The Garden Club Is Looking For You (No Green Thumb Required)
Join the local nonprofit that's been making Burlington more beautiful since 1960.
Youâve probably driven past them a hundred times without stopping to think about who put them there. The seasonal planters on the Town Common. The containers near the library. The burst of color on that traffic island on Winn Street. Those are the work of the Burlington Garden Club â a nonprofit thatâs been quietly beautifying this town since 1960.
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Today the club has 75 members, some of whom have belonged for nearly 55 years.
But the Garden Club is about much more than public beautification. Open to anyone regardless of gardening experience, it offers hands-on education, community service, and a genuinely welcoming community for Burlington residents at every stage of life.
The clubâs reach extends well beyond the planters youâve admired from your car window. Through workshops at the senior center and local senior living facilities, crafts at town events like Springapalooza, and materials donated to the Science Centerâs biannual growing challenge, BGC members show up across Burlington all year long. They also help plant, tend, and harvest the collaborative Community Gardens behind Francis Wyman School, which produced approximately 4,000 pounds of fresh produce for the Burlington Community Food Pantry in 2025 alone.
The clubâs signature Pollinator Partnership, in collaboration with Aquidneck Honey of Westport, offers artisanal honey and related products while educating the public about the essential role pollinators play in sustaining our food supply, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
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As a part of their commitment to raising the next generation of environmental stewards, the club awards a scholarship each year to a graduating Burlington senior pursuing environmental science or a related field.
All this work hasnât gone unnoticed. In 2025 and 2026 alone, the Burlington Garden Club received three major state and regional honors: the Joyce A. Kimball Award for container garden excellence, the Mary F. Brewer Roadside Beautification Award, and the William J. Thompson Award for civic development and public education through the Pollinator Partnership. Earlier recognition includes two state awards in 2000 for historic preservation of the Colonial Garden near the fire station, work that also earned a Certificate of Recognition from the Burlington Board of Selectmen.
Best of all, you donât need a green thumb to be part of this meaningful work. Membership is open to everyone, and anyone with an appreciation for nature, community, or simply making new friends will find the Garden Club a welcoming place.
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To learn more, visit their booth at the Burlington Beer Garden every Thursday evening in September â and pick up some locally produced honey while youâre there. The Garden Club meets monthly from September through June. Meetings feature engaging lectures, hands-on workshops, and a community thatâs been growing since 1960.
Visit the Garden Club website at burlingtongardenclub.com for more information and to join.
