The Jacksonville Garden Club (JGC) has been one of the gems of civic involvement in Jacksonville for over 75 years. The Club is always seeking new members, both women and men, to get involved in a variety of interesting activities during its season, which runs from September to June. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at the Naversen Room in the Jacksonville Library and typically take about two hours, consisting of a social time, a business meeting and a speaker on some aspect of gardening. Last year’s topics included growing berries, plant propagation, nurturing air plants, art in the garden, and a tour of a local garden and greenhouse with many rare plants.
In addition to this educational function, the Club supports numerous civic beautification projects in our area and raises money for local scholarships through its Holiday Greens Sale in December and the Spring Sale in May. These events are a time for “all hands on deck” but also for great camaraderie.
Joining a garden club is generally simple and inexpensive but the benefits go far beyond the pleasure of growing things. Membership opens the doors to explore a wide range of common interests with other gardeners—having access to educational programs, growing food for personal use or community food banks, participating in service projects to beautify and preserve our community, promoting environmental stewardship, practicing artistic design in floral arranging, and simply having fun. A great reward at a modest price! If you are interested in joining the Club, or in attending a meeting to see what it’s all about, contact Connie Bishop, JGC Treasurer, at bishophome@charter.net or 530-953-9308. Visit our Facebook page to see photos of our activities.