Our History
Twenty friends began the Bedford Garden Club in 1911. Its objects were “to stimulate knowledge and love of gardening among amateurs, to aid in the protection of native plants and birds, and to encourage civic planting and conservation.” The Presidents, Committees, and members have met regularly ever since in work, friendship, and fun to achieve these goals. Two pioneers led the way: Miss Eloise Luquer, Club Botanist and artist, who during gas rationing during WW II spoke to 2800 persons about our native wildflowers and Miss Delia Marble, who with Miss Luquer began the Nature Trail and Museum at Ward Pound Ridge.
In the World War II effort members mobilized the Victory Gardens Cannery to produce 55 tons of vegetables and 75,000 quarts of canned food for the schools and hospital. A third pioneer was Wilhelmina Waller, a politically savvy activist who continued their legacy via a series of radio programs on conservation in the 1960s, and who sustained and amplified this work at the local, national, and international levels.
Their pioneering work continues today as the Club supports seven sanctuaries, cares for four public gardens, initiates gardens at two elementary schools, a senior center, and the hospital, and plants trees along six neighborhood roadways. A gala celebration of the Club’s Centennial in 2011 was followed by work with a public-private partnership, Bedford 2020, promoting a host of strategies to mitigate climate change.
Our new members, or “Seedlings”, begin by being introduced to the work of each standing committee. In the Exhibitions Committee, for example, they learn flower arranging, which is nurtured with arrangements at every meeting, celebrated at in-house flower shows, and recognized with wins at Zone and larger meetings.
Our revered older members nurture the flame with their presence and knowledge, and their achievements are celebrated in brief “History Minutes” at each Club meeting.
As Helen Mirren said: "Gardening is learning, learning, learning. That's the fun of it. You're always learning."
In the World War II effort members mobilized the Victory Gardens Cannery to produce 55 tons of vegetables and 75,000 quarts of canned food for the schools and hospital. A third pioneer was Wilhelmina Waller, a politically savvy activist who continued their legacy via a series of radio programs on conservation in the 1960s, and who sustained and amplified this work at the local, national, and international levels.
Their pioneering work continues today as the Club supports seven sanctuaries, cares for four public gardens, initiates gardens at two elementary schools, a senior center, and the hospital, and plants trees along six neighborhood roadways. A gala celebration of the Club’s Centennial in 2011 was followed by work with a public-private partnership, Bedford 2020, promoting a host of strategies to mitigate climate change.
Our new members, or “Seedlings”, begin by being introduced to the work of each standing committee. In the Exhibitions Committee, for example, they learn flower arranging, which is nurtured with arrangements at every meeting, celebrated at in-house flower shows, and recognized with wins at Zone and larger meetings.
Our revered older members nurture the flame with their presence and knowledge, and their achievements are celebrated in brief “History Minutes” at each Club meeting.
As Helen Mirren said: "Gardening is learning, learning, learning. That's the fun of it. You're always learning."