Dear Editor:
The Garden Club of Henderson is excited about its future. Since the club’s beginning in 1925, its main purpose was to encourage civic beautification projects. One such project of the 1930’s was the beautification of the waterfront and establishment of Audubon Mill Park. The park and Water Street are of a vital focus to our community. This is where our community comes together for festivals, walkers, water features, restaurants, recreational boating, post office, tourism center and most recently again riverboat visitors.
This year our special project committee was tasked with selecting a project that would benefit the community as we have in the past from our fundraising event proceeds. Year after year the club members would suggest that larger planters might be a better way to update the plantings to accommodate all-seasons.
To give you first a little history, the beautiful, but small, concrete pots were purchased by the city and was a wonderful addition to the downtown for many years. The Garden Club took up the task of planting the pots when it was discovered they were going to be left empty. These pots served their purpose for many years. The challenge with the concrete pots was that the small size made it difficult to maintain proper moisture limiting the types of plants and flowers that could survive during all seasons.
The committee purposed the replacement of the concrete pots for larger planters. The Garden Club first approached the city officials with the idea. They welcomed the suggestion for change within limitations. The Garden Club committee met with the city twice to present our design. Then the club was required to present the idea before the commissioners for their approval prior to the club presenting the idea to its members for the club’s final approval.
The Club budgeted the purchase of the initial 16 planters installed this spring for locations on Main, Second and Water Streets. The Club was fortunate to have the generous donations from Andy and Laura Rideout, new owners of Day’s Garden Center, for the soil and the purchase of the plants from Day’s through donations through our recently passed friend, Joel Hopper. The Club is so grateful to these individuals and others who have donated to help the Club continue their work.
The purchase of the 16 planters was just the beginning of this project that could extend into the fall of 2026 to complete with the purchase of additional planters. Currently, the Club has an additional 12 planters for installation along Water Street. The 12 are in addition to the 4 already installed next to the post office parking lot, across the street from the Depot, and at the stone entrance into Audubon Mill Park. As mentioned, Water Street and the Park were the focal point of our founder’s vision for the beautification of the waterfront. The 12 planters will be installed in November, and all current 28 planters will be decorated for the holiday season which will be an introduction of the Garden Club’s Candlelight Tour set for Friday, December 12, 2025.
A committee of eight Garden Club member is set to design and purchase plants for the coming 2026 spring of annuals and perennials to capture that all-season appearance.
The Garden Club of Henderson is 100 years old as of this year. The Club has been a club of hundreds of women over the course of these 100 years that has worked for and with this community we call Henderson, or 42420….and home. The club has provided as its purpose horticultural education, improve community beautification and hopefully make our community a place where everyone feels proud to live. The Club has worked with other organizations knowing that each has something to give and working together makes us all stronger. To name a few, the Club has worked with the Chamber of Commerce, Master Gardeners, and various art societies. This year we hosted local gardens with the plein air club, “Easel Does It”, entitled the Gardens of Henderson. Through the Club’s communications abilities, club volunteers, and finance, this helped not only their club, but our club advertise our presence in the community. On July 10th from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Depot, Gallery 101, the community is invited to an opening reception of the plein air club’s art exhibit featuring the finished paintings using this year’s gardens as their inspiration. In the past, pre-COVID, the Garden Club hosted biannual garden tours of local gardens as a fundraising event. This year’s garden tours with the plein air club may help the Garden Club to revive that tradition that was started years prior by long time member, Glenda West. Glenda, along with so many other long serving members of the club, like Mary Ann Campbell, Margaret Ann Sights, Pat Sale, Jo Meeks, Elaine Benson, Ardith Shannon, Ginger Simpson, Marietta Peckenpaugh, and some 30 others has built this club into what it stands for today. Our membership continues to grow through our presence on the Club’s Facebook page, The Hendersonian ad, Chamber of Commerce newsletter, and articles in the Kentucky Living and Evansville Living made possible by the help from our Media Chair, Barbara Ray. We are now 54 active members and 15 associate members strong. Every member has and does make this club a success in its purpose to educate and beautify Henderson. Much thanks to each one of our members and those who support us.
The Garden Club of Henderson
