Durham Garden Club

Federated in 1944 
Please send mail to 163R Middlefield Road Durham, Connecticut 06422  

 To promote interest and activity in all forms of gardening, to encourage education that will lead to keener appreciation of the advantages of garden development, and when possible, to use this knowledge for the betterment of our homes and our community.

The Durham Garden Club History
 By Florence C. Flynn, Historian, Revised 2009

    On March 23, 1933, twelve ladies interested in gardening gathered at the Durham Library with Mrs. Stanley Pardee of the Meriden Garden Club to organize a similar club in Durham. They were Mary Asman, Gertrude Atwell, Blanche Coe, Josephine H. Francis, Daisy Hall, Annie Page, Gertrude Page, Hattie Page, May Roberts, Mary Stone, Alice Strong, and Carrie Wilcox.
      An organizational meeting took place on April 14th electing Blanche Coe as president; Gertrude Atwell, treasurer; and Daisy Hall as secretary. The objectives of the club were stated as: “To promote interest and activity in all forms of gardening, to encourage education that will lead to keener appreciation of the advantages of garden development, and when possible to use this knowledge for the betterment of our homes and our community.”
     The first club project focused on the removal and elimination of the Mill Bridge dump. Since that time, the club’s main focus has been Civic Beautification.
     The Durham Garden Club has maintained a high level of activity and visibility throughout the years. Some of the most recent award winning projects includes The Triangle landscaping at the junction of Routes 79 & 17, Project 2000, The Greening of Main Street, The Hillside Project, Blue Star Marker and Gardens at the Town Hall, and their efforts to eliminate visual pollution by participating in Adopt-A-Road and eliminating unsightly billboards.
     It provides all the floral decorations displayed at Strong School Step-Up Day, District 13 Graduation and Memorial Day parade. The Artistic Design Committee participates in various floral competitions throughout the year including Festival of Trees and Fine Art and Flowers at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford.
      The Durham Garden Club raises revenue for all its projects from various events including Standard Flower Shows, Silver Teas, plant sales, as well as annual wreath sales. It gives it back to the community by providing quality programs involving lectures, school programs, and workshops about floral design, landscaping, horticulture, birding, and conservation. It donates books and media to the Durham Library and has been involved with their landscaping as well. A generous scholarship is also given to a local graduating high school senior who can further the aims and interest of The Durham Garden Club and The Federated Garden Clubs of CT.
     The Durham Garden Club promotes and encourages “green gardening” whenever possible by reusing, recycling, and using earth friendly products.
     The Durham Garden Club is a member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc., and The New England Region of National Garden Clubs, Inc. It meets on the second Thursday of every month except for July and August.
 Sources: 974.6 DUR. Century of Change 1866-1980; The Durham Historical Society, Durham, CT., Edited by Barbara Ryan