Blooming Together: How Richmond Hill’s Garden Club Cultivates Education & Conservation

Story and photography by Gail Parsons

For 70 years, the Richmond Hill Garden Club has cultivated beauty, knowledge, and environmental stewardship in the community. Through partnerships with local schools, members support projects to teach students about native plants, sustainability, and the importance of conservation. Even after setbacks like hurricanes, the members’ commitment to restoring and enhancing local green spaces remains as strong as ever.

Caroline Gayheart, agriculture teacher at Frances Meeks Elementary School, deeply values the Garden Club's contributions, which are essential in enhancing and supporting her educational programs.

“They're always there, especially for the last-minute things I didn't realize I needed,” Gayheart said. “I can call them and ask, ‘Would you guys be able to get me this or that,’ or if it's something that needs to be crafted, they are right there ready to help.”

For example, when all she had for tables in the greenhouse were pickle buckets with pieces of wood on top, all it took was a quick call to the Garden Club.

“I didn’t have the time to make tables,” she said. “I had scrap wood, but I didn’t have the resources.”

Member Jose Luis Medina made custom-built tables that students could gather around and work on. Later, when he needed to clear out some stumps from his property, he cut them down to size and brought them to the school for the children to use for outdoor seating.

The Garden Club also came through for her with the purchase of toy flower models for teaching. The small plastic flowers can be taken apart to help children learn the parts of the plant.

“It’s a lot easier to teach them using plastic to begin with,” she said. “When I'm in need of something, they're there for me. Sometimes it might be something like asking what's wrong with our tomato plant. Jose—he's got a lot of good knowledge on the vegetables and as well.”

Hands-on Experience

The school’s garden offers a hands-on learning experience, blending elements of engineering, natural science, and sensory exploration. Students engage with concepts like natural water flow and the life cycles of plants and animals, Gayheart said.

One of their favorite activities is interacting with plants and playing in the dirt.

“Just recently, after that snow, we had the honeysuckle in bloom again. They'll come over and pull the end out, push up it and suck it out and say how sweet it is,” she said. “They’ll come over to the rosemary and they’ll rub their hands in it and smell it.”

She has one student who has learned that when he is having a stressful day, the scent of lavender will calm him down. 

The students grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs including beans, zucchini, oregano, cucumber, and banana peppers.

“Last year we had so much basil and oregano, I had the fifth-grade students bundle it and dry it and gift it to the teachers,” she said.

Beyond the academic lessons on plants and gardening, Gayheart emphasizes the intrinsic learning that happens—especially through sensory experiences often overlooked in daily life.

The support the Garden Club provides ensures both students and the garden continue to grow together. But it’s not just the children at the school that carries the name of the Garden Club’s founder, who benefit from the club.

They also support outdoor, agriculture, and/or environmental programs at Richmond Hill Middle School and McAllister, George Washington Carver, and Richmond Hill elementary schools. And each year they give a $1,000 scholarship to a Richmond Hill High School graduating senior who plans to major in a gardening-related subject.

Restoring DeVaul Henderston Park

Outside of the schools, the Richmond Hill Garden Club maintains an area in DeVaul Henderson Park. The garden has long served as a peaceful retreat where people can connect with nature.

“We have had a native area and a butterfly area and just try to encourage people to be out in nature,” said Lesia Hanson, a club member who oversees the garden.

Unfortunately, the garden suffered a significant setback when Hurricane Debbie tore through the area, bringing down six trees and causing widespread damage. In the cleanup efforts, several other plants were lost, leaving the once-thriving garden in need of restoration.

Despite the damage, club members are working to ensure the garden will bloom again, stronger than ever.

“I applied for a grant from the National Garden Club for natural disasters, and we got $1,200 to replace plants, no hardscape, no dirt, nothing like that, just plants,” she said. “We plan to work with Mark Strickland with All the Buzz. He has a native plant place here in Richmond Hill that he sells natives.”

The goal is to replenish the garden with species that not only thrive in the environment but also support pollinators and wildlife. The Coastal Bryan Tree Foundation has donated trees, which are ready for placement in the garden. The intention is to create a balanced mix — some trees for shade and greenery, some that flower, and others that produce fruit to attract birds and butterflies, she said.

First, however, they need to figure out what to do with the large stumps left behind by the fallen trees. If they cannot be removed, Hanson said they could incorporate them into the garden’s design. One idea is to transform the stumps into fairy houses—small, whimsical structures that would appeal to children and create a sense of magic within the garden.

In addition to replanting, Hanson said they hope to renew plans for a walkway dedicated to Frances Meeks, who founded the Garden Club in 1955.

“We want to get it back to where people can come out and read a book or just plain enjoy it,” she said.

Preserving a Space for Future Generations

For Hanson and other club members working on the garden, it is about more than just planting flowers—it’s about preserving a space for future generations. Her motivation comes from having something to do outside and something fun to do with her grandchildren.

“I get a little therapy in the dirt and my grandkids come out to help,” she said

Being members of the club allows them to learn and share their knowledge. The club meets from January through April, September, and November with a holiday luncheon in December and an end-of-the-year luncheon in June.

“Through guest speakers, field trips, projects, social events, and, more recently, social media, we are a source of both fellowship, community service, and education in the south Bryan County, Georgia area,” said member Gloria Shearin. “Our membership is a diverse mix of backgrounds, ages, and gardening experience and is open to anyone who wants to interact with others who share a common interest in gardening.”

Kelly Hoffner, vice president and membership chair said membership in the club is growing with an average of six new members attending each meeting.

She attributes the growth to the club’s community involvement. They host two public events—a pumpkin patch in October and a plant sale in the spring. Both events raise funds, which they reinvest in their projects and donate to several local organizations including Bryan County Health and Rehab, the Way Station food pantry, and the Soup Kitchen. They also support the Wreaths for Warriors program and have worked with the city on the Blue Star Marker refurbishment project in Gregory Park.

The Blue Star marker was originally installed by the Oleander District of the Garden Club of Georgia, of which the Richmond Hill Club is a part, said member Linda Allison.

“We're going to put plants around the sign,” she said. “Maybe red, white, and blue; but first we have to talk to the gentleman with EOM that takes care of the park to find out what we can do. If we can’t plant, then we'll put planters with native plants.”

Whatever they settle on, it will be another project in Richmond Hill for the club members to get behind and work on with a shared passion.

Jose Luis Medina, master gardener, said his passion for gardening comes from his love for the outdoors and biodiversity. But he didn’t learn how much he loved it until he moved toRichmond Hill.

“I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York,” he said. “I’m retired military, and I was an industrial firefighter. I didn’t learn any of this until purchased my first home here 35 years ago.”

When he discovered the Garden Club, he said he was welcomed with open arms and felt right at home.

“When they need my help, they call me, and I love helping them, and I love working for the community and the schools,” he said. “I love working at Frances Meeks, and I've also worked at other schools.”

Additionally, he works at the Children's Garden at the Savannah Botanical Garden and the University of Georgia Extension’s Bamboo Farms and is a member of the Savannah Day Lilly Society the day.

For more information about the Richmond Hill Garden Club, people can visit their Facebook page.