Mountain Ivy Garden Club Celebrates 30 Years

by Tracy McCoy

Ihave always enjoyed the flowers at the Rock House and Veterans Park in Clayton. I casually heard that the Mountain Ivy Garden Club planted the flowers, but there is so much more to it than that! The Mountain Ivy Garden Club was founded in 1993 by 12 ladies with a passion for gardening. The first president of the club was Marilyn Garrison, who was among the founding members. These ladies, also friends, not only loved beautiful plants and flowers, but also had a true interest in learning all that they could about the flora they were planting. The club enabled them to share with each other all that they learned. Initially they met in the home of a different member each month, but after several years they began meeting monthly at the Rock House in Clayton. In return for the City of Clayton allowing them to meet there they agreed to take over the installation and maintenance of the plants on the grounds and in adjacent Veterans Park. A generous offer by the club no doubt. They were so grateful for the meeting space they were happy to undertake the task.

The club members are very knowledgeable about the needs of each plant, when it will bloom, which plants complement each other and which grow well together. They select and install annuals each year and maintain the existing perennials that are well established. The Mountain Ivy Garden Club emphasizes they are a working club, which requires members to have the time and be physically able to dig, prune, plant and help maintain the gardens. You’ll see every day during the summer months, barring rain, a member of the Mountain Ivy Garden Club in the garden watering, deadheading flowers, trimming and caring for the garden. That is dedication! All of this is done to beautify our town for the enjoyment of locals and visitors alike to enjoy.

The club hosts an annual fundraiser and awards scholarships to local graduating high school students who plan to study horticulture. Their annual fundraiser, Mountain Ivy Garden Club Sidewalk and Plant Sale, is held in June in the Rock House Gardens. The plants they sell are grown by club members. The scholarships range from $500 - $3000 depending on the success of the plant sale. Students may be attending a college or technical school. The club is also active in the community by supporting 4H, Scouting and horticultural education at the primary school level.

Rabun County owns the Rock House and the surrounding property as well as Veterans Park and have been very supportive of the club—making it truly a community effort. The Rotary Club purchased swings for the park and the garden club raised funds to purchase and install the gazebo in Veterans Park. The Reeves family purchased a monument for the Rock House gardens to honor of their mother, Carol Reeves, who was a member of the club. Near the flagpole in the Rock House park affixed to a large stone is a Blue Star Marker plaque. The plaque is very important to the club. If you know the history of a Blue Star Marker you’d understand why.

In 1944 the New Jersey State Council of Garden Clubs took on a project of beautifying a five-and-a-half mile stretch of U.S. 22. They planted 8,000 dogwoods as a living memorial to the men and women from New Jersey who served in the Armed Forces during WWII. There was a tree planted for every soldier who served. During the war the Blue Star Banner was displayed in the window of each home where a family member was serving. If a service member lost his life the blue star was replaced with a gold one recognizing the sacrifice of that family, thus the term Gold Star Family. The Blue Star plaque was placed in the Rock House garden by the Mountain Ivy Garden Club on May 20, 2000, in memory and honor of those from Rabun who served in WWII. It is located in the shade of a single dogwood tree.

You must be, like I was, amazed at what goes on behind the scenes to make the Rock House Garden and Veterans Park so beautiful. I hope that you will have a new found appreciation for all that has been and continues to be done. This fall and into the holiday season you’ll notice the garden and park decorated and you’ll know that the ladies of the garden club have again been at work.

While I wish I could recognize every member I’d like to mention Bess Green, who was kind enough to speak to me for this article, and Beverly Wilson, who has been in the club for 20 years. Mary Ann Whittington is currently an auxiliary member, but was honored in 2013 as the only original member still in the club. The club funded Mary Ann’s lifetime membership to the Georgia Garden Club.

While the club is not a social club, rather a working club, many treasured friendships have evolved from their passion for gardening. The club has openings for new members but have a maximum membership of 35. To be welcomed to the club you must be invited by a member. Each meeting lasts 1-2 hours and includes a thirty minute social time followed by a presentation related to gardening.

The club members range from novice to Master Gardeners and each one has something valuable to contribute to the club. It was a pleasure to learn more about the Mountain Ivy Garden Club, my only regret it that my space is limited here to share with you all about them.