By Michele Alex
The Mandarin Garden Club is celebrating 80 years of beautifying the community with an anniversary event Nov. 9 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Formed in 1945 under the guidance of the Mandarin Community Club Beautification Committee, the garden club has grown into a well-known, historic nonprofit organization. Its mission focuses on educating Mandarin residents about caring for and beautifying the community while preserving and respecting the environment.
In 1988, at the suggestion of Mary Howe, one of the club’s master gardeners and longtime members, the club invited the Duval County Extension Office to use the grounds as a demonstration garden. That joint venture continues today.
In 2022, the club’s newsletters, scrapbooks and yearbooks were donated to the University of North Florida for preservation and can be viewed at http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/mgc.
The entire property is maintained by devoted members and volunteers, and the gardens are open to the public from dawn to dusk. Whether it’s the demonstration gardens featuring perennials, vegetables, succulents, herbs, roses, camellias, bromeliads or ginger beds, or the native gardens, the Mandarin Garden Club offers a place of solitude where something is always in bloom.
The Nov. 9 celebration will feature garden tours, master gardeners, special speakers and refreshments. The public is invited to attend.
