Garden Club by the Sea
Garden Club by the Sea is the local garden club chapter for Indialantic and is affiliated with the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and the Deep South Region. Now entering it’s 58th year, the club has enjoyed strong membership over the years and holds meetings in members’ homes which makes for intimate gatherings and where friendships are forged.
I had a lovely conversation with the current club president, Valerie Karas, who answered a few questions for me. In full disclosure, I am a new member of the garden club.
INL: Over the years, how has Garden Club by the Sea interacted with the town of Indialantic?
VK: Well, we have a brand-new website with a History tab that is a fascinating synopsis of the first 25 years. The club’s mission has always been focused on beautification, education and conservation, although programming has been fluid from year to year. The club was instrumental in the beautification of Douglas Park in 1965 and held the first Beautification Ball in 1968 at Tradewinds. The club sold hotdogs at the Indialantic Art Show back in the day that used to attract 100,000 people to Fifth Avenue. After many beautification projects, decorating public buildings or hospitals, flower shows, gardening programs to learn more, garden projects for children—a lot over 58 years—the club is most proud of its collaboration with the town of Indialantic in the beautification of Lily Park. Part of that was the installation of the Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker on Veterans Day 2021. The club is holding another celebration this year for Veterans Day. Of course, we post on our social media what we are doing so the public can know about it.
By the way, people are invited to purchase a custom brick for Lily Park. Details are online and online payment is available as well as a downloadable form you can mail in with a check.
INL: Who can become a member?
VK: People living beachside between the southern boundary of Melbourne Beach and the Eau Gallie Causeway are eligible. Our only limitation is that we are restricted to 55 members because we meet in private homes. If someone is interested, they should reach out through our website or Facebook. New members must be sponsored by a member.
INL: People think just old ladies join garden club. Is that true?
VK: First, we have—and welcome—all ages. The older women in our group are highly accomplished, educated and/or widely traveled outside of garden club. It would be a mistake to assume old ladies aren’t a vivacious and powerful group. They’ve done it all and know where the bodies are buried. We meet during the day which is difficult for working people, but if there was enough interest to create a “circle” that met at another time, that could happen.
INL: Besides socializing, what do you learn in garden club?
VK: Garden Club covers a lot of territory and offers something for everyone. There is the traditional flower arranging, although our club does not do much of that; there are workshops you can attend through the Florida Federation. Landscaping, horticulture and conservation topics are all of great interest and focus to us. The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated four plant zones in Florida (8, 9, 10, and 11), which are based on average lowest temperatures, to help you choose plants that can survive the winter. We are largely Zone 9. So garden club is all about understanding the world around you while making, in many cases, lifelong friends.
Florida Plant Zones
