CAZENOVIA — For over 70 years, the Cazenovia Garden Club (CGC) has been working — often behind the scenes — to beautify the community and bring together people with mutual interests in home gardens and civic improvement.
The non-profit organization is a member of both the VI District of the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State, Inc. and the Central Atlantic Region of National Garden Clubs, Inc.
Founded in 1949 and federated in 1960, the CGC aims to stimulate interest in horticulture, develop skills in the beautification of home and community, create an awareness of national and local conservation problems, inspire a desire to serve in these areas, and further the goals and objectives of the regional and national organizations to which it belongs.
Each year, the club contributes thousands of dollars and countless volunteer hours to the community by providing flowers, tending gardens, and planting trees throughout the village.
In preparation for the holiday season, the CGC provides lighted wreaths for the lampposts throughout the Historic Business District, decorates hayracks and window boxes, and coordinates with the village to hang garland on storefronts and the Village Fountain. It also donates Christmas gifts to CazCares and provides Christmas table centerpieces for the Cazenovia Village Apartments senior housing community room.
The club, which is a member of the Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce, provides and maintains plants at the Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps building, Carpenter’s Barn, the Gothic Cottage, Lakeland Park, the Post Office, and both village welcome signs on Route 20. It also provides and maintains annual plantings in hanging baskets on lampposts, in sidewalk planters, and in window boxes throughout the village.
Additionally, the organization funds an annual scholarship for a Cazenovia High School senior to study horticulture, donates pantry items at monthly meetings to CazCares, coordinates the spring cleanup and mowing of the NYS parking area at the south end of Cazenovia Lake, donates to the Cazenovia Tree Commission, and plants and maintains gardens at the Cazenovia Public Library, the Veterans Baseball Field, and the Village Fountain.
The club pays for all the plants, planters, hanging baskets, wreaths, garlands, and bows used in CGC projects.
“People assume that either the village or the town pays for all the plantings and everything else,” said CGC First Vice President Glenda Pugh, who will take over as president on April 1, 2022. “That’s because some other places do that; the towns pay for [everything] and the garden clubs maintain the flowers and work the flower beds.”
According to Pugh, the spring 2022 plantings alone are expected to cost the club $6,800.
Throughout the years, CGC initiatives have been funded by the club’s annual spring and holiday plant sales.
Recently, however, the club determined that it is no longer able to depend on its sales to sustain its projects.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club was forced to cancel its 2020 spring sale, as well as its 2020 and 2021 holiday sales.
“There were four sales scheduled, and we had to cancel three of them,” said CGC President Anne King. “So, we’ve only had one sale in the last two years to raise funds to buy plants.”
The club’s fundraising challenges are compounded by increasing costs from suppliers and competition from “big box” retailers, both of which have resulted in reduced profits from the annual sales.
“We used to have annuals and perennials at our spring sale because it was early spring and people were planting their yards,” said Pugh. “But the last spring sale we had was just perennials because people can go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and get the annuals much cheaper than what we could possibly [offer]. To purchase annuals from a local person and resell them, we’d just make nothing on them. When you have to eliminate part of your spring sale, that cuts down your [profits] too.”
This coming spring, the club is planning to hold a perennial-only sale at the end of May or the beginning of June.
Faced with limited funds but determined to continue its mission, the CGC is turning to the community for support.
The Cazenovia Garden Club Reserve Fund was established in April 2003 to receive gifts and bequests. The income from the fund is used to supplement club fundraising efforts to enhance the street and landscapes of the village and surrounding areas.
Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to the Cazenovia Garden Club, P.O. Box 54, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Donations will support the CGC’s community gardening projects.
According to King, the village has already stepped up to assist the club in multiple ways, like hanging and taking down baskets and garlands, moving heavy planters, and watering plants.
“[Years ago,] every garden club member would drive around with about 15 gallons of water in the trunks of their cars because when we planted the tubs and baskets and things like that, the members watered everything,” King recalled. “. . . [Now,] the village crew spends hours and hours during the year to help us. . .”
According to CGC member Pauline Ireland, the village took over the watering responsibilities around three or four years ago.
King also extended the club’s gratitude to a couple of town employees who helped hang garlands this past holiday season.
In addition to seeking donations, the garden club is also welcoming new members.
Active members are expected to attend regular monthly meetings, which are held on the first Tuesday of the month and typically include guest speakers. Working members are required to work a minimum of eight hours per year on CGC projects. All membership dues go towards covering the club’s operating expenses.
To learn more about the Cazenovia Garden Club, visit cazenoviagardenclub.org.
