Local garden club wins statewide honor

One of the area’s leading garden groups has received a significant honor from a state organization.

The Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club was named the “Missouri Garden Club of the year” at the 90th Annual Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri convention held in St. Louis from April 17 through April 20.

“We are beyond thrilled to have been recognized for this honor,” Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club President Nancy Leahy said in a statement. “Our members work very hard to give back to our community by sharing our love of gardening.”

The FGC award is given based on a set of standards created by the organization. Among the evaluation criteria are special and on-going projects, youth activities, community programs, along with club produced publications.

The award cited Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club’s scholarships for students pursuing a horticulture degree from College of the Ozarks. 

The club conducts events through the year to fund the scholarships, with the biggest fundraiser the Annual Plant Sale currently scheduled for May 6, at the Apple Tree Mall parking lot, 1830 West 76 Country Boulevard in Branson.

The club also hosts a “Pollinator’s Event for Youth” where club members teach the public about the importance of pollinators such as bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and other insects. The event includes interactive games for children to help them learn.

The annual “Plant it Pink” campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer and to honor survivors of the disease. The group places a garden at the United Methodist Church in Branson for the campaign. Club members also work to clean up the shoreline of Table Rock Lake in September.

More information can be found about the group on their Facebook page, facebook.com/SHGCPage.