Had there not happened to be five enthusiastic gardeners living in Brookline many years ago, with far reaching vision, plus the desire to instill in others their own love for all things horticultural, this history might never have been written... Fortunately, their organizing ability matched their zeal, and thus their dream became a reality.
On April 1, 1930, a meeting was called at the home of Mrs. Peterson on Walnut Street for the purpose of setting up a new Garden Club with the Town of Brookline. Twenty-seven persons responded to the invitation and Mrs. Harwood acted as presiding officer. A constitution was drawn up and presented; it was agreed the membership would be fixed at 35. At their second meeting, an interest was expressed in viewing each other's gardens, and two weeks later all 27 members made a tour of nine gardens. The annual meeting in April began with a competitive exhibition of flower arrangements and the top award in both classes went to Mrs. Abbot Peterson. This young club was inexperienced, but imbued with a great vitality had within the brief course of one year, proved its' merit and had established a definite place for itself in the community. It then increased the membership to 50. Over the following years The Club's objective broadened as interest grew in conservation and in various civic projects. In the spring of 1932 the members were asked to join with certain other clubs in the creation of a child garden, that same year The Club participated in the Iris Show and flower shows of the Mass Horticultural Society. In December of 1932, members exhibited their own Christmas table decorations (which has become tradition). In 1935, The Club donated a small sum, expanding their civic work by donating garden seeds for the children at the Pierce School, and helping to beautify the grounds of the Devotion School by planting seedlings and shrubs. The Club began to host speakers and events which coincided with their passions. They hosted a speaker on, "The Importance of Birds in Gardening" as well as a lecture and history on, "The Use of Herbs". In 1936 membership increased to 60. The Club decided to continue its' support for education and youth by sending a Brookline school teacher to the Lost River Conservation Camp at least every other year, since they believed it to be vitally important that the young be educated in this field of learning. The Club paid the tuition for a teacher from the Pierce School to take the two week course at the New Hampshire Camp.
At a winter meeting in 1936, Mr. Paul Dempsey of the Waltham Field Station, taught the ladies how to plant vegetable gardens. The Club offered to lend support to the Baker School in its' Nature Course, and during that summer flowers were sent regularly to the Brookline Public Library. In November of 1939, The Club accepted an invitation to the Women’s Republican Club to enter competitively in decorating their clubhouse for Thanksgiving. The Club decorated the ward's of the Chelsea Naval Hospital at Christmas. Members aided the Brookline War Garden program and cooperated with town organizations who sought means for helping underprivileged children in Brookline. In the Summer of 1943, under Mrs. John Cunningham, The Club planted a large vegetable garden on the Brandegee estate, all of the crops went to the canning kitchen, and vegetables and fruits were processed and then distributed to the hospitals of Brookline.
In 1955, the Garden Club of Brookline reached an important milestone by rounding out its' 25th year of existence. In looking back over these fruitful years The Club is proud of the record of continual growth, of deep interest in a wide variety of worthy projects, and of the helpful part The Club has played in the community. The members have grown together in friendship, increased wisdom and knowledge. One of the most rewarding Community Projects for The Club has been the planting of shrubbery and flowers at the Housing Units for the Elderly in Brookline Village to soften the unadorned starkness of new buildings. In 1965, at the 35 year mark, The Club announced that 9 new members had been admitted. The roster was complete, and the number rose to 60 active members, 6 associate members and one honorary member. With this infusion of new talent, the club continued to prosper as it had done for the past thirty five years.*
Today, The Garden Club of Brookline celebrates over 90 years of service.
* Information was gathered from Parsons, Louise H. A History of the Garden Club of Brookline. Self Published, 1965