Service to the Community
The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. as a 501(c)3 orgnanization endeavors to be a good partner with the local community, county and state. We are involved in various activities that support common causes for the benefit of citizens and the environment. As education is one of the hallmarks of a federated garden club, we focus on projects that help enlighten our members as well as the general public on topics of interest in our areas of expertise.
Below are some projects we previously led or supported.
See the Projects tab for other ongoing projects and programs
Click on any image for a larger view or to move through the slide show.
Christmas Wreath Appreciation Project
On December 5, 2024 ten members created 30 holiday wreaths to adorn of offices of COFB and Nassau County government agencies, including First Responder stations.
The donations were made in appreciation of their services to our community and in recognition of COFB and Nassau County’s Bicentennial Celebrations.
Wreaths were covered in advance with decorative ribbons by member Pam Dawson. Members added festive accessories and dried plant materials. Each wreath was attached with a wooden ornament bearing the club’s name and logo etched by Pam’s husband, Will Knudsen.
A message of appreciation was delivered with each wreath using club stationary.
This was fun way to raise our holiday spirits while developing camaraderie among our members and expressing our appreciation for the men and women who help made our community a safe place to live and thrive.
Project manager was Linda Broadrick, VP and programs chairman.
Monarch Butterfly Migration Celebration
On October 12, 2024 we recognized monarch butterfly migration in Nassau County. The Civic Beautification Committee hosted an educational event in our newly renovated butterfly garden at the Train Depot Welcome Center in downtown Fernandina Beach in conjunction with the City’s Bicentennial celebration. Club members adorned in colorful butterfly wings shared information about gardening for butterflies, migration pathways and tagging projects, invasive species of milkweed and how to protect monarchs from the O.E. parasite.
COFB Bicentennial passport stamping station was available. 200 seed packets of non-invasive pollinator plants were given away as well as butterfly stickers for children. The event was popular with welcome center visitors and locals alike.
Bartram Garden Club Celebrates Florida Arbor Day 2024
January 19, 2024
Bartram Garden Club’s Florida Arbor Day Celebration was a resounding success as we participated in the planting of a large tree at the entrance of Fort Clinch in Fernandian Beach. We had a great turnout from both the community and our members. Special recognition was given to FFGC for 100 years of service. Our 100 Live Oak seedlings give-away not only supplied trees to support our maritime forest, but gave us the opportunity to remind all about the important role trees play in our daily lives. Pictured above are some of the Club members who attended the celebration.
See our Scrapbook Section 11 for a news article.
Garden Therapy for Children in Distress
Began in February 2022 and is ongoing
The Bartram Garden Club’s Garden Therapy Chairman, Jill Guenther compiled workbooks for children temporarily residing at Micah's Place, a shelter for victims of violence. The workbooks are designed to help these children achieve emotional balance through nature's healing powers. Jill (right) is seen here presenting the workbooks to a Micah’s Place Outreach Advocate, Madrina Addison.
The club won an FFGC Publications award for this project.
In December 2024 we printed and donated 30 additional copies.
See more news about this project in our Scrapbook section 22.
Dedication of the restored Bartram trail marker, January 14, 2021
Bartram Trail Historic Marker Restoration
The Bartram Garden Club executed a service project to restore the
Bartram Trail historic marker at the city marina in Fernandina Beach.
Pictured at left are Club officers Karen Reilly, Kathleen Lunman, Linda Broadrick and Bev Williams along with
Sam Carr and Mike Adams, president and vice-resident respectfully of The Bartram Trail Society of Florida
Click here to see the whole story.
Youth Garden Therapy for Exceptional Student Education
This ground-breaking program was initiated in January 2019 by retired school nurse and club member, Alice Caldwell, as a form of garden therapy for ESE students at the Fernandina Beach High School. Raised beds were constructed to accommodate wheelchair bound students. The classes were held once a month in cooperation with the FBHS Exceptional Student Education staff. Lesson plans included vegetable seed plantings, zoo and sensory plants, holiday floral centerpieces, terrariums, and planting decorated flower pots for Mother’s Day. The students also wrote about their gardening experiences in a monthly journal. 2020 programs included planting winter annuals and wildflowers on the school campus. Over 30 students participated. Led by the our Youth and Garden Therapy Committees, the project encouraged new club members to join the team of volunteers. This project has been temporarily discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The club was presented with an FFGC Garden Therapy Award in April 2020 for this project.
To see more ESE photos visit the Gallery 3 page.
Read the newspaper article about this project in our Scrapbook Section 11.
Florida Arbor Day, January 18, 2019
The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. celebrated Florida Arbor Day on January 19, 2019 with the planting of 14 Wax Myrtles along S. 3rd Street. The community event was cosponsored by the club in collaboration with the City of Fernandina Beach and the U.S. Forest Service. The shrubs, along with 11 Red Cedar trees, were added to the existing trees which were originally planted in September 2016 to screen the rail yard from view. See “Tree Planting” below.
Donation to Fernandina Beach Library
President Beverly Williams presented a check to Dawn Boswick, Director, and Janet Loveless, Assistant Director, of the Nassau County Public Library System. The funds will be used to purchase several current editions of gardening books for the Fernandina Beach branch. Beverly also presented two books published for children by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. titled The Saved Seed and The Frightened Frog. Both books teach children to be environmentally responsible. Later, Beverly presented the third book in the series, Network with Nature, Children’s Book for Elementary School Grades 4-K.
Little Women
In November of 2018 the club initiated a relationship with Little Women, a high school organization of young women sponsored by the Woman’s Club of Fernandina Beach. We led a basic floral design workshop. The students created arrangements in personal coffee mugs which were delivered with Meals on Wheels by the Council on Aging.
Library Design Exhibits
Members of The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. place complimentary floral designs in the foyer of the Fernandina Beach Branch of the Nassau County Public Library System on a rotating basis during every month. This community service project allows members to hone their floral design skills in a fun and relaxed venue, and at the same time, introduces the general public to specific plant materials and mechanics commonly used in floral design art. As an additional educational tool, all plant material is identified with the common and scientific botanical names.
Arbor Day at the Nassau County Council on Aging
In commemoration of Florida Arbor Day 2018 The Bartram Garden Club sponsored the planting of a ‘Majestic Beauty’ Hawthorn tree at the new headquarters building of the Nassau County Council on Aging in Fernandina Beach, FL. The new tree was planted on January 19, 2018 in cooperation with Liberty Landscape Supply and Gage’s Tree Service who both provided materials and labor. On hand were COA President & CEO Janice Ancrum and some of her staff as well as key representatives from Liberty Landscape and Gage’s Tree Service. Participating Bartram Garden Club members were Susan Borge, Pattie Pitts, Rich Reily, Cathy Klein, Kathleen Lunman, Kathye Reily, and Nancy Ellison.
Landscaping for Post Office Historical Marker
In March, 2017 The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. took on a project in conjunction with the City of Fernandina Beach and the Princess Amelia Chapter of the Colonial Dames XVII Century at the historic post office downtown. The garden club agreed to create a landscape design at the east corner of Centre and N. 4th Streets which would anchor a new historic marker to be unveiled there on April 8, 2017. The City removed all existing shrubbery, and Liberty Landscape Supply provided garden soil. Club members replanted the area with plants from Liberty Landscape Supply which included creeping Rosemary, Abelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’, and Iris Neomarica caerulea 'Regina’ (Giant Aposlte’s Iris).
Tree Planting
The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. strongly supports the planting, nurturing and protection of trees. One of the club's earliest interests was to support the effort to plant trees in Fernandina Beach along 3rd Street in September, 2016 to help screen a rail yard from street view. One of our charter members, Reha London, championed this effort along with others in the community, to encourage the City of Fernandina Beach to plant a number of trees along the roadway. As these trees mature they will have a positive impact on the overall environment as well as providing a visual improvement to the the area. This is a great example of public / private collaboration to the benefit of the entire community.
Garden Therapy
No one should miss the joys of gardening. Not the elderly, physically disabled, or mentally or emotionally challenged. Garden therapy is one of many aids to physical, mental and emotional health. The NGC Garden Therapy program is the use of garden related activities as an aid to the recovery and rehabilitation of the disabled. It’s one of the oldest and most popular phases of garden club work.
“Garden related” is defined as the growing of plants, the artistic use of plants and other natural material, the study of birds, nature and conservation, and the exhibiting of knowledge, interest and skills in these areas.
Alice Caldwell and Claudia Burningham at Osprey Village ALF
Member Alice Caldwell helps residents prepare centerpieces for the dining room
Osprey Village ALF
In January 2017 The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. initiated its first garden therapy project. Members aided residents of Osprey Village Assisted Living Facility at Amelia Island in creating table centerpieces for their “Day in the Orient” celebration.
In February, the Bartram Garden Club, Inc. again visited the Osprey Village Assisted Living Facility in Fernandina Beach to work with the residents on garden therapy. This time the garden club members worked with the residents to make over 50 Valentines's Day corsages for the residents to enjoy. The club will expand its garden therapy programs to other institutions when the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted.
Design Study Workshops Held
A series of FFGC Floral Design workshops were sponsored by The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. beginning in May, 2017.
The workshops were held at the Fernandina Beach Church of Christ, S 14th Street over 6 consecutive Fridays. Demonstrations and lectures by FFGC instructors were conducted in the morning and hands-on workshops followed after lunch. Twenty one students from throughout northeast Florida participated.
The following topics were covered:
Floral Design Study Units 1-6
Basic Units
Unit 1: Basic overview of floral design featuring demonstration of vertical, asymmetrical and crescent designs. Learn basic tools and mechanics, components of a design, types of containers, basic forms of plant materials.
Unit II: Learn the care, cutting and grooming of plant materials; mechanics for different containers and the Elements of Design. The Instructor’s demonstration will cover symmetrical, asymmetrical and diagonal designs.
Unit III: Learn the compatibility of plant materials with containers, selecting materials for curved designs, geometric line designs, use of fruits and vegetables in designs and a demonstration of crescent and Hogarth designs.
Unit IV: Learn about table settings, and coordination of floral designs with table components. Demonstration of functional and exhibition tables for your home and flower shows.
Unit V: Learn how to use bases, features, featured objects and accessories with a design. Demonstration of feature, featured object, bases and accessories.
Unit VI: Learn how to condition and transport plant materials. Discussion of Award of Distinction, Tricolor Award and Designer’s Choice Award in a Flower Show. Demonstration of Expressive and Interpretive Designs.
Check out the Gallery page for a series of photographs of the designs by the instructors and students.
Library Landscape Maintenance Project
Kathleen Lunman, Susan Mowery, Jay Yates and Beverly Williams enjoyed a beautiful morning outdoors sprucing up the landscaping in front of the Library on N. 4th Street in Fernandina Beach in February, 2017. We received many appreciative remarks from library patrons and used this opportunity to promote membership into our club. This was followed by two additional work days at the library by club members. This project is now managed by the Friends of the Library organization.
The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. Provides Support for the Amelia Island Museum of History
In May, 2017 The Bartram Garden Club, Inc. donated plant materials to the Amelia Island Museum of History in support of their campus gardens. TBGC member and Treasurer, Reha London and Vice President Kathleen Lunman attended a museum program about William Bartram and presented a native "toothache tree"(Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) and a shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana) on behalf of the garden club. Pictured L to R are Gray Edenfield, and John Hopkins of the museum staff and club member Reha London.
