"Nobody sees a flower really; it is so small. We haven't time; and to see, takes time - like to have a friend, takes time." - Georgia O'Keefe
About Us
In 1931 The Garden Club of Palm Beach was admitted to membership in The Garden Club of America. Among their activities, during the early years, the members planted the palms along Royal Palm Way, replanted the Lake Trail after severe hurricane damage, addressed the problems posed by proliferation of billboards, advocated for more green spaces within the town and took over the maintenance of The Society of the Four Arts Garden, a lovely tropical oasis located behind the Maurice Fatio-designed Four Arts Library.
After World War II, Garden Club members rallied to enforce strict zoning regulations in Palm Beach, including height limitations on new buildings. The beauty of the rare and exotic trees on the island prompted the Garden Club to urge the Town Council to propose legislation that would preserve and protect them. The Historic and Specimen Tree Act (Ordinance No. 2-73) passed in March 1973.
The Garden Club of Palm Beach continues to focus its attention on conservation, civic improvement and horticulture. On the national and state level, we have promoted legislative action towards the restoration of the Everglades. On the local level, we continue to provide financial and board support to the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, which was initially started by a member of our club. In 1973 we received the Founders Fund Award from The Garden Club of America for the creation of the “Teaching Marsh” program at the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center. The three-acre teaching marsh serves students from both the Palm Beach County School System and Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. In 1981 The Garden Club of America gave its Zone VIII Conservation Award to The Garden Club of Palm Beach for its continued vigilance and support of the Pine Jog Environmental Education Center. We were honored to again receive that award in 2006 for our club’s efforts in the restoration of the Everglades.
Garden Club members attend town meetings and participate in the discussion whenever the Town Council’s agenda addresses conservation, preservation or town beautification issues. Our club supports The Mounts Botanical Garden, The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach and The Flagler Museum. We continue to maintain the Demonstration Garden at The Society of The Four Arts. We created an annual Arbor Day celebration which includes visits to local schools, where we present a program on the history and significance of Arbor Day. Students from each school also participate in a tree planting ceremony. Our club created the xeriscape garden area in Bradley Park and the drought-tolerant landscaped circles along the median of Royal Poinciana Way.
Our members take part in horticulture and flower arranging workshops as well as field trips. Our monthly meetings present speakers on topics of interest to our club’s mission. We have published “The Garden Club of Palm Beach Cook Book” (1967) and a horticulture book entitled “Gardens By The Sea” (1999). A monthly newsletter, “The Green Sheet,” keeps our members informed about our activities and projects. The Garden Club of Palm Beach cherishes its past and is actively involved in our present community while it works to plan for the future.
- Text by Jean R. Matthews and Heather Henry
GARDEN CLUB OF PALM BEACH LINKS
We proudly support the following organizations and encourage you to visit their sites:
Pine Jog Environmental Education Center
National Tropical Botanical Garden