Piedmont Garden Club is committed to improving our community and the greater East Bay through activities and contributions.
The following are lists of projects, organizations and endeavors PGC supports with either time, treasure or talent — and sometimes with all three! Click HERE to view all of PGC’s contributions to the City of Piedmont, the greater Bay Area and beyond since 1923.
Civic Projects: Supporting Our Local Community
Click HERE for the 2022-2023 Civic Projects Report
Below is a partial list of PGC civic projects and contributions to local projects from 2000-2023
- PGC Photographers Shoot Winning Heritage Trees
- Native plants to surround re-designed park entrance at Highland/Guilford (2021)
- New native plantings at Fire House and Veterans Hall (2020)
- Necklace of lights at Community Hall Plaza (2019)
- Dog/People water fountain at Dracena Park; Hanging baskets workshop (2018)
- Bench and plantings at Hampton Field (2017)
- Under-bench lighting at Tea House deck (2016)
- Bioswale in Dracena Park ; Linda Kingston Triangle (2015)
- New trees to replace those lost in the November windstorm (2014)
- Light the Lantern Project at Lower Grand Avenue (2013)
- Cherry tree planting near Tea House; Ramona Ronada triangle (2012)
- Contribution to PBF in support of a new deck for the Tea House (2011)
- Lighting of Bufano bear sculpture in Crocker Park (2010)
- Hall Fenway Landscape Renovation (2009)
- Exedra Plaza Project Phase III (2008)
- Oakland Avenue bridge lights; Wildwood Edible Garden (2007)
- Centennial Signs for Piedmont Park & Beach School Edibles Garden (2006)
- Drains to the Bay (2005)
- Exedra Park Plaza – staircase lighting (2004)
- Dracena Park – Children’s Play Structures – fundraising (2003)
- Lighting of Exedra Park oak tree- funding/planning (2003)
- Planted Hanging Baskets – Main Park (2000 – 2003)
- Exedra Park Project- completion in November (2002)
- Exedra Park Project- funding/planting (2001)
- Plant material purchased & planted at Tea House (2000)
Click HERE to view all of PGC’s civic projects and contributions since 1923.
Piedmont Beautification Foundation
The Piedmont Garden Club was instrumental in starting the Piedmont Beautification Foundation in 1964. PGC remains very involved in the Foundation, providing key officers and board members as well as ongoing financial support and volunteers. The Piedmont Beautification Foundation works together with the City of Piedmont to provide support for civic projects around town that beautify and improve our neighborhoods.
PBF sponsors and organizes the annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony the first Wednesday evening of December. The Piedmont Garden Club helps the city to put up and then take down the lights every year.
PBF also organizes the installation of memorial and tribute trees and benches around the city.
Serving California and The Greater Bay Area
The Garden Club of America purchased a grove of over 5000 acres in Humboldt State Park with the help of Save the Redwoods League between the 1932 and the 1950s, encompassing almost the entire Canoe Creek watershed. This was GCA’s first Conservation Project. The special relationship between The Garden Club of America, and particularly the Piedmont Garden Club, has continued throughout the years of working together to protect the redwood trees in the grove, support the league and encourage members to visit and learn about these incredible trees.
Save the San Francisco Bay Foundation
The Piedmont Garden Club works closely with ecologists from Save the Bay on our Partners for Plants Project at Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline where we are restoring part of the shoreline by planting natives plants. We also work with Save the Bay on educational outreach to our members on the ecology of the Bay and initiatives like measure A to fund wetlands restoration. PGC supports Save the Bay with donations and volunteers.
This garden with a world class plant collection is in our own backyard. There is a history of Piedmont Garden Club members and their involvement with the UC Botanical Garden as Board Members, Volunteers and Donors. The Garden is a source of education for PGC members through talks, field trips and workshops.
Student Conservation Association
The Student Conservation Association was started by a Garden Club of America member 50 years ago. Piedmont Garden Club continues to support this organization and its mission to train the next generation of conservation leaders and help with the stewardship of our public lands. Recently SCA members have been doing restoration work on the trails of the GCA Redwood Grove.
Garden Club of America Scholarships
The Piedmont Garden Club contributes annually to Garden Club of America Scholarships that help students learning about conservation and the environment.
In Addition, the Conservation and Horticultural Committees contribute to worthy local and regional organizations.
Oakland’s Morcom Rose Garden is cared for by a slew of community volunteers, including Piedmont Garden Club members who weed there two to three times a year. PGC also supports Morcom financially with annual donations.
Insight Garden Program transforms prisoners’ lives through connection to nature. Piedmont Garden Club has been supporting this program since 2016 with yearly donations.
2023 Conservation Donations
- Golden Gate Audubon Society
- California Native Plants Society, East Bay Chapter
- East Bay Regional Parks Foundation
- Lake Merritt Institute
- Pollinator Posse
2023 Horticulture Donations
Partners for Plants is a joint program of The Garden Club of America’s Conservation and Horticulture Committees to monitor and conserve rare plants, restore native habitats and remove invasive weeds on federal, state and local public lands. Partners for Plants volunteers have partnered with land agencies to conserve a variety of natural open spaces throughout the United States. Since the program’s beginning in 1992, there have been over 470 projects nationwide.
In 2019 we were approved for an additional P4P project that involves planting native Aristolochia at various places in the East Bay Regional Parks to expand habitat for the local Swallowtail butterfly. Learn more HERE.
MISSION STATEMENT
In the spirit of fostering collaboration and camaraderie among the six Northern California Garden Club of America clubs, the Bay Visions Committee was formed to help restore and protect the San Francisco bays. Consistent with the purpose of GCA, Bay Visions works with and educates our members and our communities on the bays’ critical importance to the surrounding communities and environment. It supports the diverse, ongoing conservation and improvement efforts on our bays and estuaries.
WHO ARE WE?
The group consists of 15 members (2 from each club) including a Chair, a Vice Chair and a Secretary. Other members included will be: the current P4P Vice Chair, Zone XII Conservation /NAL Rep and Zone XII Horticulture Rep.
The committee will meet as needed and at least 4 times per year to facilitate the process of restoration of the bay. The six clubs, Woodside Atherton Garden Club, Hillsborough Garden Club, Marin Garden Club, Piedmont Garden Club, Orinda Garden Club and Carmel by the Sea Garden Club will come together to learn, share and eventually celebrate our successful restoration efforts.
OUR GOALS
All six clubs will set aside the same day to be educated about SF area bay restoration. The format, content, frequency, timing and location of this gathering will be determined and planned by the committee in conjunction with the six clubs’ Program Chairmen. Each club’s projects to restore the bay will be supported and encouraged by the committee with the view to sharing ideas and strengthening our commitment and effectiveness.
On January 13, 2021 the six Bay Area GCA clubs met virtually for Bay Visions 2021: The Power of Plants Will Protect the Bay. It was an inspiring look at adaptation, regeneration, and the powerful role plants play in mitigating the challenges facing San Francisco Bay.
Jointly produced by the GCA’s National Affairs & Legislation and Conservation Committees, GCA Position Papers summarize those issues that are of top priority to The Garden Club of America.
Our mission is to educate and inspire individuals into recreating our lost biodiversity and tackling environmental challenges through dense plantings of native trees and shrubs, aimed at attracting and nurturing wildlife. Click HERE to read more about Micro-Forests.
Click HERE to view the Miyawaki Micro-Forest in Berkeley video.