* Kevin Wilcox has left Farmington Valley Nursery in Avon to start his own nursery, Silver Spring Nursery, at 696 Cottage Grove Rd., Bloomfield. The nursery is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (860- 670-3064).  Kevin welcomes plant questions, so bring them along when you visit.

* Planting volunteers are needed Saturday, May 5, in Hartford as landscape designers organized by Lelaneia Dubay and homeowners undertake a landscape design challenge to transform a block of Ashley Street in the Asylum Hill neighborhood. Planting starts at 7 a.m. and ends at noon, when the judging by landscape designers and civic leaders begins. Email Lelaneia at Lelaneia@DubayDesign.com.

* In her talk May 14 to the Manchester Garden Club, Deborah Kent of Glastonbury  demystifies garden design and shares practical ways of getting started. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Center Congregational Church, 11 Center Street, Manchester. Guests are welcome.

* Colleen Plimpton is preparing her Bethel garden for spring open days. Her garden at 16 Starr Lane is open for viewing on several weekend afternoons, including May 20 and June 16. Visit her website for details.

* The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days program kicks off in Connecticut in May, and among the private gardens open for viewing is that of Nickolas Nickou and Carol Hanby of Branford. On May 20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., they open their three-acre garden at 107 Sunset Hill Dr. It features mature rhododendrons and azaleas, rare trees and shrubs from China and Japan, woodland flowering plants, ferns, Japanese primulas and other bog plants. For a full list of gardens, directions, viewing times and ticket information, visit the conservancy's website.

* Karla Dalley of Farmington is a contributing garden columnist for West Hartford Magazine. Her first piece, on butterflies and hummingbirds as pollinators, is due out in the May-June issue. She expects the column to appear two or three times a year

* Cathy Testa of Broad Brook is donating her expertise in plants and landscape design to an effort to build a skateboard/BMX park in East Windsor. She has presented the project to the Tolland County class of master gardeners as a possible outreach project for them. “If anyone is interested in donating plants from their gardens, it would certainly be a huge help to the project's efforts,” she says. “We will most likely need trees, shrubs, and perennials or ornamental grasses.” 

In March 2012:
* Kevin Wilcox of Bloomfield talks with the Portland Tri-Club about special plants not often seen in the garden. The free talk is Wednesday, March 28, at 7 p.m., at the Portland Senior Center, 7 Waverly Ave., Portland. The public is invited and refreshments will be served.

In February, 2012:
* Many CHS members offer expert information on hot topics such as hydrangeas and gardening with tropicals at the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show in Hartford in February. Scheduled speakers include Lorraine Ballato, Nancy Ballek, Tom Christopher, Steve Silk and Rob Townsend.

* Cathy Testa of Broad Brook talks to Granby Girl Scout Troop 66036 at the flower show about careers in horticulture. Her efforts helped the scouts earn their junior-naturalist flowers badge, which seeks to build skills around appreciating the beauty of floers and understanding the role of plants in the environment.

* Anne Raver, garden writer with The New York Times, spends time at Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, strolling through the nursery with Propagation and Plant Manager Adam Wheeler and taking in the beauty  of woody plants in winter. Accompanying the article is a slide show of photographs by Randy Harris. Read the NYT article.

In January 2012:

* CHS hits the airwaves in advance of the Feb. 4, 2012, symposium to talk about the day's exciting events and other great goings-on in the Connecticut Horticultural Society. Listen to the podcast of the Jan. 21 "Garden Talk" conversation that featured CHS President Steve Silk and board members Elaine Widmer and Kevin Wilcox. The three joined hosts Len Giddix and Lisa Napolitano on the show, which airs weekly on WTIC-1080AM. The conversation focused on the visual aspect of  "the sensuous garden," and included listing some great plants for the winter garden and tips on how to photograph the garden.

* Bonnie McLachlan  (above) receives a framed print of one of her favorite plants, Jeffersonia diphylla (twinleaf), at the January program meeting. Bonnie retired in January as office administrator after more than 12 years in the position. (Photo: Lea Anne Moran)