In March 1907, a group of friends met one afternoon to talk over the possibility of a garden lovers club. Before they separated, “The Gardeners” was organized. A paper was to be read at each meeting, the hostesses’ garden was to be inspected and enjoyed, and tea was to be served. The dues were fixed at 25 cents a year and the membership was limited to 25.
Before three years were up, the membership had increased to 30, and in 1912, the Gardeners had grown to 35. The papers read at meetings became wider in scope, sometimes featuring outside speakers. Even in those early the small beginnings of present day activities could be seen. An annual plant exchange between members was held; a desire for civic improvement was fulfilled in planting a small garden around the bandstand in Bryn Mawr Park. Joint meetings were held with the Weeders and Garden Club of Philadelphia which lead to the eventual founding of the Garden Club of America in 1913.
In 1921 The Gardeners took part in the Rittenhouse square Flower Market for the first time, and in 1924 the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society first asked four garden clubs to cooperate in staging their flower shows. At the first Inter-Club Show held June 6th in Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, the Gardeners won a silver cup for the best collection of perennials
The Junior Gardeners were formed in 1924. They were a group of young women interested in learning about gardening under the auspices of the parent club but with their own organization and separate meetings. This club proved a huge success and when the juniors had grown in size, as well as experience, it was decided to merge the two clubs. In 1930, The Garden Club of America consented to the Gardeners and Juniors combining into one organization with a membership of 90.
Since the 1930’s, the focus of The Gardeners has remained the same, despite changes in individual lifestyles and in the world at large. Although meeting are now only held once a month, (in 1924 there were reportedly 24 regular meetings in 15 months!), they have remained interesting, with many outside speakers covering a wide variety of topics including horticulture, conservation, landscaping floral design and photography. The program is further enriched by many hands-on workshops, on topics form propagation to niche design, as well as an annual club photography show and twice-yearly club flower shows. Some meetings are still held in member’s homes, however community centers, parish halls and libraries with spaces large enough to hold a flower show are also used. To accommodate young mothers, morning meetings, followed by refreshments have replaced the leisurely teas of of the early organizers.
The Gardeners have always valued civic engagement. For many years, the club maintained plantings at the Ludington Library, which was built as a memorial to one of our early members. The Gardeners also supported the Mary Helen Lloyd Evergreen Trail at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. In 1950, The Gardeners won the Founders Fund Award which provided the Preserve with a much-needed small pond. A more recent commitment for the club involved the replanting and maintenance of several garden areas at The Grange, a historic property in Haverford Township that had been the home of another former member, Mrs. Benjamin Hoffman.
Today, Individual members assist in the maintenance of other area gardens, including the Magnolia Tribute Garden, and the Physic Garden at Pennsylvania Hospital. Our newest civic engagement initiative is at Stoneleigh, formerly a private estate in Villanova now managed by Natural Lands Trust, where our enthusiastic group of volunteers meets monthly to help maintain Stoneleigh’s native gardens.
For several years, The Gardeners have been decorating the Ronald McDonald House for Halloween, and the Fairmount Park Houses for annual Christmas tours. In December and April, small arrangements are made and distributed to local nursing homes and senior centers. Currently an annual plant sale is held in May with proceeds donated to the GCA Scholarship Committee which supports scholars training in the field of Horticulture. Members of the club continue to take part in the Philadelphia Flower Show with club entries, as individual exhibitors, or as volunteers.
Environmental Issues have always been important to The Gardeners. Members continue to stay abreast of and advocate for environmental concerns. The attend GCA National Affairs and Legislation Conferences in Washington, DC and personally petition legislators. In the 1920’s, the issues were roadside planting, and billboard control. Now the concerns have grown to include sustainability, pollinator destruction and climate change.
In April 2007, the Gardener’s celebrated its one Hundredth Anniversary with a party and flower show at the Radnor Hunt Club. Today, that affair seems an idyllic memory. The 2020 Covid Pandemic brought new challenges to our club. Not being able to meet in person, we had to conduct meetings, business, and photography shows virtually on Zoom, as we continued diligently with our own personal gardens. As vaccinations became available, we began to meet in small groups and to take part in outside civic engagement projects as well as floral design, horticulture, and photography workshops.
Throughout these changing times, The Gardeners have creatively pursued the same interests with the same dedication that began with the founders, that is, engaging in our love of horticulture and design with friends and with the wider community. One thing that has certainly changed forever: the 25 cent dues.
