Wellington’s Green Brigade
Garden Club Promotes Environmental Activism Through Civic Programs STORY BY LAUREN MIRÓ PHOTOS BY ABNER PEDRAZA AND CAROL PORTER
For almost 30 years, the Wellington Garden Club has helped beautify, educate and promote environmentalism in the community and has grown into a large club dedicated to continuing its legacy with today’s youth. The Wellington Garden Club was founded in 1981 by gardening enthusiast Mary Clark. At the time, the club had 14 members. Today the club boasts approximately 140 members and continues to grow. “In the past three years, we’ve grown more than any club in the state,” President Barbara Hadsell said. A member of the National Council of State Garden Clubs and Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, the club’s objective is to “encourage interest in all phases of home gardening and promote better horticulture practices, civic beauty and conservation of natural resources.”
The large and growing membership has allowed the Wellington Garden Club to increase the ways in which it helps the community. The club has long participated in Wellington’s Adopt-a-Street program, but projects now include maintaining public gardens, funding scholarships for young environmental enthusiasts to go to camp, and providing scholarships to horticultural majors at Palm Beach State College. “We always did the Adopt-a-Street program in the past, but with new members, we’ve been able to do bigger and better projects,” Hadsell said.
(Above) Wellington Garden Club members plant a tree during Wellington’s Earth Day festivities in April at Peaceful Waters Sanctuary. (Left) A tranquil scene from the Wellington garden of Darlene and Kevin Kelly, one of the stops on this year’s Garden Tour. WELLINGTONTHE THEMAGAZINE MAGAZINE••MAY MAY2010 2010 WELLINGTON
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