By Kim Piekos
Lake Forest’s remarkable gardens have added color to the town over the years, as has the work of its many dedicated garden club members. In May, the Junior Garden Club of Lake Forest was invited to become the 200th member of the Garden Club of America (GCA), an esteemed organization dedicated to stimulating knowledge and love of gardening, providing opportunities to gather and share information regionally and nationwide and protecting the quality of the environment through conservation and civic improvement.
"We took the time to speak with a number of GCA clubs around the country to see if we would be a good fit and found we were,” said Junior Garden Club President Lisa Walsh.
“We are thrilled to have our club inducted into the GCA,” said Junior Garden Club President Lisa Walsh. “The GCA is a national leader in every respect, and our affiliation with it will only deepen and expand our club members’ knowledge and ability to contribute to areas of garden history and design, botanical arts, horticulture, photography, conservation and lobbying efforts.”
The impetus to investigate joining the GCA came from recognition that there was much the GCA offered that would benefit Junior Garden Club members. “We knew our club already provided a high level of programming and that we had members who would welcome opportunities to deepen their knowledge base and get involved on a higher level,” said Walsh. The application, review and site visit process to become a GCA member took more than two years. "We took the time to speak with a number of GCA clubs around the country to see if we would be a good fit and found we were,” Walsh recalled. “Clubs range from ones that are primarily interested in digging in the dirt, while others are horticulture-focused. All are unique.”
She noted that the application process was quite involved and required gathering of a lot of historical information about the Junior Garden Club and its past endeavors. Walsh noted that GCA was particularly interested in how the Junior Garden Club was successful in attracting women of all ages.
“The concept of a community garden club is one that has been around a long time and that is reflected in an aging membership in some clubs across the country,” she explained. “Our membership ranges from young women raising children to women in their 90s. I think it’s because we are about keeping it light, fresh and fun while we hold our educational workshops and do meaningful work.”
Walsh is excited to see what members do with the club’s membership in GCA. To discern members’ interest areas and identify overlap with GCA’s offerings, the club recently surveyed members.
“So many of our members are gifted and passionate about issues related to gardening, and we want them to be aware of how they can tap into all that GCA offers, even at the zone or national level,” Walsh explained. “I think we are going to have some really strong leaders step up. Getting our members plugged in is going to expand their passion and desire to do more.”
As an example, Walsh pointed to the GCA’s commitment to documenting historic gardens and sharing their work with the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
“We have already been asked to document some Lake Forest gardens and have members that are very excited to do that,” she said.
The Junior Garden Club of Lake Forest began in 1958. Started as a gathering of friends who shared plants and plant cuttings, the 112-member Junior Garden Club’s scope of work has evolved into civic beautification projects, community planting initiatives and conservation programs.
In particular, the Junior Garden Club maintains the sloping Belvedere Garden that flanks the steps leading to Forest Park Beach. This native plant garden, designed by Deirdre E. Toner of D.T. Designs in 2016, is a feeding site of migrating monarch butterflies over the summer. “Our members enjoy collaborating with the City of Lake Forest to tend to this natural gem,” Walsh said. A Belvedere Garden Plant Book was made to facilitate the education of members and the public and is available for perusal at www.jrgardenclublf.com.
Every three years, the Junior Garden Club hosts a Garden Walk, which showcases some of the finest local gardens, promotes gardening and raises funds for philanthropic causes. “In addition to significant local gardens, we always include an ‘approachable’ garden because we want guests to say, ‘I could do that,’” Walsh explained. “We want to inspire others to create their own gardens.”