Meeting Dates:
The Franklin Garden Club meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, September – May.
To contact us, please email: franklingardenclub1945@gmail.com.
Our Purpose
The Franklin Garden Club was organized in September 1945 and became a member of The Garden Club of Virginia on May 24, 1955. The Club is organized and operated as a non-stock, non-profit corporation exclusively for charitable, civic, and educational purposes without pecuniary gain or profit to its members or to any private individual.
Generally, the purpose of the club shall be:
- To stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening
- To promote gardening among amateurs
- To share horticultural knowledge by means of meetings, demonstrations, lectures, conferences, correspondence, and publications
- To restore, improve and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action to protect our native wild flowers and birds
- To encourage conservation of natural resources
- To promote civic planting
- To encourage roadside beautification
- To aid in the restoration and preservation of historic gardens in Virginia
Our Affiliations
The Garden Club of Virginia
Vision
The Garden Club of Virginia exists to celebrate the beauty of the land, to conserve the gifts of nature, and to challenge future generations to build on this heritage.
Values
- Conservation of our natural resources
- Restoration of historic gardens and landscapes
- Education of our members and the general public
Mission
- Restore historic gardens and landscapes
- Conserve Virginia’s natural resources
- Inspire a love of gardening
- Provide education for members and the general public
To accomplish its mission, the GCV sponsors two major flower shows annually, presents various educational programs, and makes awards to encourage community conservation and beautification projects.
Most notably, the GCV is recognized for its Historic Garden Week, a statewide tour of many projects on historic properties throughout Virginia. Since 1929, the GCV has restored the gardens at more than forty properties throughout the state of Virginia.
For more information, visit: gcvirginia.org
The Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce
Since 1954, the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce has been a part of our ever growing community and continues to serve the Franklin-Southampton region. The Franklin Garden Club joined the Chamber in 2026 to become more integrated with local businesses and promoted within the community.
For more information visit: www.fsachamber.com
Our History
The Franklin Garden club held its first meeting in 1945 and was invited to join the Garden Club of Virginia in 1955. In May 1967 members of the Garden Gate Garden Club of Franklin were invited to join the Franklin Garden Club. This club had been meeting since the early 1950’s. The goals of the club are excellence in gardening, conservation, preservation, beautification, and education.
Members of the Franklin Garden Club come from the city of Franklin, Courtland, and Southampton County. These communities are connected by ten miles of route 58. This stretch of highway has been an ongoing club project. Over the years the club has planted crepe myrtles, dogwoods, flowering pear, and bulbs, but due to droughts and poor highway maintenance the survival rate has not been good. In 1996 the club again planted trees along Highway 58. The Club has done other public plantings at the public libraries, YMCA, hospital, schools and parks which have fared better. In the early days of the Club, members planned and installed the Memorial Park between Clay Street and Meadow Lane in Franklin and planted dogwoods throughout the city. The Club’s work was instrumental in Franklin being designated a Tree City, USA. Other ongoing projects included sponsoring a child to attend Nature Camp in the summer for many years.
Through the years, the Franklin Garden Club has sponsored many activities that have promoted conservation and education in many different areas.
Our Goals: Excellence in Gardening
Conservation
– Partner with the Virginia Master Naturalist Program, the Riverkeeper Program, Community beautification project.
– Partner with the City of Franklin on the Chesapeake Bay Clean Rivers Day/Month.
– Visit innovative companies or efforts for new conservation efforts. Ex. SWIFT – Sustainable Water Initiative For Tomorrow
Restoration
– Conduct an annual Garden Tour during Historic Garden Week in conjunction with Nansemond River GC and Elizabeth River GC to raise money to support GCV Restoration Projects
– Visit a GCV-supported Restoration Project or a local club-sponsored project annually as a club field trip and/or promote individual trips throughout the centennial year
Education
– Provide an orientation workshop for new members
– Conduct segments at each monthly meeting to encourage members to exhibit horticulture specimens from their gardens and to educate all members on the planting and care of the specimens exhibited at the meeting.
– Conduct brief segments at each monthly meeting to educate members on the details and judging of the flower arranging schedule for the following month, as well as discuss the judging of the current month’s arrangements.
– Encourage participation by club members in the GCV Flower Arranging, Horticulture, and Conservation Workshops including making wreaths for the holiday season to sell as a fundraiser
Beautification
– Maintain the Chamber Walk pocket park in Downtown Franklin.
– Participate in the Franklin City’s Adopt-a-Spot program and maintain the FGC’s assigned area by conducting a quarterly clean-up.
– Maintain the gardens by the gate of the Rochelle-Prince House and decorate for Christmas on odd-numbered years. Conduct an annual plant exchange or plant auction by members to encourage new planting and a love of gardening among club members.
– Provide funding for Blackwater Park Trail and horticulture for the Pavilion in honor of 2026 Board of Governors’ Meeting.
The Franklin Garden Club 