The Town & Country Garden Club of Newtown will host Michele MacKinnon, on Wednesday, September 13, at 7 pm, at Newtown Senior Center, 8 Simpson Street.

Her program will be “Pollinator Perfect Garden.” MacKinnon’s programs are always informative and engaging, with guests walking away with a wealth of information and ready to dig.

MacKinnnon found her love of growing things and having her hands in the earth came from her father, a lifelong farmer who cherished tending the land. On their farm they grew vegetables (and some flowers too), raised beef cattle and sometimes pigs, cut and burned their own firewood, cultivated and sold strawberries for a few years, and kept a sizable flock of chickens.

Off and on they enjoyed snow white raw milk and rich cream the color of the palest egg yolks, favors of a benevolent dairy cow. The vegetables fed their family and those flowers fed her soul.

After decades of a corporate career, MacKinnon craved a life with more connection to the natural world. She now lives and gardens in her pollinator-friendly setting in Sherman, a hilly region of Fairfield County, in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. Every garden taught her something. She is eager to share those lessons with everyone.

MacKinnon is a UConn certified Advanced Master Gardner, a CT Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Accredited Organic Land Care Professional, and a member of Sherman Conservation Commission.

This program is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required but additional information is available by sending an e-mail to denisemarierod@yahoo.com or at TCGardenClub.org.

The Town & Country Garden Club is a small energetic club which has been a staple of Newtown for almost 60 years. In addition to offering similar monthly programs, members design and maintain three of Newtown’s main traffic islands, are involved in many community and volunteer events, actively support the protection of Newtown’s environment and offer scholarships to local students, and so much more.

New members are welcome.