Members of the Milford Garden Club. (
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What makes Milford such a magical place? It has “small-town” charm, warm and welcoming people, a variety of delicious eateries and unique shops, shaded and remote parks, and numerous festivals and events. But, key among the reasons why Milford is so attractive stands the large urns on street corners gloriously planted with a variety of flowers. Where do they come from? The Milford Garden Club.
In 1937, several prominent women, who loved horticulture and design, came together and scheduled a flower show. Soon after, they began to dedicate their time to spreading the good news of beauty through flowers and plants. They established some planters through town and that tradition continues to this very day. Ethyl Barckley, a prominent activist and artist (to whom Barckley Park is dedicated) and Cornelia Pinchot were original members.
On May 23, over 20 members of the Milford Garden Club gathered to inaugurate the 2023 beautification season by planting urns throughout town, several of the parks (Barckley, Biddis, Veterans and Kennedy), as well as signature entry areas like the corner of Broad and Harford Street.
“It is a labor of love to beautify our town,” said Susan Brown, Beautification Chair. “We are thrilled to share our love of flowers and floral design.”
Members of the Milford Garden Club seek contributions from local merchants and citizens and also plan fundraisers throughout the year. Proceeds go directly to purchasing a variety to plants that qualify to be “thrillers, fillers and spillers.” This is a design principle where the center of the vessel is planted with a very tall, impressively flowering plant, followed by a lower growing plant that fills in the space and then a plant that drapes over the side.
For more information on the Milford Marden Club, email milfordgarden@gmail.com.