Our Accomplishments
Annual Reports

2024

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

A total of $22,700 was given in support of the Master Gardener program in 2024.

  • Awarded over $8,600 in grants to outreach projects across the state.

  • UConn Master Gardener Class interns received $6,000 in scholarships.

  • Extension Centers received a total of $8,100 in financial support.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

  • The annual 2024 Garden Symposium took place virtually on March 9th with close to 200 participants with international and regional speakers. Over $7,000 was raised from registration fees.

  • In 2024 CMGA focused on Member events including:

    • Plant sales that raised over $1500 from Nursery Day at McCue Gardens & MakeFest joint plant sale with the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford.  

    • Virtual Speakers:
      Renee Marsh - “The Beauty of Ornamental Grasses”at the semi-annual meeting
      George Trecina - “Unraveling The Mysteries Of Pruning: Learn To Manage Trees & Shrubs For The Long Haul”
      Sheryll Durant - “The Kelly Street Garden” at the annual meeting

    • Garden tours at Hidden Gem Orchard, Enders Island, Sleepy Cat Farm, Bellamy-Ferriday House & Lockwood Farm.

    • TSV Workshops for Interns at 7 locations across the state at Conn College Arboretum in New London, Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, James L. Goodwin State Forest in Hampton, Marsh Botanical Garden in New Haven, Elizabeth Park in Hartford, Regional Water Authority in Hamden & Fairfield County Extension in Bethel.

ORGANIZATIONAL & COMMUNICATIONS

  • A new Grant Application schedule was implemented in 2024, changing from spring & summer cycles to winter & spring cycles. The membership drive was also changed to begin in January aligning with the calendar year.

  • The CMGA website has undergone major updates and revisions.

2023

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

A total of $14,075 was awarded in 2023 

  • Awarded $5,575 in grants to outreach projects across the state.

  • UConn Master Gardener Class interns received $4,000 in scholarships.

  • Extension Centers received $4,500 in financial support.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

  • The 2023 Anniversary Symposium took place virtually on March 5 with 175 participants with international and regional speakers. Over $6,000 was raised from registration fees.

  • Emphasis in 2023 was on Member events with:

    • Plant sales from Nursery Day at McCue Gardens & MakeFest joint plant sale with the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, Hidden Gem Nursery, Lockwood Farm & Broken Arrow Nursery.   

    • Garden tours at Hidden Gem Orchard, Meigs Point, Broken Arrow Nursery, Enders Island & Conn College Arboretum.

    • TSV Workshops for Interns at 5 locations across the state at Conn College Arboretum in new London, Cedra Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, James L. Goodwin State Forest in Hampton & Edgerton Park in New Haven.

ORGANIZATIONAL & COMMUNICATIONS

  • A new ad-hoc committee on diversity, equity & Inclusion was formed to ensure these core values are incorporated into all CMGA’s mission statement, Board and member recruitment, programs, and events.

2022

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

A total of $9,294 was awarded in 2021 

  • Awarded $3,994 in grants to outreach projects across the state.

  • UConn Master Gardener Class interns received $3,500 in scholarships.

  • Extension Centers received $1,800 in financial support.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

The 2022 Anniversary Symposium was held virtually due to COVID concerns, on March 20 with 175 participants with two international speakers, Dr. Noel Kingsbury, British naturalistic planting designer in gardens and landscapes and Australian gardening writer Georgina Reid. Nearly $5,125 was raised from registration fees. 

2021

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

A total of $12,734 was awarded in 2021 

  • Awarded $5,359 in grants to outreach projects across the state.

  • UConn Master Gardener Class interns received $4,000 in scholarships.

  • Extension Centers received $3,375 in financial support.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

  • The 2021 Anniversary Symposium, rescheduled from 2020, took place virtually on March 20 with 300 participants. Nearly $10,000 was raised from registration fees. Keynote speaker was Margaret Roach, a New York Times columnist and author of A Way to Garden. 

  • Plant sales raised over $2,327 from Nursery Day at McCue Gardens and the first successful MakeFest joint plant sale with the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford.   

  • The Summer Safari and Semi-Annual Meeting were not held due to COVID concerns.  

  • The Annual Meeting was held virtually on November 13, with guest speaker Jana Milbocker, author of The Garden Tourist’s New England.

2020

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

  • Awarded $7,151 in grants to 20 projects across the state

  • The UConn Master Gardener Class of 2020 received $6,000 in scholarships

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

  • The 2020 27th Anniversary Symposium was cancelled due to COVID 19, rescheduled for 2021.

  • Nursery Day at McCue Gardens attracted 111 attendees raising $1,057.

  • July Summer Safari and Semi-Annual Meeting included a President's message video and a video tour of Raspberry Knoll Farm.

ORGANIZATIONAL & COMMUNICATIONS

  • CMGA Board adopted new technology for holding virtual events

  • Enhancements to ctmga.org website included enhancements to secure payment and introduction of “Member Happenings” Blog

2019

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

  • The UConn Master Gardener Class of 2019 received $6,000 in scholarships

  • Awarded over $7,200 in grants to 26 projects across the state in 2 rounds due to high demand

  • CMGA Board implemented new criteria as part of a new Grants Evaluation Procedure

    1. Strong educational component

    2. Accessible to the public or non-profit it serves

    3. General number of people potentially supported

    4. Long term benefits

    5. Number of MGs/Interns involved in the project

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

  • The 2019 26th Anniversary Symposium had 300 attendees at Connecticut College and raised $5,178

  • June Worm Day in Middlesex County attracted 25 attendees

  • July Summer Safari and Semi-Annual Meeting included speaker Shari Forster and tours of Wakeman Town Farm, Blau Gardens in Westport with 50 in attendance

ORGANIZATIONAL & COMMUNICATIONS

  • A new CMGA website was developed and implemented: ctmga.org

  • New website platform (SquareSpace) offers enhanced security

  • Easily accessed and read on all devices

2018

Grants & Scholarships

  • Master Gardener class scholarships –$6,000

  • Master Gardener grants to coordinators –$6,750 ($750 to each coordinator)

  • Master Gardener outreach grants ‐ $8,425 to 26 projects

Events & Activities

  • 25th Anniversary Annual Symposium – 360+ attendees, $2,000+ raised

  • July 11 Summer Garden Safari and Semi‐annual Meeting to 3 private gardens in Litchfield County, 89 attended

  • Hometown Habitat film screening at 3 locations (Litchfield, Fairfield and New Haven counties)

  • Nursery Day at McCue Gardens in Wethersfield on June 13 raised $683

  • Annual Meeting in Hartford County at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford with speaker Kirsten Martin

  • Sale of Spearhead Spades raised $432

  • Commemorative Daylily sale raised $716

  • Book sales at the 2018 Symposium raised $682

  • Sold discount tickets to the CT Flower & Garden show as a service to our members

Organizational & Communications

  • Changed the CMGA newsletter, The Laurel, to an online format to decrease costs

  • Increased membership dues from $20 to $30 effective in 2019

  • Website redesign project began

  • Transitioning to Google GSuite

2017

Grants & Scholarships

  • Awarded 12 scholarships

  • MG Scholarships budget increased from $3,500 to $6,000

  • Awarded over $6,400 to 24 outreach projects

  • Extension Center Grants budget increased from $500 to $750

Events & Activities

  • Annual Symposium - 336 attendees, $6,700 raised

  • May 4 bus trip to Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA and the Variegated Foliage Nursery in Ashford, CT

  • Summer Safari and Semi-Annual Meeting on August 24, to Ender’s Island and Kentford Farms in Mystic, CT.  100 people attended

  • Hometown Habitat documentary film screening at 4 locations (Tolland, Windham, New Haven, Middlesex)

  • Nursery Day at McCue Gardens in Wethersfield on May 27 raised $408

  • Annual Meeting held in Litchfield County with speaker Lars Demander

  • Commemorative Daylily sale raised $424

  • Sales of Spearhead Spades raised $916

2016

Grants & Scholarships

  • Master Gardener class scholarship –$3,500

  • Master Gardener grants to coordinators –$4,500 ($500 to each coordinator)

  • Master Gardener outreach grants ‐ $6,000 budgeted; increased to $8,000

Events & Activities

  • March 19 Annual Symposium –350+ attendees, $6,000+ raised

  • July 23 Summer Garden Safari and Semi‐annual Meeting held in Windham County

  • August 2 CMGA board meeting at Colchester Town Hall, followed by tour of Cohen Woodlands Butterfly Garden

  • Joined the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut as an affiliate

  • Connecticut College Arboretum member rate for all CMGA members for Smaller American Lawns Today (SALT) Conference

Organizational & Communications

  • CMGA volunteers donated 35,643 hours of community service to towns and cities across the state

  • No increase in membership dues, Symposium fee, or Summer Safari fee for 13th straight year

  • CMGA online merchandise store implemented

2015

Grants and Scholarships

  • Provided almost $8,000 in grants for over two dozen projects across our state

  • Enhanced our grant application process for better service

Events and Activities

  • Hosted the Annual Symposium March 21 with over 350 attendees

  • Held our August Board meeting at Buck Lodge in the Connecticut College Arboretum’s Native Plant Collection

  • Co-Sponsored the Smaller American Lawns Today (SALT) Conference at Connecticut College

  • Hosted an ice cream social for MG classes 2014/15 at the UConn Farm Tour

  • Organized the July Summer Garden Safari to two wonderful gardens in Fairfield County

  • Hosted the Annual Meeting at the Tolland Agricultural Center with featured speaker Judith Dreyer

Communications

  • Expanded the CMGA website to include more information and resources

  • Watched our Facebook participation grow: - over 500 photos added - over 2,000 postings – over 81,000 views of posts - over 2,000 post feedbacks

Organizational/Administrative

  • Seven new members joined our Board

  • Awarded Billy Baxter and Marge Bingham lifetime memberships

2014

Grants & Scholarships

over $13,000 was given out in 2014

  • Grants – over $5,000 was budgeted for MG Intern and MG projects across CT

  • MG Intern Scholarships – $3,500

  • MG Coordinator grants – $500 ($4,500 total) to each MG Coordinator

  • No increase in dues, Symposium fee, and Semi-Annual Meeting fee

  • The Laurel
    Autumn edition featured a new letterhead designed by Editor Alicia Cornelio. 60% of CMGA members now receive The Laurel online only. Expanded Summer and Fall editions

Events and Activities

  • March 15 Annual Symposium – Over 300 attendees, raised over $6,000

  • June 7 Private Tour of the Connecticut College Arboretum

  • July 26 Summer Garden Safari – appearance on WLIS (CT Outdoors with Suzanne Thompson)

  • November 2 FREE Annual Meeting Featured Speaker: Glenn Dreyer author of CT Notable Trees

  • 31 CMGA Retail Partners

  • Fourth MG Coordinator/CMGA Board Potluck Lunch

  • Lifetime Membership for John Carlson (we now have 6 Lifetime Members). All Lifetime Members receive free CMGA memberships, free admission to the Annual Symposium and the Summer Garden Safari

  • CMGA Giveaways at the Annual Meeting and all MG graduations

  • CMGA Board Meetings held in Bethel and CAES Research Farm in Griswold

  • CMGA Facebook Page Over 2,500 postings

2013

Grants & Scholarships

Over $12,000 was given out in 2013

  • Grants – over $6,000 was budgeted for MG Intern and MG projects across CT

  • MG Intern Scholarships – $3,500

  • MG Coordinator grants – $300 ($2,700 total) to each MG Coordinator

  • No increase in dues, Symposium fee, and Semi-Annual Meeting fee

  • More than half our members have opted to receive The Laurel online instead of mailed hardcopy

Events and Activities

  • March 23 Annual Symposium – Almost 370 attendees, raised over $10,000

  • July 20 Summer Garden Safari – close to 60 attendees

  • November 9 FREE Annual Meeting Featured Speaker: Pam Cooper author of A Wild Safari into the CT Landscape

  • 31 CMGA Retail Partners

  • Third MG Coordinator/CMGA Board Potluck Lunch

  • Lifetime Membership for Paul Grimmeisen (we now have 5 Lifetime Members). All Lifetime Members receive free CMGA memberships, free admission to the Annual Symposium and the Summer Garden Safari

  • CMGA Giveaways at the Annual Meeting and all MG graduations

  • CMGA Board Meetings held at Goodwin Forest and Waxman

  • CMGA Facebook Page Over 2,000 postings

  • Joined TechSoup and Restaurant Depot (free) to reduce technology and event costs

  • Began transitioning accounting to Quickbooks

2012

Grants & Scholarships

$12,000 was given out in 2012 (Over 25% more than 2011)

  • Grants – over $6,000 was given for MG Intern and MG projects across CT

  • MG Intern Scholarships – $3,500

  • MG Intern Scholarships - $3,500

  • MG Coordinator grants – $300 ($2,700 total) to each MG Coordinator

Events and Activities

  • March 24 Annual Symposium – Over 370 attendees, raised over $9,000

  • June 19 FREE Evening of Wine and Roses, Elizabeth Park

  • Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UConn signed

  • July 21 Summer Garden Safari – over 80 attendees

  • August 23 Flash Mob Planting, Hebron Fairgrounds

  • November 3 FREE Annual Meeting 25th Anniversary Celebration. Featured Speaker: Kevin Wilcox, Silver Spring Nursery

  • 25 CMGA Retail Partners

  • Second MG Coordinator/CMGA Board Potluck Lunch

  • Partnership with CAES Associates, co-sponsor CIPWG Invasive Plant Symposium

  • Lifetime Memberships for Ellen Morse, Enid Sherman and Bob Sherman. All Lifetime Members receive free CMGA memberships, free admission to the Annual Symposium and the Summer Garden Safari

  • Presenting 101 – FREE classes for Master Gardeners and Master Composters

  • CMGA Giveaways at the Annual Meeting and all MG graduations

Communications

  • 25 years of CMGA newsletters (1987 – 2012) collected, logged and posted on the CMGA website

  • CMGA Board Meetings held at the Bartlett Arboretum, New Haven County Extension Center and the New London County Extension Center

  • Appearance on WLIS/WMRD’s CT Outdoors with Suzanne Thompson

  • CMGA Facebook Page – Photos from all CMGA events Photos from 2012 MG and Master Composter graduations

2011

Grants and Scholarships

  • Grants – almost $4,000 in grants for over two dozen MG Intern and MG projects across CT

  • MG Intern Scholarships – $3,000

Events and Activities

  • March 26 Annual Symposium – Over 300 attendees, raised over $1,000

  • Lifetime Memberships for John Neff and Marie Dube – a new annual effort to recognize significant contributors to CMGA

  • June 15 FREE Elizabeth Park Rose Garden Tour

  • Presenting 101 – FREE classes conducted in 4 counties, over 100 attendees

  • FREE Connecticut College Arboretum Tours

  • June 25 tour attended by both CT and RI MGs

  • July 7 FREE Ice Cream Social for 2010/2011 MG Intern UConn Farm Tour

  • First MG Coordinator/Board Potluck Lunch

  • July 23 Summer Safari – over 70 attendees, raised over $600

  • Oct 16 FREE Victorian Naturalist Walk, Goodwin Forest

  • CMGA Jacket Giveaway at all MG graduations across CT

  • Nov 5 FREE Annual Meeting – Featured speaker Rob Durgy, door prizes and more!

  • Nov 19 Elizabeth Park Close the Rose Garden Volunteer Opportunity

Communications

  • Expanded CMGA website (over 60 pages) includes MG events in Ext Offices, online Registration/payment for all events/membership, downloadable membership card, CMGA financial info available

  • The Laurel – members can now opt out of receiving a mailed copy

  • CMGA Facebook Page – articles, photos, upcoming events

  • Photos from all 2011 MG graduations and CMGA events

Organizational/Administrative

  • Monthly CMGA Board Meetings held around the state:

  • 2011: Bartlett Arboretum (Fairfield County), Goodwin Forest (Windham County), Tolland County Extension Center

  • Liaison program enhancing partnership with Extension Centers

  • CMGA Partner Discounts – 3 new retailers added this year

  • Bylaws/Board Manual – streamlined and standardized the bylaws, developed a board manual, formalized audit review process