Historical Note

The Southside Garden Club began as a committee under the governance of the Blacksburg Women's Club. In the 1920s, in order to generate more interest in the Women's Club a committee was formed known as the garden committee. The committee first met in February of 1928, and in March of 1930 the committee voted to withdrawal from the Women's Club and formed its own independent organization. From the very beginning the Garden Club was concerned with community involvement and civic interests including the beautification of Blacksburg. In the late 1930s, the Garden Club's membership had grown beyond the capacity that could be accommodated by meetings in women's homes, in order to solve this problem, the club voted to split into three groups, the Arboretum, Southside, and Town and Country.

The Southside Garden Club, so named because many members lived on the south side of town, was federated in 1941. The Southside Garden Club continued the tradition of community involvement. In 1952, the club voted in favor of having women on the town council and in 1963, succeeded in making Blacksburg a bird sanctuary. It has furnished flowers and plants for various public buildings such as school grounds, Historic Smithfield, and the public library. Members of the Southside Garden Club have also participated in many contests and won awards in categories such as Garden Therapy and Horticulture. The primary mission of the Garden Club has always been the beautification of the town and county, and that mission continues even into the present day.

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