Brid Craddock, a professional landscape designer and Garden Club of Newtown member since 2002, will present a program featuring “Work Horse Perennials” for the home garden at the next meeting of The Garden Club of Newtown.

The public is invited to join club members for the presentation on Tuesday, January 26, at 1 pm. It will take place in the meeting room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street in Newtown.

Visit an old, neglected garden and what will you find?

Ms Craddock’s answer is “You will find the perennials that thrive despite neglect and adverse weather.”

Those are the plants, she says, that a gardener wants in their “forever” garden: plants for sun and shade, plants with low maintenance, plants of beauty and color.  In other words, these are the “work horse perennials.”

Ms Craddock will share information on the many hardy perennials that can be selected to fit the conditions of a garden to create a beautiful and low maintenance garden for all seasons.

Brid Craddock is the owner of Heirloom Gardens in Newtown and lead designer of Growing Solutions, LLC of Ridgefield. She has been designing and supervising the installation and maintenance of sustainable landscapes for over a decade.

Starting with a degree in interior design, she followed her love of nature into the landscape design field. She holds two certificates in horticulture and landscape design and is a Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) accredited professional as well as a Master Gardener.

Working extensively as an educator and volunteer, Ms Craddock is also a founding member and president of the CT Chapter of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, and a founding member and board member-at-large for FAITH Food Pantry’s “Victory Garden” at Fairfield Hills.

She has also served as a board member on the Borough of Newtown Zoning Board since 2002. Additionally, she has been an instructor at the New York Botanical Gardens and has lectured on landscape design for numerous community and gardening organizations throughout Fairfield County.

There is a guest fee of $5 for non-members of the club. Registration is not required, but additional information is available from Garden Club of Newtown Publicity Chairperson Marilynn Klepfer, who can be reached at marilynn.gardener@yahoo.com or 203-775-7063. 

Club meetings will not be held if the Newtown Public Schools are closed for inclement weather. Additional club information is also available at gardenclubofnewtown.com.