A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BOYNTON BEACH GARDEN CLUB
Eighty plus years and still going strong!
Back in 1938, Boynton Beach was a small village shaking off its farming roots, growing into a thriving town with civic pride and great ambitions.
A small group of women banded together to form the Boynton Beach Garden Club, organized by its first president Bertha Chadwell. The club’s goal was to encourage home and civic beautification; the goals today are versions of the same, though greatly expanded.
One of the club’s early projects was the planting of trees. The old Boynton Beach High School, located at Seacrest and Ocean, received two magnificent Ceiba pentrandra trees (of the Kapok family). Decades later, Boynton’s Town Square Redevelopment Project endangered the survival of the area’s prized trees, including one the club had planted. In 2020, our club, along with other civic organizations, saved the surviving 55-foot tall, 65 year-old tree from destruction. A two-year project, which required the pruning of roots and limbs, used a crane to move the kapok tree across the street—where it can be enjoyed today!
Another early project was to have a proper cemetery. Members worked tirelessly on the project for years, and in 1952, the club turned that cemetery over to the City of Boynton Beach.
Club members started a fine collection of horticultural books that was eventually incorporated into Boynton Beach’s first public library.
In 1953, the Boynton Beach Garden Club expanded its horizons to state and national levels when it became a member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, and thus a member of the National Garden Clubs.
At one time, Route 1 was the only highway to run up the eastern coast. When it was widened and named Federal Highway, Boynton Beach Garden Club undertook the planting and maintaining of two full miles of it. In 1968, we also donated a Blue Star Memorial Marker, which was placed at the northern edge of the city to honor the country’s servicemen and women. The marker has since been renovated and the site landscaped. Our members participate in an annual ceremony at the site every November to honor veterans.
Today, the club works together with the City of Boynton Beach to maintain a number of community gardens and various other beautification efforts around the city. We meet once a month, always with an interesting program. Several times a year, we have hands-on workshops and get togethers for fundraisers, enjoy bus trips, carpool trips, and much more.
If you have a love of flowers, gardening, and conservation, we invite you to join us. New members enjoy the club for its informal, informative gatherings, as well as the opportunity for new experiences and friendships.
We look forward to continuing our rewarding journey!