Southport Magazine

Take a look around Southport, and you can see beauty everywhere your eye travels. Whether it’s the water, marshes, majestic oak trees or flowering azaleas, Southport is a city that definitely takes full advantage of its surroundings. It’s the work of the Southport Garden Club members, though, that adds another layer of color to an already beautiful landscape. 

“The vision of the Southport Garden Club is to offer an active social club that inspires member confidence for gardening in the coastal south, strengthens friendships and camaraderie among members, and serves the city of Southport through beautification, conservation, and outreach activities,” Club President Shirley Snyder said. 

The Southport Garden Club is a member in good standing of the National Garden Clubs, Inc.; South Atlantic Region (SAR); The Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc.; and District 11, explained Snyder.

The Club currently has 43 members. It’s easy to join, and annual dues are just $35 a year. The Club meets the second Tuesday of the month from 9:45 am to noon at Southport Presbyterian Church, 1025 E. Moore Street. Anyone interested in becoming a member is welcome to attend a meeting or event, Snyder said.

When doing a little shopping downtown, take notice of the planters dotting the sidewalks. Downtown Southport Inc. provided the planters, and Garden Club members designed and maintain the colorful mini gardens. The group also maintains the Triangle garden on Moore Street and River Road, as well as the corner garden on Keziah. The group is working with the City and its Beautification Committee in designing and installing the garden at the Indian Trail Meeting Hall on Moore Street. 

The Garden Club also does community outreach programs, such as the Caswell Community Garden plot, participation in the Food Share program and creating small bouquets to accompany Meals on Wheels for Valentine’s Day. They designed Christmas decorations for the Visitor Center and there are also lots of events to keep members busy. There’s Yard of the Month, Art in Bloom at the Franklin Square Gallery, the Lunch-n-Learn program, and  fundraisers like the live wreath sale in November and the plant sale in April (canceled for 2020). 

It’s that combination of sharing knowledge and spending time together that Snyder enjoys. Asked what she finds most rewarding about working with the Club and her role as President, she said it’s “creating a social club focusing learning how to garden in our town with fun social events at Club members’ gardens and homes.”

The Garden Club’s meetings and events are included on the City of Southport’s community calendar. Once public gatherings resume, check www.southportnc.org for details. 

Editor’s Note — we plan to feature other area garden clubs in future issues, so keep reading to learn more about how your community blooms.