Calvert Garden Club members donate a lot of time to the various community service projects that the Club sponsors.  Some projects go on for many years, some have even been ongoing since the inception of the Club, and some are of shorter duration. The project list is updated annually or as new projects are approved.  The list below reflects the current set of active projects.

Art Blooms at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center

The phrase Art In Bloom has been in use since the mid-1970s as the title of various exhibits held annually in art museums where Garden Club members and other floral designers interpret visual art pieces with flower arrangements.

Calvert Garden Club started to sponsor an Art Blooms event at Annmarie Gardens starting in 2010.  Over a weekend during July, the art pieces and the corresponding floral designs are on display.  The CGC Project committee works with Annmarie to recruit floral designers, select the art pieces to be interpreted and oversee the installation and removal of designs.

Books in Bloom at Calvert Libraries

Using Art Blooms as an example, the Books in Bloom committee works with the Calvert County Libraries to select a theme, recruit floral designers and put on display designs inspired by books.  The event usually takes place in early March.  We usually also offer floral design demonstrations for the public during this event.  It is conducted by some of our Club’s most experienced designers.

Blue Star Memorial

The Memorial is located at the entrance to Solomon’s Island and is an initiative of the National Garden Clubs. CGC project members maintain the plantings around the memorial.

Boyd King Park and Phillip House Gardens

The house and garden are on Church Street. The pollinator beds at the public park were planted and designed by the Calvert Garden Club in 2018. The Phillip House is within the park. Calvert Garden Club members maintain the beds at the park with the County’s help and provide advice and hands-on assistance with the restoration and maintenance of the small garden in front of the historic Phillips House.

Garden and Grounds at Linden

For the garden and grounds at Linden (home of the Calvert Historical Society), the club established a public flower garden and an evergreen grove honoring past Calvert Garden Club presidents on the grounds at Linden. The Committee coordinates workdays to maintain the garden, refurbish the plantings and monitor the irrigation system provided by the Garden Club.

Civic Decorations

A long-standing tradition of the Calvert Garden Club is the Greening of the Courthouse Square for the Christmas Holidays. Gardens that the club maintains in the area of the courthouse have been added to the greening activities. Club members assemble all decorations, including beautiful wreaths, swags, roping, and Della Robbia, to beautify the County Courthouse, Linden and Boyd King Park for the seasonal enjoyment of all county residents and visitors.  Members cut fresh greens from their gardens, and all members of the Club participate in making the decorations. We coordinate with the County workers and receive their assistance in transporting and affixing the decorations.

Donations and Grants

Each year starting in November, the Calvert Garden Club accepts applications from non-profit organizations located in Calvert County that support environmentally beneficial projects and promote the appreciation of the benefits of gardening.   The primary source of the funds used in our Mini-Grants is the funds raised during our annual Plant Sale. Grants in the range of $100- $1000 are made available.  Since the beginning of this program in 2014, we have provided over $20,000 in grants and donations.

Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage

The Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage was formed in 1930 as a committee of the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland.  Now a separate corporation (MHGP), its primary purpose was then and continues to be the preservation and restoration of architecturally and historically significant properties in the State of Maryland. The Pilgrimage has raised and distributed well over one million dollars since it started.  The Calvert Garden Club participates approximately every three years, rotating with the other Southern Maryland Counties (Charles and St. Mary’s).  The Pilgrimage is a very special event for the Club since the founding of the Club is said to be the result of the participation of its original members.  The Pilgrimage raises money for a selected charitable organization. The Club works with the State MHGP organization to fulfill all necessary information for tour publicity and funding, coordinate the selection of houses and sites, provide hosts at each site, decorate houses, and provide publicity.

Nursing Center

The Calvert Nursing Center provides long-term care, short-term rehabilitation, memory support, as well as respite and palliative care to the Calvert County community. Members of the Calvert Garden Club volunteer to meet every month throughout the year with the residents of the Calvert Nursing Center in Prince Frederick. It is a commitment that brings much pleasure to the residents of the facility. Almost every club member gets involved from time to time.  We select a theme for each session according to the month of the year and supply basic materials for the designs. We provide the materials and flowers for making individual arrangements for the participants and rely on club members to bring what they can – fresh flowers, greens, herbs even silks.

Our largest event is at Christmas time when we help the residents make and decorate miniature boxwood trees. We usually have as many members helping as we do residents participating. The finished results are placed in residents’ rooms and various stations throughout the Center.