With a $1,000 donation from the Gardening Club of Madison, the Scranton Library is launching a number of virtual and in-person events for those looking to green their thumb. Library Director Sunnie Scarpa said the donation will allow for a number of programs that would not be funded otherwise.

“The Garden Club of Madison has been investing in the Scranton Library for years and thanks to them we have an impressive collection of books on gardening and related topics. We are so pleased to have them partner with us to add more environmental and horticultural programming to our plans for 2022,” said Scarpa. “We know we have a lot of community members interested in these topics and we’re excited to have them join us at these upcoming events.”

Adult Services Librarian Rachel Taylor said the donation is vital for the library to offer programs to Madison and to ensure that the library’s programs remain vibrant.

“The donation enables us to do a whole lot more than we were doing in terms of gardening. Gardening is something that people are definitely interested in in Madison. They have always showed up for our gardening programs in the past,” said Taylor. “Not only does that money cover gardening, it covers environmental programming, too, so the donation is very versatile and very flexible in the way that we can use it.

“There is such intense interest in gardening in Madison. It is such a psychologically beneficial activity. It is a really healthy and wonderful activity that really helps with your state of mind. It really develops positive energy,” Taylor continued. “And that is definitely something that we as a library want to promote.”

This past fall, the library worked with local gardener Samantha Pullaro, whose programs will continue thanks to the garden club support. Pullaro said that Madison has a number of avid gardeners and everyone should avail themselves of these programs, especially if they are new to the activity.

“I think people who live here enjoy the microclimate that the shoreline provides. You can grow some very different things than you can in the rest of Connecticut. It is very therapeutic,” said Pullaro. “They say getting your hands in the dirt can be therapeutic, you are getting out in the sun, working in nature and there is a de-stressor to it. I think that people just really enjoy the creatures and plants that surround them. It can be very soothing. For me personally, it is very mesmerizing.”

The donation will also allow for several other unique programs, including an upcoming virtual event, hosted by a master gardener from England. On Feb. 2, Scranton will sponsor author and horticulturalist Carol Chernega, who is the former curator of the garden at Jane Austen’s historical home and an expert of English gardens, their history, and care.

Taylor said the funding may also allow the library to provide free give aways for gardening events, such as seeds and possibly plants.

“The donation will let us bring Samantha’s programs to the nth degree. We can do so much more with them now that we have this generous donation,” Taylor said. “There are so many ways to use this money, we can bring in people who aren’t local for programming. This money lets us be flexible and is so important to our overall mission. This is a very generous gift.”

Below are two of the presentations Pullaro will be offering in the spring with funding provided by the Garden Club of Madison.

The New Lawn: Landscaping for Long Island Sound in coordination with Judy Preston, Long Island Sound coordinator for the Connecticut Sea Grant, is on Saturday, March 12 at 10 a.m. Participants will be encouraged to redefine the way they value their yard landscape: What used to be designed for curb appeal and weekend puttering for many now has the capacity to deliver so much more. Living in the watershed of Long Island Sound, an estuary of national significance, means that what residents do really does make a difference.

Understanding the Lawn: Site, Management, and the Weather is on Saturday, March 26 at 11 a.m. Pamm Cooper from the UConn Home and Garden Education Center will teach participants how to choose and care for the right grass for the right site. She’ll explain how the weather over the past two years affected certain species already stressed by poor management decisions and teach basic lawn care, best fertilizer practices, and how grass works.

Visit the Scranton memorial library’s website www.scrantonlibrary.com for more information and to find their schedule for gardening events.