Home - New Canaan Beautification League

New Canaan’s Most
Beautiful Nonprofit

New Canaan’s Most
Beautiful Nonprofit

Events

Our diverse, fun, and informative monthly programs are free, and open to members and their guests.

Membership

We’re a fun-loving group of volunteers, and membership is open to all—no green thumb required.

Donations

Your tax-deductible donation to us helps support year-round, volunteer-led civic beautification.

Give Now

Everyone is Welcome to Join!

The New Canaan Beautification League is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the beauty of our town. Our hardworking volunteers fill New Canaan’s shared spaces with beautiful and beneficial plantings, and promote horticultural education for all of New Canaan.

Years of Service

We’ve been making New Canaan beautiful since 1939

Hanging Baskets

In our showstopping
summer displays

Traffic Triangles

Planted and maintained
by NCBL volunteers

Handmade Wreaths

Adorn the town each
holiday season

Unique Species

Of azaleas and rhododendrons bloom each May at Lee Garden

Volunteer Hours

Spent annually making New Canaan a more gorgeous town

ncbeautificationleague

Who else is inside on this wintery day today dream

Who else is inside on this wintery day today dreaming of Spring and getting outside more?! 🌱 The volunteers of NCBL certainly are! 🪴 We have kicked off our Annual Appeal that through your generous donations allows us to support the many projects we do around New Canaan like the over 225 hanging baskets that adorn our lampposts in town each year 💐We can’t do it without you! Please consider donating by visiting our website - link in bio 🌸 Thank you! #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #newcanaanbeautificationleague #livenewcanaan

Our Annual Appeal is officially underway! Here’

Our Annual Appeal is officially underway! Here’s why it’s always a great idea to support NCBL: 🌱 We work with the town to create the beautiful civic landscapes that New Canaan is known for 🪴Our monthly free, open-to-all worships and programs help over 700 people a year learn new garden skills 💐237 blooming hanging baskets are a sight to behold downtown each Summer 🍀We’re 200 volunteers dedicated to serving New Canaan in a variety of ways! Donate at the link in bio! #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan #ncbeautification

Please join us for this FREE Zoom program All Abou

Please join us for this FREE Zoom program All About Dahlias. Sean Corenki, Manager of The Garden Center in Darien, will tell us everything we need to know about cultivating these late-Summer stunners, including what varieties to grow, when and how to plant them, and how to overwinter your tubers. Link in bio to register. #ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan

Brrr, baby it’s cold outside! Stay cozy inside w

Brrr, baby it’s cold outside! Stay cozy inside with a cup of hot chocolate and join us for our January program via Zoom where Doug Tallamy will discuss ‘The Nature of Oaks’. Wednesday, January 4, 9:30-11:00am.

This program will be a Zoom webinar. To register for the webinar, click the link below...

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5r4NgMZ1RD2G8GFQ4S9Rew

After registering, you will receive an email with instructions on how to attend the webinar. Reminder emails will also be sent.
This event is open to all. Invite friends by directing them to the registration on our NCBL website homepage.
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Books available at Elm Street Books
https://www.elmstreetbooks.com/
Doug Tallamy
The Nature of Oaks

Oak trees support more species of animals, sequester more carbon, protect our watersheds, and nourish soil communities better than any other plant genus in North America. Scary headlines about the decline of the natural world that serves as our life support have spurred homeowners across the country to take action by planting natives that will help reverse this trend. No plant will achieve this faster than one of our 91 species of oaks.

Dr. Tallamy will discuss these roles by following the many fascinating things that are happening on the oaks in his yard each month of the year. His hope is to supply knowledge about oaks that will generate interest in them, and, with any luck, compassion for these magnificent trees.

#ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan

Are you bundled up and ready!?! Just a few more da

Are you bundled up and ready!?! Just a few more days until Christmas Eve where New Canaanites have gathered on God’s Acre since 1919 to sing carols around the town Christmas tree. NCBL volunteers continued the tradition as we do every year adorning the bandstand with festive greenery and bows. Pictured are Kathy Lapolla, Faith Kerchoff, Dan Eng, Bob Strong, Barbara O’Shea, Peter Murphy, and Jack the dog. Caroling begins at 6:30pm. We hope to see you out there! #ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan #christmastraditions

NCBL dropped off two festive reindeer to The Waven

NCBL dropped off two festive reindeer to The Waveny Inn to bring some holiday cheer to residents. They are at the front entrance greeting all the residents and visitors that pass by. #livenewcanaan #makingnewcanaanbeautiful

3 SPOTS JUST OPENED UP FOR TOMORROW (MONDAY, DEC 5

3 SPOTS JUST OPENED UP FOR TOMORROW (MONDAY, DEC 5). Gnome workshop @newcanaannaturecenter with gnome designer extraordinaire, @faithkerchoff Three spots have opened up for this workshop, Monday at 9:30am. All greens (recycled!) and material included as well as coffee for $45. If you want your very own gnome, this is your chance! Contact the Nature Center at 203-966-9577.

It’s beginning to look a lot like… The volunte

It’s beginning to look a lot like… The volunteer elves were busy today at our annual partnership with @newcanaangardenclub to put together the large wreaths that adorn our town buildings and the festive gnomes that will be placed in various spots in town. It’s one of our favorite events of the year! We couldn’t do it without the generosity of @newcanaannaturecenter who lets us use the greenhouse for set up and the Department of Public Works who will get them all put up in time for this weekend’s annual Holiday Stroll. Check them@out as you are out and about! #ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan #holidaygnomes

Thanks to our wonderful volunteers Yvonne, Faith,

Thanks to our wonderful volunteers Yvonne, Faith, Kathy and Lois for planting up Town Hall’s planters before we deck them out for the holidays. They will be all set for another spectacular Spring show! #ncbl #livenewcanaan

The NCBL’s November program was a huge success!

The NCBL’s November program was a huge success! We had over 80 attendees come out to see Terrance Rhodes of @florallandscapedesignsbyrhodes demonstrate three different container gardens for the upcoming season/holidays that three lucky raffles winners were able to take home. Our hospitality Committee as always had a lovely selection of nibbles and since this was an evening program - wine! We also honored long-term member and dedicated volunteer Jane Campbell with an Honorary Membership for all her years of service to the NCBL - thank you Jane! Terrance is truly a dedicated designer. His website is www.floralandlandscapedesignsbyrhodes.com Hope to see you at our future programs. They are all listed on our website at www.new Canaan beautification.org/programs #ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan

Check out the details for our upcoming EVENING pro

Check out the details for our upcoming EVENING program on November 2 and join us. Open to all! #ncbl makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan

Our 'Traveling Trowels' volunteers did a little so

Our 'Traveling Trowels' volunteers did a little something different this week. The town asked us to help plant some new plants at the Saxe front entrance in the circle where they did a new walkway at the beginning of school year. NCBL originally created and planted this entrance garden many years ago.

We planted Fothergilla Beaver Creek shrubs, Sporabolus heterolepis grasses (aka Prairie Drop Seed), and some Grape Hyacinths from the Library there. Designed by Keith Simpson. Both plants are interesting natives to consider for your yards. as they are drought hardy and low maintenance.

Many thanks to the New Canaan Department of Public Works for getting us started by digging the holes for the new plantings! @saxeptc @newcanaandpw #ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful

Another LobsterFest in the books! We were happy t

Another LobsterFest in the books! We were happy to support this annual event again this year by creating floral arrangements to adorn the space up@at the Steve Benko Pool. Hats off to our wonderful volunteers who helped make this happen! #newcanaanrotary #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #ncbl

New Canaan Rotary Club’s LobsterFest is just und

New Canaan Rotary Club’s LobsterFest is just under two weeks away. This annual event raises funds for many organizations in town. The New Canaan Beautification League will be on hand as usual adorning the tables with lovely arrangements details on how to get tickets below. Check it out and join in the fun! @newcanaanrotary #ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #lobsterfest

We were honored to receive a Civic Improvement Com

We were honored to receive a Civic
Improvement Commendation from the New Canaan Garden Club yesterday! Carol Seldin, exiting Co-President, and
Jill Ernst,
incoming Co-President, had the pleasure of accepting the award on NCBL's behalf. Below are Nancy Kalal's comments.
The GCA Club Civic Improvement Commendation is presented to an organization for outstanding efforts within the community which enhance, protect or restore the local environment or improve
the community through sharing the knowledge of plants and or gardening.

The New Canaan Beautification League, a local non-profit organization formerly known as the Garden Center of New Canaan was founded in 1939 and has now approximately 215 members, many
of whom are also members of the NCGC. Currently, this garden centric organization maintains 34 roadway triangles throughout New Canaan, donates over 200 colorful hanging baskets along the downtown streets and is responsible for various other plantings of Spring
bulbs and perennials scattered all over New Canaan. The Lee Garden, a gorgeous woodland garden full of colorful flowering perennials located on Chichester Road is also maintained by the NCBL.

For quite a few years, the NCGC has annually collaborated with the Beautification League in producing the large beautiful Christmas wreaths and planters made from greens cut from members’
gardens that can be found hanging on our Schools and Public buildings. In recent years, the NCBL has also produced the festive “Christmas Gnomes” that have popped up in different areas and have brought a smile to everyone’s face!

It is for these initiatives and many more that with great pleasure, the NCGC presents the GCA’s Club Civic Improvement Commendation to the New Canaan Beautification League.

Carol Seldin, a Current Co-President and Jill Ernst, the current vice president and incoming Co- President next year are here to receive the award…

The Citation reads “With appreciation and gratitude for their past and continued commitment to beautify and enhance the Town of New Canaan for over 80 years!

Congratulations to your and your Club! #ncbl #newcanaanbeautificationleague #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan

NCBL was honored to help plant a small garden for

NCBL was honored to help plant a small garden for the Steve Benko Pool at Waveny Park to honor the man who did so much for this town. #livenewcanaan #ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful

The ‘unveiling’ dedication for the renaming of

The ‘unveiling’ dedication for the renaming of Waveny Pool to ‘Steve Benko Pool’ is tomorrow (Saturday). All are welcome as we honor Steve’s lifelong dedication to New Canaan. Please join! #livenewcanaan

We were treated today during our June program to v

We were treated today during our June program to visit the Mather Homestead and a talk of its history by Executive Director of the Mather Homestead Foundation. Built@in 1778 and raided by the Tories during the American Revolution. It later became the home of Stephen Mather - and six generations of his descendants. Thank you to everyone who contributed in making this a special day! #ncbl #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan

Did you see us?!? Another Memorial Day in the book

Did you see us?!? Another Memorial Day in the books. We are honored to participate in this wonderful tradition and are energized by all the ‘thank yous’ for #makingnewcanaanbeautiful as we thank those who have served! #ncbl #newcanaanbeautificationleague #livenewcanaan

They’re here! Did you notice the hanging basket

They’re here! Did you notice the hanging baskets are up in town? We always hang them just ahead of Memorial Day for the season and in time for the parade. We do appreciate the NC Department of Public Works for getting them up on the lampposts. Walt is being modest hiding behind one of the flags that the Daughters of the American Revolution have put up. A great combination! #ncbl #newcanaanbeautificationleague #makingnewcanaanbeautiful #livenewcanaan

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