Linden Garden Club of Pinewild
In 1993 several residents of the Pinewild community wanted to join a garden club. At that time, it was difficult as existing area clubs had geographical and/or member number restrictions. So, a group of fifteen ladies decided to start a club of their own. Thus, with the help of Jane McPhaul, the Linden Garden Club of Pinewild joined the local Garden Council and became an official North Carolina Garden Club. In the beginning, meetings were held in members’ homes, refreshments were served and programs were presented on gardening, problems with landscaping, arts and crafts workshops, etc. The official membership the first year of 1993-1994 was 51.
Today, 24+ years later, our membership has grown to 134 members and we usually hold our meetings at the Pinewild Country Clubhouse. The Linden Garden Club continues to have interesting and varied programs with lunch created by Chef Todd. The club sponsors a trip once a year to more farflung gardens, growers, or historical sites. A special holiday luncheon in December and a closing June luncheon held at Weymouth Center, are other highlights of the Linden Garden Club year.
From its inception, the Linden Garden Club of Pinewild has spread some “Gardening Good Will.” The club supports the Weymouth Christmas Tour by decorating a room each year. Funds have been donated to the Weymouth Center Capital Campaign, and the club donates to the Weymouth Gardens. The club also sponsors book scholarships to the Sandhills Community College for landscaping and horticulture students. The scholarships are funded by a special raffle at the annual holiday luncheon.
During the past 24 years, the Linden Garden Club has had over 125 speakers with presentations ranging in topic from butterflies to decorating with fresh fruit and flowers. Approximately 29 bus trips have been taken across North Carolina to a variety of venues including art exhibits, nurseries, arboretums, and gardens. Future endeavors for the club include expanding our knowledge of gardening in the Sandhills and by contributing to the greater gardening community.