About
The Thames River Garden Club was started with the assistance of the New London Garden Club. Elizabeth Wagoner, a member of the New London Garden Club, was a driving force in the establishment of the Club; her niece, Betty Starbuck, was our first president. The Club organized according to State Federated Garden Club rules, and the name Thames River Garden Club was proposed by Lefty MacDougall. The original membership consisted of about 15 members.
The Thames River Garden Club has, as of September 1, 2011, 54 active members and 16 privileged members from thirteen Southern Connecticut towns. We have been fortunate to have active and retired Coast Guard officer’s wives as members of the Club and we also welcome male members.
Monthly meetings were held for many years at the Lyman Allyn Museum and are now usually held at the Waterford Public Library on the third Thursday of each month (no meeting is held in August).
The club has been active in the communities of Southeastern Connecticut for many years, once even purchasing a lion for the zoo and planting trees at Bates Woods Park in New London. Other contributions include the planting of trees on Captain’s Walk in downtown New London, maintenance of the garden at the historic Beebe House in Waterford, and the planting of the garden surrounding Columbus Circle in New London. We currently have active garden therapy programs at York Correctional Institution for Women in Niantic, and at New London Rehabilitation & Care Center in Waterford, as well as garden education for students at Grasso Tech in Groton. In 2010 the club began cleanup and maintenance projects at the Customs House in New London.
The Thames River Garden Club holds a Plant Sale every May. Funds raised from this event are used to support our various community projects.
