By Lisa Carolin
(Chelsea Update is running a series on businesses in Chelsea beginning with businesses that belong to the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce.)
The Chelsea Area Garden Club has more than 60 members. It was founded in 1997 and holds meetings at the Chelsea First United Methodist Church on Park Street at noon on the second Monday of the months September through May.
Garden Club activities include community projects, master gardener scholarships, and educational programs.
“We do the plantings around town in the city beds, and we use the funds raised at the plant sale for local grants and scholarships,” said Charlene Harris, grants and scholarships chair for the Garden Club.
The club’s annual plant sale attracts hundreds of customers, and this year’s sale was no exception. It took place on May 7 at the Chelsea Fairgrounds. Some of the proceeds from the sale go to civic beautification and grants for horticulture-related community projects.
“The club is a phenomenal group of women who work together in a phenomenal way,” said Harris. “We never have problems with getting things done.”
Harris says that people in Chelsea have a strong community spirit.
“That’s what I would say about the people in the Garden Club, too,” said Harris. “They’re involved. It’s like one huge big extended family of people in Chelsea, who are willing to help and support in any way they can.”
The Chelsea Area Garden Club has generously supported gardening projects at St. Louis Center. Due to their commitment to horticultural related projects ‘Take Root Gardening’ has become a fun activity for the residents to become engaged in; learning the joys of both flower and vegetable gardens. It has been a blessing to see the residents having so much fun.