Create. Nurture. Educate. Inspire.

The Garden Club of Darien is a member of the Garden Club of America and shares the same mission of stimulating the knowledge and love of gardening; sharing the advantage of association by means of educational meetings, conferences, correspondence and publications; and restoring, improving and protecting the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.

News & Upcoming Events

  • The Memorial Herb Garden highlighted in Darien Magazine

    The Memorial Herb Garden at the Museum of Darien. Established in 1965 by the Garden Club of Darien (GCD) to honor past members. Set up in quadrants, it is a colonial-style kitchen garden filled with historically significant culinary and medicinal herbs carefully researched, cultivated and cared for by the GCD. As beautiful as it is educational. Pictured (from left): Lisa Webb, GCD Co-President, Aileen Skolds, Memorial Herb Garden Committee, Gretchen Witschi, GCD Co-President, Lisa von Stuelpnagel, Memorial Herb Garden Chair.

  • The chairs have arrived!

    The Vicki Nolan memorial Adirondack chairs are now in place at Weed Beach for the season. If you spot them, we’d love photos to share with her family—please send them to gcdcpres@gmail.com. Shown is a sweet moment of the Nolans and member Dale O’Brien’s first grandchild, Henry Lewis Nolan, enjoying the beach!

    Send in your photos.

  • Cherry Lawn Garden Celebrates 50 Years of Growth and Community

    The Garden Club of Darien was thrilled to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Cherry Lawn Garden with a lively community event on June 28th. One of the day’s highlights was our sunflower seed planting workshop, where children and adults alike rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty planting.

    This milestone marks five decades since a group of visionary women from the Garden Club of Darien advocated for the creation of a community garden at Cherry Lawn Park. What began as a civic improvement initiative has blossomed into a lasting legacy. The 50th celebration not only honored the past but looked forward to the seasons ahead—proof that when a community comes together with purpose, beautiful things grow.

  • Garden Club of Darien featured in Darien Living magazine

    May 2025

    The Garden Club of Darien: Cultivating Beauty and Community for Nearly a Century. For 95 years, the Garden Club of Darien (GCD) has enriched the town’s natural beauty while fostering education, conservation and community engagement.

    Read more

Our Activities

The Garden Club of Darien is active in many areas of gardening, education, and civic engagement. Through our programs and projects, members expand their knowledge, share their talents, and give back to the community in meaningful ways.

  • We enhance our understanding and deepen our knowledge of gardening, conservation, and design through engaging seminars, hands-on workshops, and inspiring speakers. Educational programming is at the heart of the Club, offering opportunities for lifelong learning and growth.

  • Our members design and maintain several treasured public spaces in Darien, including the Memorial Herb Garden at the Museum of Darien, the entrance gardens at Cherry Lawn Park, and the gazebo garden at Tilley Pond Park. We also contribute to numerous other community beautification projects, ensuring that Darien’s natural and historic spaces continue to flourish.

  • Through programs and action, we are committed to restoring, protecting, and improving the environment. Our members advance conservation awareness locally and nationally by supporting sustainable practices, habitat restoration, and community education on environmental issues.

  • Floral design is both art and expression within our Club. Members of all experience levels — from novice to advanced — explore the beauty of flowers through workshops, exhibitions, and competitions. We promote creativity, craftsmanship, and the joy of sharing floral artistry with others.

  • We nurture a love of plants and gardens by exploring the science and practice of horticulture. Members exchange knowledge on plant varieties, cultivation techniques, and preservation of species at risk, strengthening our community of gardeners.

  • Photography provides another lens through which to appreciate the natural world. We promote the art and science of garden and landscape photography, offering education, workshops, and exhibitions to encourage members of all skill levels.

  • Through this outreach program, members share fellowship and creativity with seniors at the Darien Mather Senior Center and Norwalk ElderHouse. Together, we enjoy the art of flower arranging, fostering joy, connection, and community through plants.

  • We are proud to support the Garden Club of America’s scholarship programs, which fund studies in botany, horticulture, landscape architecture, conservation, and related fields. By supporting these scholarships, we help nurture the next generation of leaders in the natural sciences and design.

  • Our members broaden their perspectives by visiting gardens both near and far. From local private gardens to national treasures across the United States, and even those of the Garden Club of America, these visits provide inspiration, education, and an appreciation of garden history, design, and the natural environment.