History of Garden Club of Madison

The Garden Club of Madison was founded on March 16, 1922, by thirteen women.  Shortly after the first meeting the membership was increased to its present limit of fifty active members.  At that first meeting Mrs. Colin S. McKinney, known throughout the country for her beautiful Irises, was elected Honorary President. 

One of our longest continuing relationships began in 1927 with our first flower show at Drew University's Mead Hall.  Many more shows followed, including the popular “Rose Festivals,” co-sponsored by Madison's commercial growers, which attracted thousands of attendees and won critical acclaim throughout the land.

Inspired by GCM honorary member and Drew University Professor of Botany Florence Zuck, our club began work in 1956 to preserve twenty acres as a forest arboretum and wildlife sanctuary at Drew. This important work continues today through grants and support from our club and the New Jersey Committee of GCA.

In 1959 vigorous public controversy arose over the proposed development of the nearby Great Swamp as a jetport.  GCM member and future President Grace Hand was a founding member, along with Helen Fenske and others, of the Great Swamp Committee formed to lead the frantic race to save thousands of acres.  A battle ensued that lasted several years but finally the forces for preservation of the unique ecological area won out.  By 1962 the Great Swamp was dedicated as the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and by 1967, the Great Swamp was declared a permanent wilderness area to be preserved for all time.

A major milestone in GCM’s history was joining the Garden Club of America in 1998. The Garden Club of America consists of representative garden clubs, located throughout the United States, with distinguished records of accomplishments in accordance with the standards of the GCA

Today, the Garden Club of Madison continues to initiate and support many community projects, both financially and through the volunteer work of our members. Each year GCM joins other Madisonians in celebrating Borough pride with a massive town-wide clean up called Madison May Day.

The club works with our local businesses and the Downtown Development Committee to beautify downtown Madison with the summer hanging baskets that make Madison so special.  Our annual Mum Sale serves to beautify downtown in the fall with giant yellow mums at every storefront and provides a cheerful face to the community.

In partnership with the Friends of Madison Shade Trees, an unsightly empty corner lot near the train station was transformed into a beautiful and welcoming little retreat called Rose Garden Park. The lovely pocket park honors Madison's history as Rose City USA. We also design and plant seasonally at the "Millennium Clock" space in the center of town, just another way of welcoming folks to our downtown.

In honor of the Club’s Centennial Year in 2022, the Garden Club of Madison chose three unique and worthwhile projects designed to give back to our community. We hope that each project will leave a lasting legacy. The Garden Club of Madison is proud of its many contributions to our community, and we continue our mission to restore and improve public spaces in Madison, the Rose City.