Minnetonka Hospital
Image from Wayzata Historical Society

On December 3rd, 1952 Ruth Bovey Stevens held a tea for the daughters and daughters-in-law of The Lake Minnetonka Garden Club. Every member had to have a mother or mother-in-law in the “senior” or “big” garden club. The membership was limited to thirty-five members. Similar to a garden, it started with optimistic seedings before developing into a fully mature garden with stately perennials and delightful new annuals added as our membership blossomed. It’s a joy to look back at our colorful history.

The Fifties were consumed with organizational procedures, newly written by-laws, various programs, and the first juried flower show. There were stiff requirements regarding attendance and promptness. Monthly meetings were held on Mondays and the original dues were two dollars! Our first philanthropic project was arranging small tray and bedside flowers for the patients at the Minnetonka Hospital located on Lake Street in Wayzata.

The Sixties brought our name change to the Wayzata Garden Club (WGC). The membership requirement that a mother or mother-in-law must be a member of The Lake Minnetonka Garden Club was also dropped as the Club developed its own identity. In 1964 we adopted the Hammer School Project. The purpose was “to organize instruct and assist in the planting and raising of plants by the students at Hammer.” Spencer Smith volunteered his greenhouse and eventually the annual plant sale raised $10,000 to build a greenhouse on Hammer’s property. Our volunteers planted and tended flowers several times a week during the growing season. Juried flower shows moved from members’ homes to Woodhill and it was later voted to hold a juried flower show every other year with a Horticulture Show in the off year. Two Wayzata Garden Club members served as Garden Club of America (GCA) judges. Perhaps typical for this decade, one program even featured arranging artificial flowers!

The Seventies saw the Hammer School Greenhouse become a reality. The Club joined the Wayzata Chamber of Commerce to participate in beautification of our city. Our membership was raised to forty-four and our dues increased to ten dollars. The Wayzata Garden Club celebrated its 25th anniversary at the annual meeting at Woodhill. A project was initiated to decorate the Christmas tree at the Wayzata Depot with homemade gingerbread ornaments, ropes of cranberries, and bright bows. Another task was the creation of centerpieces that were used at the Governor’s Mansion for a reception honoring Stanislaw Skrowaczewski’s departure as conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra.

In the Eighties, we instituted a new category of membership, “Affiliate Members”, to create more openings for new “Active Members”.  The Christmas tree decorating at the Wayzata Depot continued as well as members planting WGC donated plants at Hammer School.  A memorial tree was planted at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in memory of two members that had passed away. A group of members helped to decorate “The Tree of Jesse” at the Art Institute of Minneapolis (MIA). Our first annual joint meeting with husbands was held in 1985. Dues topped off at twenty-five dollars.

The Nineties saw the continuation of our community outreach efforts. In 1991 a Special Projects Committee was formed and the Club unanimously accepted a proposal to design, plant, and maintain a small garden in Wayzata for Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners (IOCP). In 1995 the garden was dedicated to a former member, Sally MacMillan.  In 1998, the Program Committee fulfilled a long time wish to attract a nationally known speaker, Ryan Gainey, who gave two presentations in the new auditorium at Bachman’s.

The new millennium brought many changes starting with an update to the mission statement: “The purpose of the Wayzata Garden Club is to stimulate and share the knowledge and love of gardening, and to promote environmental awareness among its members and the community at large.” In 2011, IOCP relocated to the new and expanded facility in Plymouth selling the Wayzata location for low income housing. The membership mobilized and transplanted the Sally MacMillan Memorial Garden to the new location in Plymouth. We expanded the gardens to include the islands at the front entrance, planted more blooming crabapple trees, transplanted perennials, and added annuals for more color. The Club concluded that flowering planters needed to be added to the outside of the building at all of the front doors.  By the year 2017 our membership had a total of 97 members and dues increased from $100 to $125.

After surveying more than seventy years of programs, we feel confident stating that we have covered asters to zinnias and everything in between. We have learned a myriad of gardening tips and techniques as well. We have experienced wonderful field trips and toured countless gardens displaying all spectrums under all weather conditions. We have had our own juried shows and have been instructed by many talented individuals regarding the particulars of flower arranging. We have always known that service projects were an important part of our mission. We have had fabulous lectures on a wide range of subjects related to gardening. We have had joint meetings with other garden clubs. We have attended and hosted beautiful meetings, luncheons and parties. We have sometimes invited our spouses or friends to join us. We are confident that our Club will continue to plant, grow, prune, and flourish for many years.