GRAPEVINE -- When Grapevine Garden Club member Joetta King decided to pen the 80-year-history of her organization, she was determined to do it in a year and keep it concise.
Both were difficult endeavors for a club that has helped shaped the city's future in so many ways."What's interesting is how important the Grapevine Garden Club has been in the development of the city," said King, the group's publicity chairwoman.King's efforts were rewarded when her book, History of the Grapevine Garden Club 1932-2012: 80 Years of Community Involvement, Projects, and Activities went on sale at a recent garden club meeting."I think it's pretty exciting that we celebrated 80 years," said King, a 28-year-member of the club.The garden club began with a notice in the Jan. 28, 1932, edition of The Grapevine Sun announcing an organizational meeting of a new group.Twenty-five men and women were at the Jan. 29 public gathering in the auditorium of the First Baptist Church where officers were elected.The club held its first official meeting in February at the Grapevine home of Eunice Lucas Davis.Today, the group has approximately 225 members. Annual membership dues have increased from the original 25 cents to $30 per person or $35 per family.In the early years, studying horticulture and holding flower shows were important activities among the stay-at-home wives in the club. Fast-forward to their current roster of women and men whose occupations and interests are as varied as the kind of plants they study.King, a past president, thinks the public's perception that the club exists to hold tea parties is simply wrong. The club's history includes neighborhood beautification projects, environmental programs, tree plantings, garden tours and scholarship awards.King, 69, said the book took longer to complete than she ever could have imagined."I went through scrapbooks, reports, histories of projects, newspaper clippings," she said. "I spoke with older members."Then last summer, an unexpected incident caused her to scrap the project and start all over.Workers were going through a city-owned storage building and found a stash of information from the club's earliest days, including minutes of the meetings.King said she took a deep breath, "and started over."Although much has changed in the club and the community over the years, the Grapevine Garden Club remains the same in one important way. The organization consists of men and women "who enjoy gardening, sharing plants and having fun."Through its monthly programs, field trips, annual plant sale, scholarship program and civic beautification projects, the club promotes interest in gardening and floral design.Members are encouraged to bring plant cuttings and harvested seeds from their gardens for the seed and plant exchange at monthly meetings. Sharing is a big part of the fun, King said.For more information on the organization, email grapevinegardenclub.com.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
