Most people in Farmington have seen and enjoyed the efforts of the Farmington Garden Club around town-- the kissing balls and spring baskets on the bridge on Route 4 near Route 10-- as well as many other pocket parks and islands in town. But this group of volunteers is as generous as they are talented: after Thanksgiving every year, members gather to make holiday centerpieces for Farmington seniors who are clients of Services of the Elderly of Farmington.
This year, 12 of the Club’s more than 70 members gathered at the greenhouse of one of the members and spent the next two hours arranging evergreens, holly, winterberry, and rhododendrons.
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“Our mission is to participate in beautification, civic, community and conservation projects,” said Ann Mullen, president of the club and member for 10 years. “It is a joy to make something beautiful for someone.”
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The Garden Club also makes patriotic arrangements for seniors on Memorial Day.
Services for the Elderly client Eleanor Swanson was very happy to receive the Garden Club’s arrangement.
"When Marcie stood at the door with that beautiful Christmas basket, my heart gave a leap,” said Mrs. Swanson. “What a lovely gesture of the Farmington Garden Club. Thank you, thank you. They really know what Christmas is all about."
“One of the major reasons I belong to the garden club is because of all the community involvement,” said Marcie Shepard, another Garden Club member. “In addition to education for members, the Garden Club year is packed with outreach events: making the red, white and blue flower baskets every May and the holiday centerpieces for December for the elderly; helping at the Hill-Stead with their ‘May Market’ and working with the town to plant ‘mini-parks’ at intersections”
Both the Farmington Garden Club and Services for the Elderly of Farmington welcome new volunteers throughout the year, for a variety of meaningful and fun activities. For more information about the Farmington Garden Club, contact Ann Mullen at annwmullen@gmail.com or 860-677-7274. For more information about Farmington’s Services for the Elderly, contact Nancy Walker at 860-673-1441 or services@farmingtonseniors.org; also, more information is on the website, http://www.farmingtonseniors.org/.
