ocean waves and movement. Dedication is planned for October.”

The West Hartford Garden Club has also spearheaded collection of thousands of pounds of plastic film as part of the TREX Community Partnership Program. The town receives TREX park benches in exchange for the donation of film plastic.

The annual plant sale event will be held at the Noah Webster House on May 17, rain or shine.

For more information about the plant sale and the West Hartford Garden Club go to www.westhartfordgardenclub.org.

Courtesy image

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.