Monday, April 14, 2014

The Importance of Garden Clubs

Garden Clubs have been a very important aspect of our communities since their emergence in the late 1800’s. Garden clubs provide many positive contributions to their communities in which they reside. They effectively address current environmental issues such as climate change and other environmental concerns. Some of the projects that garden club members take part in include: aiding in the protection and conservation of natural resources, promoting civic beautification and encouraging the improvement of roadsides and parks, encouraging the establishment and maintenance of botanical gardening, advancing the study of gardening and cooperating with other organizations furthering the interest of horticulture, conservation and environmental protection and beautification. Today’s Garden Clubs are globally focused but emphasize the importance of supporting local gardening. Additionally, some of the local projects that Garden club members frequently take on include: park and vacant lot rehabilitations, community gardening, recycling and pollution control efforts as well as local, historic-site preservation.

Garden clubs all over the country join together at both the state and national levels to form strong networks for sharing ideas and advancing common interests in order to achieve mutual goals. Garden club members have a powerful voice that can be heard from coast-to-coast and used to help further each of their community goals. Further, many garden clubs provide educational program for children, teens and young adults in their communities. For example, these clubs often provide youth gardening and school garden projects. These clubs often offer scholarships to the youth in their community for high school students who create outstanding civic projects in such areas as the environment, conservation, landscape, horticulture, recycling or gardening therapy. These Garden Clubs have bestowed many important contributions to their local communities for many years and remain an important aspect in furthering national as well as state and local environmental issues.

-Courtney Staci, Legal Intern