Gov. Henry McMaster has issued a proclamation recognizing the Garden Club of Aiken’s centennial.
The Garden Club of Aiken was established in 1924 when a small group of women met at Rose Hill, the home of Mrs. Sheffield Phelps. At that first meeting in March 1924, the club’s course for the future of community support and civic beautification was set.
In its first year, the club organized a rose show. The proceeds of which were used for the purchase of a lantern, or slide projector, that would be available for use by the County Home Demonstration Agent.
Today, the club’s fundraisers support scholarships for students and community horticultural projects.
The club has been instrumental in preserving South Carolina’s rich horticulture history, donating rare horticultural book collections to the Caroliniana Library at the University of South Carolina, the South Carolina Library Society and the Aiken County Public Library.
Additionally, the club has maintained the minutes for every meeting since its inception, and in honor of its centennial, will digitize those minutes for preservation for future generations of gardeners.
Members of the Garden Club of Aiken have always been active as Aiken’s civic leaders. Since its inception, the club has campaigned against unattractive signs, destruction of Aiken’s parkways, littering and destruction of holly trees at Christmas.
The club has campaigned against development projects that destroy the natural beauty of Aiken and the state. As early as 1936, the women in the garden club of Aiken were contacting elected officials about the protection of green and natural spaces. The Garden Club of Aiken has long been a champion for Aiken’s parks and public spaces.
The garden beds surrounding the Aiken County Public Library — which the club first planted in the late 1990s and have maintained — received state and national recognition for beautification of a historic building. A garden created at the Aiken County Historical Museum to honor the club's founder received an award from the Historic Aiken Foundation, as well as state and national recognition.
In 2015, club members rallied the community in conservation efforts for the protection of Champion Tree Maid Marion. This initiative has led to the development of a survey of Aiken’s diverse and impressive trees. In 2023, the club was recognized as a silver contributor to the Hitchcock Woods Foundation for its donation towards an educational interactive walking trail.
The Garden Club of Aiken is a legacy club, blessed with a distinguished heritage. Members are stewards of cherished traditions that are held in trust for future gardeners. The club is dedicated to promoting the love of gardening, community service and beautification, increasing the knowledge of horticulture and to the protection and preservation of natural resources.
The club is a member of the Garden Club of America and National Garden Club.
