January 24, 2025 • 12 mins
We spoke with Show Producer Kristie Gonsalves and Vonice Carr about seminars, workshops and events at the CT Flower and Garden Show in Hartford….
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. My
guests today are from the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show.
It's the forty third. Christy Gunsalves is here, the show organizer,
also Vanie's Carr. She's the chair of the Federated Garden
Club of Connecticut Standard Flower Show. Good morning, ladies, good morning,
Thank you for being here.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thank you for having us. So.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
The forty third Connecticut Flower and Garden Show is taking
place Thursday, February twentieth through Sunday, February twenty third at
the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, and we're here to
talk all about it. I love to go there, especially
during this time of the year. You walk in and
it's just this oasis or this sanctuary, and there's light
(00:44):
and beauty and it just feel good weekend right.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Every sense of your body feels it.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
It helps to break you out of those winter doultrums.
It just takes you to another place. It's true, if
you've never been, this is the year for you to go.
You can't miss it. I love going every single year.
There's so many things to buy and so many things
to do, but we're going to get into it. We're
going to talk all about it.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
There's a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So we have seminars and demonstrations. Let's talk about those.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
So we have Doug Talame coming this year. We have
Nancy Debruel Clemente who's they're all just fabulous tons of education.
We have dragonflies, Christine Cook. There's so many speakers this
year that just will really educate you to try and
keep naturalistic without pesticides.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
And there's pollinators, there's composting. All of the current topics
that are hot in gardening that you want to be
up to date on are presented in these seminars. It's
really a wonderful list, it is.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
And the Federated Garden Club has a wonderful display coming
up this year.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
For people who don't know what you do, maybe you
could explain a little bit. Bunnie.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I'm with the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut. In each
year we bring a National Garden Club Standard Flower Show
to the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show. We will have
sixty four designs on exhibit their variety of floral designs
(02:20):
from cascade to reflective, to hanging designs to floor designs.
But there will be sixty four of those We will
have a horticulture section within the excess of two hundred
and fifty plants that will be judged and Blue Ribbons
will be awarded, so you will be able to compare
(02:43):
your home plants to what you see at the show.
We have a Botanical Art section that features photography. We
have ninety six photographs in twelve different categories that will
be on display and also judged. We have an artistic
craft section for those people who think that they like
(03:07):
doing small and dainty work and things with the handcrafts.
This year it features a fairy garden, so it's going
to feature a crown for the fairy garden, a tiara,
excuse me, not a crown, a tiara that a faery
garden would wear to a gala, a cake to be
presented at the gala, and also a necklace that the
(03:31):
queen of the fairies would wear at the fairy gala.
And besides those varieties, we also have some organizations from
the community provide us educational information. The Connecticut Justnut Society
is always popular, the Connecticut Rose Society, the Connecticut Orchid Society,
(03:56):
they were all be there along with aspatuck Land Trust.
It's there's a variety of educational and visual experiences that
are available at the flower Show.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
And how does one become involved in your club if
they'd like to be.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
You just call and ask me and I'll put you
in touch with the right person. We have outreached there
so that if you tell us what town you live in.
We have one hundred and thirteen garden clubs across Connecticut,
all united under the banner of the Federation, and we
will tell you what garden clubs are in your area
(04:38):
and provide you with information to reach out to them,
and then we will tell the garden clubs that you're
looking for them.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Wonderful. The website is ctflowershow dot com.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
This year we also have the Connecticut f FA Kids
that's huge. We have Yukon Heartcom just bringing kids in
of the community, bringing them into the gardening world. We
have tons of booths we're selling products and they're all
small local businesses.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
And it's so important to support local business.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yes, it is so again. We have vegetables, container gardening, organics, herbs,
pollinator gardens and incluting, naturalistic, low maintenance, just really all
small businesses.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
China and the demonstrations I noticed there's cooking demonstrations.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
You smell spring, you see spring, you hear spring. It's
the water like the water gardens, the waterfalls. It's just
amazing when you walk.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
In, it's just absolutely beautiful.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
The landscapes that the Connecticut companies come in and provide
are just breathtaking and give you many ideas for your
home garden. It really takes you into another world to
be able to stop and view what someone else has
done in side of a convention center, this very small
(06:02):
space that can translate into your home garden.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
And there will be live music as well.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yes, we have several performers this year. It just enhances
the experience I feel that I've started to incorporate the
last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
It just makes you happy.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So yes, they will all be listed on the website.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
What about the exhibitors, Tell me about some of those.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
We have wrought iron, We have ceramics with pottery, bulbs, planters,
fresh flowers, indoor.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Flowers, gardening flags, anything and everything you could possibly think of.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Right, I mean Black Jungle. He has exotic plants.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Jewelry, even sometimes.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Floral related jewelry. We try to keep it floral and
garden related but again they're all small businesses that enjoy
coming to our event. Floral clothing, a couple of gourmet
food items like moonshine, but.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Chol moonshine you drink that, No, that's a chocolate okay.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yes, So we have fire pits, we have clotter farms
with sheds, gazebos, outdoor equipment. There's just really a lot.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And again it's chainsaws, right tools.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
And if you check out your pruners at home before
you come to the show, because you can always use
a new pair of pruners with the upcoming season.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
When the Yukon does the soil testing, bring your half
a cup of soil. That's so great and they'll test
for your pH level. I mean, there's just it's it's
wonderful for everyone. I mean, it's just a nice family
event to come to.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So if you go to the website again is ctflowershow
dot com, you you can see Thursday through Sunday, all
of the different speakers, all the different exhibits, everything that
we're talking about here. But you really need to go
experience it for yourself. If it's something you've never done,
like you said, you just walk in. It's like Narnia.
You know, you're just like ah, the angels and the
(08:16):
smells and the bright the flowers, and it's just absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
All right. So spring in February, spring in full bloom.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
It takes you to another place. And really, by the
end of February, we're all going to be tired of
this cold and we're willing going to be ready for springtime.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
And in February you have to plant your seeds. I mean,
that's their seed companies that are there, and this is
the time to start sowing your seeds.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, some people don't know. Do I put my bulbs
in the ground now? Do I wait till October? All
these different things. If you're interested in gardening, anybody and
everything you possibly need to know is there.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yes, And they are all experts and they love to educate.
They love to educate.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
The Connecticut Master Gardeners have a booth, I believe this year,
and they are a wonderful source of information for planning
the time schedule of your gardens so that you have
something blooming all away from April through October. There are
resources there that are just think of a question and
(09:26):
someone will answer it.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
For you, right agreed, and that's what I saw. And
again I can't encourage you enough to go to the
website ctflowershow dot com.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I have several new gardens this year that I'm very
very excited about. The Green Machine Nursery out of Bloomfield,
lot of Rock Farm, who had done the show a
couple of years ago. They're out of New Hartford, great
great family companies, Awkwascapes out of Portland. They're just wonderful,
(09:56):
wonderful people.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
So the theme is signs of Spring. So for one
hundred and fifty thousand square feet of everything that we've
talked about today, what are the hours? What's the admission?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
So we are seventeen dollars online at ctflowershow dot com,
twenty dollars at the door, and then we are opening Thursday,
February twentieth at ten am until seven pm. Friday and
Saturday ten am until eight pm, and Sunday ten to five.
And again they're all just small local businesses.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
We want you all to come to the Connecticut Flowering
Garden Show. It's just a marvelous event. Join us there
and say hello.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
And ctflowershow dot com for parking information again, online ticket
sales and all the questions and if they fill out
the contact info, I will.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Reply at ctflowershow dot com. There is a list of
the seminars given each day. The seminars are available from
ten o'clock in the morning all the way into the
early evening. Plan your visit to the Flower Show by
looking at that seminar list. Not only will you be
(11:09):
visually enriched by all of the things that you're going
to see on the convention floor, but you'll be able
to go to the seminars and get tons of information.
Come on out on a Friday night or a Saturday night.
It's a great place to just walk around and see
people and enjoy the evening.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Yes, I'm speaking with Christy Gonsalves. She's the show organizer
and Vanie's carr. She's chair of the Federated Garden Clubs
of Connecticut Standard Flower Show. It's the forty third Connecticut
Flower and Garden Show. Thursday, February twentieth through Sunday, February
twenty third. It's at the Convention Center in Hartford. Get
(11:50):
your tickets go to the Connecticutflowershow dot com. Thank you
ladies for being here and for bringing the sunshine, the
warmth and the flowers
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. My
guests today are from the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show.
It's the forty third. Christy Gunsalves is here, the show organizer,
also Vanie's Carr. She's the chair of the Federated Garden
Club of Connecticut Standard Flower Show. Good morning, ladies, good morning,
Thank you for being here.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thank you for having us. So.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
The forty third Connecticut Flower and Garden Show is taking
place Thursday, February twentieth through Sunday, February twenty third at
the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, and we're here to
talk all about it. I love to go there, especially
during this time of the year. You walk in and
it's just this oasis or this sanctuary, and there's light
(00:44):
and beauty and it just feel good weekend right.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Every sense of your body feels it.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
It helps to break you out of those winter doultrums.
It just takes you to another place. It's true, if
you've never been, this is the year for you to go.
You can't miss it. I love going every single year.
There's so many things to buy and so many things
to do, but we're going to get into it. We're
going to talk all about it.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
There's a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So we have seminars and demonstrations. Let's talk about those.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
So we have Doug Talame coming this year. We have
Nancy Debruel Clemente who's they're all just fabulous tons of education.
We have dragonflies, Christine Cook. There's so many speakers this
year that just will really educate you to try and
keep naturalistic without pesticides.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
And there's pollinators, there's composting. All of the current topics
that are hot in gardening that you want to be
up to date on are presented in these seminars. It's
really a wonderful list, it is.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
And the Federated Garden Club has a wonderful display coming
up this year.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
For people who don't know what you do, maybe you
could explain a little bit. Bunnie.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
I'm with the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut. In each
year we bring a National Garden Club Standard Flower Show
to the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show. We will have
sixty four designs on exhibit their variety of floral designs
(02:20):
from cascade to reflective, to hanging designs to floor designs.
But there will be sixty four of those We will
have a horticulture section within the excess of two hundred
and fifty plants that will be judged and Blue Ribbons
will be awarded, so you will be able to compare
(02:43):
your home plants to what you see at the show.
We have a Botanical Art section that features photography. We
have ninety six photographs in twelve different categories that will
be on display and also judged. We have an artistic
craft section for those people who think that they like
(03:07):
doing small and dainty work and things with the handcrafts.
This year it features a fairy garden, so it's going
to feature a crown for the fairy garden, a tiara,
excuse me, not a crown, a tiara that a faery
garden would wear to a gala, a cake to be
presented at the gala, and also a necklace that the
(03:31):
queen of the fairies would wear at the fairy gala.
And besides those varieties, we also have some organizations from
the community provide us educational information. The Connecticut Justnut Society
is always popular, the Connecticut Rose Society, the Connecticut Orchid Society,
(03:56):
they were all be there along with aspatuck Land Trust.
It's there's a variety of educational and visual experiences that
are available at the flower Show.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
And how does one become involved in your club if
they'd like to be.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
You just call and ask me and I'll put you
in touch with the right person. We have outreached there
so that if you tell us what town you live in.
We have one hundred and thirteen garden clubs across Connecticut,
all united under the banner of the Federation, and we
will tell you what garden clubs are in your area
(04:38):
and provide you with information to reach out to them,
and then we will tell the garden clubs that you're
looking for them.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Wonderful. The website is ctflowershow dot com.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
This year we also have the Connecticut f FA Kids
that's huge. We have Yukon Heartcom just bringing kids in
of the community, bringing them into the gardening world. We
have tons of booths we're selling products and they're all
small local businesses.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
And it's so important to support local business.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yes, it is so again. We have vegetables, container gardening, organics, herbs,
pollinator gardens and incluting, naturalistic, low maintenance, just really all
small businesses.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
China and the demonstrations I noticed there's cooking demonstrations.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
You smell spring, you see spring, you hear spring. It's
the water like the water gardens, the waterfalls. It's just
amazing when you walk.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
In, it's just absolutely beautiful.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
The landscapes that the Connecticut companies come in and provide
are just breathtaking and give you many ideas for your
home garden. It really takes you into another world to
be able to stop and view what someone else has
done in side of a convention center, this very small
(06:02):
space that can translate into your home garden.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
And there will be live music as well.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yes, we have several performers this year. It just enhances
the experience I feel that I've started to incorporate the
last couple of years.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
It just makes you happy.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So yes, they will all be listed on the website.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
What about the exhibitors, Tell me about some of those.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
We have wrought iron, We have ceramics with pottery, bulbs, planters,
fresh flowers, indoor.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Flowers, gardening flags, anything and everything you could possibly think of.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Right, I mean Black Jungle. He has exotic plants.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Jewelry, even sometimes.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Floral related jewelry. We try to keep it floral and
garden related but again they're all small businesses that enjoy
coming to our event. Floral clothing, a couple of gourmet
food items like moonshine, but.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Chol moonshine you drink that, No, that's a chocolate okay.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yes, So we have fire pits, we have clotter farms
with sheds, gazebos, outdoor equipment. There's just really a lot.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And again it's chainsaws, right tools.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
And if you check out your pruners at home before
you come to the show, because you can always use
a new pair of pruners with the upcoming season.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
When the Yukon does the soil testing, bring your half
a cup of soil. That's so great and they'll test
for your pH level. I mean, there's just it's it's
wonderful for everyone. I mean, it's just a nice family
event to come to.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So if you go to the website again is ctflowershow
dot com, you you can see Thursday through Sunday, all
of the different speakers, all the different exhibits, everything that
we're talking about here. But you really need to go
experience it for yourself. If it's something you've never done,
like you said, you just walk in. It's like Narnia.
You know, you're just like ah, the angels and the
(08:16):
smells and the bright the flowers, and it's just absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
All right. So spring in February, spring in full bloom.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
It takes you to another place. And really, by the
end of February, we're all going to be tired of
this cold and we're willing going to be ready for springtime.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
And in February you have to plant your seeds. I mean,
that's their seed companies that are there, and this is
the time to start sowing your seeds.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, some people don't know. Do I put my bulbs
in the ground now? Do I wait till October? All
these different things. If you're interested in gardening, anybody and
everything you possibly need to know is there.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yes, And they are all experts and they love to educate.
They love to educate.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
The Connecticut Master Gardeners have a booth, I believe this year,
and they are a wonderful source of information for planning
the time schedule of your gardens so that you have
something blooming all away from April through October. There are
resources there that are just think of a question and
(09:26):
someone will answer it.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
For you, right agreed, and that's what I saw. And
again I can't encourage you enough to go to the
website ctflowershow dot com.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
I have several new gardens this year that I'm very
very excited about. The Green Machine Nursery out of Bloomfield,
lot of Rock Farm, who had done the show a
couple of years ago. They're out of New Hartford, great
great family companies, Awkwascapes out of Portland. They're just wonderful,
(09:56):
wonderful people.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
So the theme is signs of Spring. So for one
hundred and fifty thousand square feet of everything that we've
talked about today, what are the hours? What's the admission?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
So we are seventeen dollars online at ctflowershow dot com,
twenty dollars at the door, and then we are opening Thursday,
February twentieth at ten am until seven pm. Friday and
Saturday ten am until eight pm, and Sunday ten to five.
And again they're all just small local businesses.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
We want you all to come to the Connecticut Flowering
Garden Show. It's just a marvelous event. Join us there
and say hello.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
And ctflowershow dot com for parking information again, online ticket
sales and all the questions and if they fill out
the contact info, I will.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Reply at ctflowershow dot com. There is a list of
the seminars given each day. The seminars are available from
ten o'clock in the morning all the way into the
early evening. Plan your visit to the Flower Show by
looking at that seminar list. Not only will you be
(11:09):
visually enriched by all of the things that you're going
to see on the convention floor, but you'll be able
to go to the seminars and get tons of information.
Come on out on a Friday night or a Saturday night.
It's a great place to just walk around and see
people and enjoy the evening.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Yes, I'm speaking with Christy Gonsalves. She's the show organizer
and Vanie's carr. She's chair of the Federated Garden Clubs
of Connecticut Standard Flower Show. It's the forty third Connecticut
Flower and Garden Show. Thursday, February twentieth through Sunday, February
twenty third. It's at the Convention Center in Hartford. Get
(11:50):
your tickets go to the Connecticutflowershow dot com. Thank you
ladies for being here and for bringing the sunshine, the
warmth and the flowers
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