By Eliza Berkon and Beth Kellmurray
Gardening can be both a blessing and a burden, between all the required waterings and the unpredictability of the weather. But one way to ensure that it’s never miserable is by adding some friends to the mix. Not surprisingly, NoVA is teeming with gardening clubs in just about every major community, and joining one may be just what you need to help your space blossom. Here’s a sample of what may be just around your corner:
With 47 clubs statewide—including in the cities of Alexandria and Fredericksburg as well as Fairfax, Fauquier and Loudoun counties—the Garden Club of Virginia hosts Historic Garden Week, the commonwealth’s annual garden preservation fundraiser in April.
The Centreville Garden Club has served the nearby community for 10 years, arranging flowers for senior centers, doing local landscaping and providing social opportunities for its members. They meet on the third Monday of each month from September through June in Chantilly from 7-9 p.m. and welcome new members.
If your little one has a green thumb, too, you might consider enrolling them in Fredericksburg-based Downtown Greens’ Youth Garden Club. Kids meet every Tuesday to plant, maintain and harvest a community garden while learning about not only gardening but also the environment. The program is free and welcomes kids of all ages.
This Springfield gardening club meets once every month at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church and covers a wide range of gardening topics and participates in a multitude of community gardening projects.
This Arlington gardening club hosts meetings every month that cover everything from native plants and ferns to winter and English gardens.
This club meets nine times per year with featured speakers, plant exchanges, garden tours and discounts at local nurseries.
Five Hills Garden Club meets once every month in Vienna and focuses on landscape design, conservation, horticulture and more. The group has worked on community gardening projects at Oakton Library, West End Cemetery and Meadowlark Gardens.
Meeting once per month at the Great Falls Library, this club aims to improve community gardens, instill members with new skills and knowledge and offer opportunities to meet and befriend fellow gardeners.