About
Founded in 1916, the Pasadena Garden Club has been a member of the Garden Club of America since 1920.
The purpose of the Pasadena Garden Club is to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening; to share the advantages of association by means of open meetings, conferences, correspondence and publications; to restore, improve and protect the quality of the environment, through programs and actions in the fields of environment, conservation, civic improvements and education.
History
Created by a group of friends interested in gardening, community development, and pride of the city, the Pasadena Garden Club (PGC) met for the first time on June 28, 1916. Throughout the club’s 100-year history, conservation of natural resources has been a priority for our Southern California club. Founding club members were pioneers in recognizing the importance of watershed restoration with the early 20th-century preservation of the scenic Arroyo Seco.
Pasadena Garden Club member, Minerva Hamilton Hoyt (1866-1945), was the force behind the founding of California’s 794,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park. Throughout the 1930s she worked tirelessly to educate people about desert plant qualities and to create parks that preserved fragile desert vegetation. PGC has hosted Zone XII meetings, a Shirley Meneice Horticulture Conference and in 1969, the Garden Club of America Annual Meeting. Club member, Mrs. Jerome K. Doolan, was GCA President 1968-1971.
The club logo contains the native plant Carpenteria californica. Our Special events calendar is based on a four-year rotation. These activities include Doorways and Dining which is a popular tour of members’ homes and gardens. Garden Club of America flower shows are organized by PGC and display entries from GCA members from around the country. These shows are open to the public. The Club also holds a plant sale every four years. These sales usually occur in the Fall. The fourth-year is an off-year with no major special event. The proceeds from these events support our community donations including La Casita del Arroyo and local gardens.
The Pasadena Garden Club is energetic, engaged and dedicated to the knowledge and love of gardening.