In October 1951, a group of 12 women came together and organized the Town & Country Garden Club. Today, the club is still going strong and making a difference in the Greene County community. With several community service projects throughout the community and local fundraising events, they uphold their club theme: “Learn. Grow. Together.”
“We are a small club, with membership carrying from around 12 to 24 members,” said Kay Bair, former president and current member. “Our objectives are to stimulate love and knowledge of gardening, to aid in the protection of native trees, plants, and birds, and to encourage civic planting in Rices Landing and the surrounding area.”
While they organized the club in 1951, they took the next step the following year, when they became a part of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (GCFP). By becoming a member of the GCFP, the Town & Country Garden Club would join a network of over 4,700 Garden Club members across the state of Pennsylvania. Membership also provides the club several opportunities, including being invited to the annual state convention, which was held this year in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Through the GCFP, the club is also a member of National Garden Clubs Inc. (NGC), which is the largest volunteer gardening organization in the world.
“By being a member of National Gardening Clubs Inc, our members have the opportunity to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered by the NGC,” said Bair. “They have different classes in Landscape Design, Flower Show School, and Gardening School among others. These courses are taught by instructors from the NGC or instructors who are approved by the NGC and are experts in their fields.”
At the local level, the Town & Country Garden Club has several projects throughout the local area. They help to maintain plantings at the Rices Landing traffic circle, “Plant it Pink” garden at the Cornerstone Care Clinic in Greensboro, the flower bed at the entrance of the Flenniken Memorial Library, and the flower bed in the Carmichaels town square. Along with these projects, they also offer a yearly $1,000 scholarship to assist students pursuing a career in the fields of ecology, conservation, landscape design, environmental studies, floriculture, or any field of conservation. Since 1990, they have awarded 32 scholarships to students in the local schools of Greene County. Kevin Willis was the first recipient of the award in 1991 and he continues that tradition by helping his students at Carmichaels Area High School continue studies in environmental exhibitions.
Besides the scholarship and different projects in the local area, the club plays a big role in producing flower shows. Since 2004, the club has produced seven different flower shows, with the latest being “Beauty in Nature”, an NGC Horticulture Specialty Flower Show in 2022. The Flenniken Public Library in Carmichaels hosted the event, and it was one of the many ways the club tries to connect with the community. This July, the club members will visit flower shows of neighboring garden clubs in Washington and Greene County.
The Town & Country Garden Club holds ten meetings per year on the third Thursday of the month at the Hewitt Presbyterian Church, 1206 Crucible Road, Rices Landing, PA, at 6 PM. New members are always welcome, so look for flyers at local businesses with information about their upcoming meetings. You can also find the club on Facebook at Town & Country Garden Club.