Membership
Join the Gainesville Garden Club
Because our club is large, the Gainesville Garden Club members have the option of joining one of six different Circles or may also be a General Member of the Club. The Circles meet at varying times on the fourth Thursday of each month from September through May unless impractical due to holidays in which case, the meetings may be moved back 1 week. The meeting place may change from month to month as programs often include visits to area gardens or activities. There are meetings and workshops at the Garden Club during the year with educational programs of wide interest for all members and guests. Check our calendar on the Events page for dates and topics. Members elect a Board of Directors that includes the GGC President, 1st and 2nd Vice-Presidents, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary, and a Treasurer.  Chairs of each of our 6 Circles, elected along with other Circle officers by their members also serve on the Board of Directors. The President can appoint members as Chairs of a variety of Standing Committees to meet specific needs of GGC. Together they manage the calendar of events, the facilities, the rentals, and many special projects. The GGC is entirely a volunteer-run, non-profit organization with no paid staff or directors. As a member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, our members have opportunities to participate in events at a district, state and national levels. In our District V, there are two meetings a year hosted by various clubs in the north central Florida area. The Gainesville Garden Club is 99 years old and proud of the long history and legacy of education and civic involvement. Read our history for a glimpse of the role our members have played in making Gainesville a wonderful community.
99 YEARS AND STILL BLOOMING! On September 11, 1924, eight ladies met to organize a garden club to create a more beautiful city. This group ultimately was to become the Gainesville Garden Club and in 1927 became affiliated with the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. The Beginning When founding members created the club, they envisioned a small organization to further their garden research and to enhance city spaces. Because they did not have a place to meet, they gathered in members' homes which limited enrollment. However, by 1930 the new club was such a success that over 100 women had asked to join and garden circles were initiated. The first four circles were Founders, Azalea, Camellia and Oleander. Circles continue to meet monthly from September to May, and they now meet at the Garden Center in Gainesville or at other locations in the surrounding area. Early Years During the early years the Garden Club focused on civic projects and city planning and in the 1940's were active in providing assistance to servicemen and in sending packages overseas to war torn Europe. The Garden Club with other civic organizations worked together to establish a Community Cultural Center, a portion of which was allocated to the Garden Club for a library and meeting place; the Garden Club members landscaped and maintained the grounds of the Center. A New Home With the blossoming growth of the Garden Club, it soon became clear that a permanent location was needed. In 1968, four acres of land were donated by Dr. Lamar & Mrs. Louise Roberts to build the current Garden Center. In the 1990's a generous endowment by Laura Carmichael allowed for the addition of a smaller building for more meeting space. The entire campus has been enhanced with several patios, walkways, gardens and a demonstration butterfly garden. These buildings continue to be the site of garden club meetings, lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions, and plant and garden sales as well as weddings and other special events. Today The Club is a self supporting, non-profit organization dedicated to education, beautification, and conservation. Each year, members work on over 2 dozen community projects together. The Community Efforts button below shows you the scope of efforts. GGC also fund-raises to sponsor youth enrollment at Camp Wekiva, a nature camp, and to send teenagers to SEEK, a conservation conference, both operated by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC). GGC also provides scholarships in horticulture and related fields.
There are many ways to meet us and participate: •   Reach out via our "Contact" page and let us know your interests. •   Sign up for the next Fun With Flowers on our "Events" page. You'll leave with a wonderful floral display of your own design and meet many of our members. These workshops are held every 2 months and cost $25. •   Look for us at the Kanapaha Spring Garden Festival - we operate the Children's Corner to show kids the fun in gardening. •   Attend meetings. Dates are listed in the calendar on our Events page. •   Contact one of the Circle Chairmen on the "Our Circles" tab for more information or you can contact our Membership Chairman for more information on general membership in the Club. Annual Circle Dues - $49.00 for an individual and $51.00 per couple, General Members $49.00. Benefits of membership include: * Monthly meetings with wide variety of educational programs. * Garden tours. * An annual yearbook with members listed, calendar, and bylaws. * A subscription to the Florida Gardener magazine published four times a year by Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC). * A subscription to Gainesville Garden Club's e-newsletter, The Seedling. * Many opportunities to participate in flower shows, floral design classes, gardening study courses, and many gardening and floral related community service projects. We work with many local and state organizations to assist you in furthering your special interests. Our wealth of activities provides members choices to pursue different interests in learning and in service.
How We Connect The normal meeting days are the 4th Thursday of the month, September through May, except for November and December the day is moved to the 3rd Thursday of the month. The Circles posted below would welcome your contacting them for information on their programs and an invitation. General Member - These members do not belong to a specific Circle, but may attend all club-wide meetings and participate in any of the many activities of the club. New members not familiar with Circles, but wishing to join the GGC may come in as a General Member and move to a circle if they desire at any time. Most Circles are also open to having General Members attend their meetings and functions.
Our members have a love of plants and flowers along with a desire to learn more and to share that enthusiasm with others. Like gardens, we offer lots of variety for our members: * Participate with monthly educational programs, garden tours, demonstrations. * Volunteer with club activities. * Help create a heritage for the future with community projects. * Make new friends from "diggers to designers!". * Create alongside area designers at monthly, "Fun With Flowers". * Stay informed about Florida gardens and horticulture and opportunities to learn. Our members include long time Florida residents and those new to Gainesville, women and men, young people to seniors, working and retired.
