How to Start a Gardening Club

If you love gardening, belonging to a community of people who share your affinity for digging in the dirt is a wonderful pastime. You can share tips, ideas, seeds and cuttings as well as make new friends and learn something new.

Instructions

1. Check around to see if there is already a garden club in the area. If so, you might decide to join these gardeners instead of taking on the start-up of a new garden club. Check the National Garden Club's website, or ask around. If not, move on to the next step.

2. Find a location where your gardening club can meet. You might want to check with a locally owned garden supply store and see if they have an area you could use. Other possible locations include public libraries, churches, or you could rotate meeting at members' homes. You will also need to determine a time and day of the week or month that you will meet.

3. Go to places where you might find other gardeners. Being a gardener yourself, this will be easy for you! Head to garden supply stores and the like. Small nurseries might be your best bet, as avid gardeners tend to frequent these retailers more than "big box" stores. Ask if you can post a flyer or 3-inch by 5-inch card with your contact information and club details.

4. Decide what your club's goals will be and how you will meet them. Do you want to become involved in community activities, providing landscaping for a local charity, or do you simply desire fellowship with like-minded folks? Your club may have a president, treasurer and collect dues or you might just want to bring seeds, clippings and refreshments. There is no right or wrong; you just need to make these formative decisions as your club gets started.

5. Network in your community. Again, the type of networking you do should line up with your club's goals. If you want to do volunteer projects, contact charities that might benefit from your assistance as well as nurseries who might provide free or discounted plants for the project. If your desire is to grow as gardeners, see if local experts will come and speak to you, or provide tours of professional gardens.

6. Have fun, learn, and make some new friends!

Resources

• National Garden Clubs, Inc.