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crocosmia_mn

Minneapolis and St. Paul garden clubs?

crocosmia_mn
18 years ago

Should I join a garden club? Which one and why?

Thanks!

Nancy

Comments (7)

  • Greenthumb
    18 years ago

    Nancy,
    Well, the club you join will depend on your interests.

    Some garden clubs are very plant-specific while other garden clubs are not.

    Yes, you should join a garden club because you will meet people with the same plant-passion that lives inside you.

    My friends think I'm nuts because of my passion for plants, and my friends don't understand my passion, but the people in the garden clubs DO understand and it's nice to be able to talk plants with someone and not have them look at me like I'm from another planet. (:o)

    You will also have access to plants unavailable to someone who is not in a garden club. There is quite a bit of plant trading that goes on in garden clubs and sometimes some of the plants that are available are quite rare or unusual.

    I believe that the Minnesota state horticulture society has a listing of all of the garden clubs in the state with their respective contact people. I think you will be surprised at the number of garden clubs that exist in MN.

    The MN Landscape Arboretum has a day during the spring (March or April) where they invite garden clubs to pass out literature (and sell plants) to let the public know that these garden clubs exist. You might want to contact the arboretum to find out what date this event will take place during 2006.
    Good luck,
    Mike

  • leftwood
    18 years ago

    I echo everything Mike says. Except I am not sure that the Minnesota Horticultural Society's list is all inclusive. But it's a good place to start. If you want to pursue the Arboretum event he speaks of, it is called the spring Information Fair. You will also find that if you choose a Society that focuses on a particular kind of plant, the Hosta Society for instance, almost no member will only grow hosta. You will be able to learn a lot about other plants too.

  • luvmydaisies
    18 years ago

    I belong to a garden club in the town I live in and I just love it. It is a lot of fun to get together with people and talk garden talk and to trade plants. Like Mike said some of the garden clubs that are assoiciated with the MN Hort. Society are listed on their site.

  • crocosmia_mn
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks! The Spring information Fair is is good idea. I know a little about some of the St. Paul clubs because I go on their summer garden tours and now, of course, I wish I'd thought to talk with some of the members about their clubs.

    I have been to some of the meetings of the Garden Club of Ramsey County and the Longfellow Garden Club, which seem to be the only clubs that advertise their speakers in the newspaper -- do other clubs have good garden talks that are open to the public? Do different clubs have different styles or characters that you know about? There are just so many to choose from! If you live in St. Paul, what made you choose the club you belong to?

  • leftwood
    18 years ago

    So far at the Arb spring Information Fair, "grass roots" garden clubs have not participated. Not sure why. It may be that the coordinator feels space is limited. It has been societies like, Gladiolus, Conifer, Rock Garden, Houseplant, Lily, Herb, Rose, Bonsai, Peony, etc. Usually master gardeners and Minnesota State Hort. Soc. too.

    I venture that most smaller garden clubs do not have the finances to bring in quality speakers every time like Ramsey County. Washington County Hort Society is another good one for speakers of interest across the board. Many gardeners belong to multiple clubs. Several in my Rock Garden Society belong the Garden Club of Ramsey County. Did you know it use to be the Men's Garden club . . . ? You still have to be sponsored by a member to join that one, I think.

    I would also imagine there are different "styles" too. But all I can say for sure is that there are differing levels of activity. The Rock Garden Society has 5 meetings a year and a banquet (each with speakers), plus 2 plant sales, a garden tour and usually an out of town tour. Other clubs might only have one or two meetings a year.

    Rick

  • leaveswave
    18 years ago

    Here's ones that I am or have been involved in. You could check them out and see if you're interested in their focus/activities/members...

    Wild Ones

    Ornamental Grass Society

    Master Gardeners (stretching the definition a bit)

    Stewards for Greening Plymouth

  • dede_antonelliadv_com
    13 years ago

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