Mandarin Garden Club to celebrate diamond jubilee

On Nov. 8, 1945, the Mandarin Garden Circle was formed with 30 local members as a nonprofit organization aimed at beautifying the Mandarin area. They worked to help save and plant more live oaks along Mandarin Road, while also maintaining and cleaning various public areas. Numerous bake sales and bazaars helped to pay for a fire truck, and they learned to fight fires along the way. 

The women also used the fire truck to water the live oaks.

Meetings were held at the Mandarin Community Club basement, in the building donated by Harriet Beecher Stowe as a school in the late 19th century. In 1959, after the basement flooded and became unusable, members then met in private homes to discuss gardening problems while having tea and cookies. They also participated in flower shows and citrus festivals. In 1957 there were 62 days of cold with many hard frosts and freezes. The citrus fruit and flowers were severely damaged, so there were no shows that year. 

The current Mandarin Garden Club property was purchased in May 1963 with a  mortgage of $10,595 and payments of $500 per year. In a scandalous move for the time, members Louise Hill and Bess Perimeter signed for the mortgage without the knowledge or approval of their husbands. Plants were donated and master gardeners created demonstration gardens. 

Many remarkable women and a few men have made the Mandarin Garden Club what it is today. Projects over the years included walkways, expanded gardens, fundraising, social events, a cookbook and many more.

The building, now designated a historical landmark, has been a popular venue for weddings and community events. There are four Garden Club Circles that meet monthly, along with several other nonprofit organizations that provide activities and lectures of interest to gardeners. 

The 11th annual Mandarin Garden Club Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free and open to the community, the event features a variety of vendors offering candles, wreaths, yard art, wood carving, Christmas ornaments, paintings, jewelry, photography, plants and many other unique items. Barbecue and baked goods will also be available.

In addition, a presentation and reception celebrating the Mandarin Garden Club, “Through the Decades,” will be held on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 2 to 5 p.m.

The club is located at 2892 Loretto Road in Jacksonville. For more information, visit MandarinGardenClub.org.