Page 37 - Wallingford Magazine Issue 56 Autumn 2025

forums for Town and Borrough officials, mory Building (former PD), Christmas
factory officials, Chamber of Commerce wreaths for the library and V.N.A., cor-
and townspeople to discuss pollution in sages for blood donors, and flowers in
the Quinnipiac River Valley and Com- cement urns on Simpson Court were a
munity Lake. Also in 1954, the Town focus in the early 1960’s. The Jaycees,
Warden requested the Club to chart Chamber of Commerce, Garden Club,
tree plantings with the town. Both pur- and Regional Vo-Ag students all partic-
chased and donated trees were planted ipated in the “flowers in urns” project.
at schools, parks, Simpson Court, the This undertaking earned the Garden
Senior center, Youth Center, various Club a Federated certificate of Achieve-
churches, and the Johnson House on ment for cooperative work with author-
South Main Street. With more commer- Civic Committee at Gazebo Garden ities to beautify a public place.
cialism on highways, members stood April 2025 (L-R) Anna Marie Bodisch,
strong with Federated Garden Clubs of Maria Mecurio, Linda Thomas and Linda Besaw As the 60’s closed, the town prepped
CT in voicing their concerns about bill- State Legislature on “pending bill 801” for its Tercentenary and the Garden
boards. that supported the shooting of hawks Club planned another House and Gar-
and owls. den Tour to celebrate Wallingford’s
Frances “Frankie” Jones took on this 300th Anniversary.
tree planting project. As Chairman Because young mothers and working
of Civic Committee and a dedicated women were unable to attend daytime 1970’s On July 1, 1970, The Walling-
conservationist she knew the impor- meetings, the “Seedling Gardeners of ford Garden Club presented its tour of
tance of trees and looked for places to Wallingford” was organized as an eve- houses “From Then ‘Til Now.” Twelve
plant them. It is estimated that in her ning group. They met on the first Thurs- homes, including several historic ones,
20 years with The Wallingford Garden day of each month at the Vo-Ag build- were on the tour at a cost of $1.50.
Club, she supervised about 2,000 tree ing at Lyman Hall High School. Many
plantings in Wallingford. Frankie’s oth- members lived in homes in new devel- The Club created beautification awards
er interest was the need for recycling opments where bare landscaping pre- for residents, as well as a Civic/Business
natural resources and was in favor of sented a challenge. Mrs. Valentine Fa- category. The first business recipient in
the “bottle bill” passage. Her concern bien, as acting sponsor with eight other 1970 went to Diane Hoffman for her
for Wallingford’s future was passionate Charter members, of the Wallingford work to achieve and coordinate a recy-
and genuine. At the time of her passing Garden Club, helped to guide the group cling center in Wallingford.
in 1977, Lee Sylvester, member of The with similar objectives as the daytime
Conservation Commission, considered group. Within five years there were 60 Other competitions were Christmas
Frances “Frankie” Jones a “town pillar” members. Their first project was “Trees Door Decorations and a monthly Envi-
of Wallingford. for Babies.” Each month they presented ronmental and Landscaping Achieve-
a young tree to a first baby born to a ment Award planned to stimulate
Wallingford family. New homeowners interest in civic and environmental
preordered young trees to help land- improvement. The Federated Garden
scape their yards and the trees were Clubs of CT commended The Walling-
delivered by Seedling Gardeners. This ford Garden Club for creating and pre-
event springboarded an annual plant- senting these local awards which were
ing at sites of new schools being added given to a wide range of establishments
to the community in this post war era over a period of ten years. In 1978 the
of growth. In appreciation for Mrs. Fa- Environment and Achievement Award
bien’s assistance and her donation of went to The Wallingford Recycling Com-
gardening books, The Seedling Garden- mittee for its monthly collection of bot-
ers dedicated a garden section, the Fa- tles, cans, and paper.
bian Garden Bookshelf, to the Walling-
Seedling Gardeners 1961 ford Public Library in 1958. This honor During the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976,
also reflected on Mrs. Fabien’s efforts the Club gave away 120 flowering trees
In 1955, a 25th Anniversary was held for The Seedling Gardeners to become and 80 shade trees. A Bicentennial Red,
at the Waverly Inn. The Club also orga- a member of The Federated Garden White, and Blue Designed Garden con-
nized a House and Garden Tour of sev- Clubs of Connecticut. test included competitions for residents
eral historic homes to celebrate this Sil- and businesses for container, front, or
ver Anniversary. This popular event was 1960’s “Anti-litter Week” was designat- surrounding yard gardens. The Bicen-
repeated in 1957. ed for a week in April 1960 and 1961 tennial headquarters, the old Train Sta-
and Garden Clubs throughout the state tion, was decorated with window boxes
A letter of disapproval from the Wall- took up this campaign. Flower plantings made by and planted with flowers by
ingford Garden Club was sent to the for the war memorial in front of the Ar- Future Farmers Club of Lyman Hall. The

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