Lilac Walk & Tea at Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden

On Sunday, May 19 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Bethlehem’s Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden is hosting a Lilac Walk and Tea party.  Participants attending this event will learn the history, care and culture of lilacs with Bellamy- Ferriday Site Horticulturist, George McCleary.  A tea in the historic garden will follow the program on lilacs.  Admission for the event is $12 for adults and $10 for members of the Connecticut Landmarks Association, $5 children, and $25 for families.

Guests will learn about the 14 varieties of lilacs in the Ferriday collection and their various colors, fragrances, flower and leaf size.  One discussion will focus on ways to get your lilacs to bloom this will be especially helpful if you are having trouble getting them to blossom.  Participants will also learn how to increase flower growth and to protect lilacs from powdery mildew organically. You can even take some lilacs home because lilacs from the Bellamy-Ferriday collection will be for sale.

Running concurrently with the adult lilac program is another program about lilacs for children ages 5 and up.  Children will learn about these beautiful purple flowers through games and crafts. 

About Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden

The house embodies the dramatically different passions of two extraordinary individuals, Rev. Joseph Bellamy (1719-1790) and Miss Caroline Ferriday (1902-1990).  Today this 1754 home of Bethlehem's First Minister transformed into a 20th century country estate with antiques, a formal garden of historic roses, lilacs, and peonies and an orchard.  http://www.ctlandmarks.org/?page=bellamy-ferriday-house-garden.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum Hosts Victorian Tea May 6

Lockwood Mathews Mansion Norwalk CT

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum at 295 West Avenue will host its fourth Annual Victorian Tea, May 6, 2012 at 2 p.m. in the Rotunda of the Mansion. The event will feature English tea ceremony expert and celebrity caterer Carol Timpanelli, owner of the Royal Tea Company of Trumbull, CT. She has catered for Martha Stewart and Tommy Hilfiger among others. Ms. Timpanelli’s English tea will include a wide selection of desserts, sandwiches, traditional scones and cream and her signature chocolate toffee trifle.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is one of the most significant Gilded Age mansions in the U.S. and a very elegant venue for a formal tea,” said Publisher of Cottages & Gardens Publications, Marianne Howatson, event chair. “LMMM's annual Victorian tea is also a delightful event where families and friends get together to enjoy a cherished tradition while supporting a National Historic Landmark.”

The event will also feature harpist Katie Critelli. Katie has received two prestigious Gold Cup awards for excellence from the American Harp Society at Fairfield University’s Young Musicians Festival. Before leaving Darien to attend University of Pennsylvania, she was a harpist with the Norwalk Youth Symphony Concert Orchestra for three and a half years, played in the Western Regional Orchestra in 2009 and was a member of the Darien High School Orchestra.

For reservations contact: info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or call 203-838-9799 ext. 4. Admission: $45 non-members $35 members.

Woodbury CT’s New Morning Natural and Organic Store Announces their January Class Schedule

New Morning Market announces their schedule of free classes for January, to be held at the Woodbury Public Library. Classes support living a natural lifestyle are open to the public, however registration is required due to space limitations. Registration can be done online at www.newmorn.com, by calling Julie at 203-263-0673 ext. 317, or in person by stopping into the store in Woodbury.

On Tuesday January 17, 2012 from 5:30 to 6:30pm at the Woodbury Library the focus will be on The Art of Tea Blending and the presenter will be Alison Birks MS, AHG, CNS. This class will cover the basics of how to create a signature tea blend for well-being. Participants will learn about the many varieties of tea, including: green, black, white, rooibos, honeybush, tulsi and several herbal tisanes. Everyone will take home one-ounce of a unique signature blend that they create in class. The many health benefits of tea will be discussed as well as how to use tea and herbal infusions in cooking, body care and more! This class is free. www.newmorn.com

On Tuesday January 24, 2012 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the Woodbury Library the subject will be Improving Your Mood with Natural Medicine, presented by Dr. Shawn Carney ND. Did you know that an estimated 15% of people will experience depression at some point in their lives? Join Dr. Shawn M. Carney, a naturopathic physician at Northeast Natural Medicine, LLC, for this informative talk on effective ways of improving your mood with Natural Medicine. He will review how dietary and lifestyle changes can improve mood. He will also discuss scientific research supporting the use of herbal therapies or nutritional supplements for patients with mild to moderate depression. This session is free. www.northeastnatmed.com.

To end the month, on Tuesday January 31, 2012 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Woodbury Library the discussion will focus on “Inspiring U!”, and will be led by Yota Schneider a Life Transitions Coach. Think about it — we are in a brand new year, full of new beginnings and a sense of infinite possibilities! Are you ready? This session suggests that right now is the perfect time to reflect, renew and recommit to living your life to the fullest. In this interactive workshop with Yota Schneider you can explore and discover or reconnect with what makes your heart sing. This event is free. www.openforsuccess.com