Camaraderie, learning, friendships, a chance to be artistic or play in the dirt—the Jacksonville Garden Club (JGC) has it all! JGC’s mission is “to promote beauty in our community and to conserve our natural resources by advancing the arts of gardening, landscape design, horticulture and floral design. We also strive to promote education and to provide activities that contribute to friendship and enjoyment among our members.”
Founded in 1939, the Club has been a champion of civic involvement in Jacksonville for nearly 80 years. Monthly meetings consist of a social time, a business meeting, a speaker on some aspect of gardening, or tours of exemplary local gardens and greenhouses.
As an all-volunteer organization, the Club has opportunities to help with programs, publicity, or as officers or committee chairs. For those inclined to hands-on activities, there are planting and clean-up sessions at the Post Office, Scheffel-Thurston Park, and the Veterans Memorial, as well as flower and greens arranging at the Spring Sale and Holiday Greens Sale. These events are a time for “all hands on deck” but also for great fun. Last December, members made over 250 arrangements from fresh greens, holly, ribbon, and cones while enjoying friendship, homemade soup, and good-natured ribbing. Proceeds from Club sales fund scholarships to area students and local beautification projects.
If you are interested in joining, attending a meeting, or donating funds to support our projects, contact Connie Bishop, JGC Treasurer, at bishophome@charter.net or (c) 530-953-9308. For photos, visit our Facebook page.