Longboat Garden Club plans for smart growth

Madelyn Spoll is president of the Longboat Key Garden Club, but she isn’t a fan of gardening.

“I put something in the ground, put a little food on it and say, ‘OK, now it’s up to you to decide whether you live or die,’” she said.

Like many members of the Garden Club, she is drawn to the work it does in the community, such as raising money for scholarships and environmental grants, and its packed social schedule with regular get-togethers and field trips.

Now, with a marketing campaign that includes a new website, flyers, pamphlets and welcome packet at Longboat Key Town Hall to promote its events and community efforts, the Garden Club is trying to spread the message: It’s not your mother’s garden club.

“We’re trying to bring the club into the 21st century, and so many people say, ‘I don’t garden, so why should I join the Garden Club?’” Spoll said.

Spoll got involved through Susan Landau, a past president who is co-chairwoman of the group’s Taste of the Keys/Fashion Show.

“A few of us are gardeners,” Landau said. “But we’re really more about scholarships, grants and socials.”
Last year, the Garden Club awarded grants totaling $9,000 to nine local organizations plus scholarships for four college students.

“All the money we raise goes to grants for organizations like Mote or Sarasota Bay Watch that are doing great work or scholarships,” said Vicki Lyons, the Garden Club’s grants chairwoman. “I don’t think a lot of people have a clue that it’s raising money for really important environmental concerns.”

However, for those who actually like to garden, the club has plenty to offer: Three of the four programs scheduled for the season’s monthly meetings are about flowers, and the club’s members maintain the butterfly garden in Bicentennial Park near Longboat Key Town Hall.

Save the dates
Oct. 21 — The Garden Club begins the season at 7 p.m. at Windward Bay, 4888 Gulf of Mexico Drive, with its first monthly meeting and the presentation “Butterflies & Wildflowers.”

Jan. 21 — The Garden Club’s Taste of the Keys/Fashion Show begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Longboat Key Club’s Harbourside Dining Room

Feb. 24 — The Home & Garden Tour begins at 10 a.m., featuring unique homes throughout the Key.

To learn more about the Garden Club, including membership and other upcoming events, visit its new website at lbkgardenclub.org, which John and Tory Newman created.